Tequila for the Kids, Key Lime Cheesecake with Patrón Sauce

Call off the Department of Social Services. The kids don’t actually drink tequila in this story. For the third year in a row, I had the tremendous honor of making dessert for the East Central Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Fire & Ice gala in Brookings, S.D. The fundraising event benefits children who have been victims of abuse and neglect.

The menu description for my Key Lime Cheesecake with Patrón Sauce: Like a margarita sitting in the sand, tart Key lime filling nestles into a graham and vanilla crust. The cheesecake is topped with whipped cream and served with juicy Key lime cream spiked with Patrón Silver 100% Blue Agave Tequila.

Two years ago for Fire & Ice I made raspberry white chocolate truffle cheesecakes, and last year I made Italian Tuxedo Parfaits stacked full of amaretto brownies, silky white chocolate cream and fresh strawberries. This year we went tropical and from what I could tell, these babies were a hit. It might have something to do with the pre-gala Bel Brands VIP Reception — it added an extra hour of wine drinking before the meal. *Wink. Wink*

On the other hand, how often do you eat cheesecake with a shot of juicy Key lime Patrón sauce drizzled over the top?

The sauce is simple to make — a sweet mix of sour cream, sugar, Key lime juice, lime zest, and tequila.

People often ask me how I make baby cheesecakes. The cuteness comes from these Chicago Metallic pans. 

The first 50 or so didn’t turn out so well. I believe weather can sometimes affect your baking. This happened…

…because this happened on baking day:

So to ease my frustration, I went outside and took pictures of a female woodpecker that knocked herself into a no-fly zone after hitting her head on our French doors. The pesky robin kept photobombing the picture!

And then I went back in the house and baked more than 260 beautiful baby cheesecakes.

I want to give a shout out to Mike, Ben, Chris, and Evan at the Hy-Vee grocery store in Brookings. Mike (not pictured) is the produce manager and for the last three years, he has hooked me up with fresh, juicy raspberries, strawberries, and Key limes for my Fire & Ice desserts. When I went to pick up my limes this year, Mike was gone and Chris, Evan, and Ben (pictured from left to right) made sure I had the best-looking bunch of Key limes. So I took their picture – the best looking bunch in the produce section. You know the tune, “Where there’s a helpful smile in every aisle.”

I had so many limes leftover that we ate lime chicken tacos for a few days and now we’re crunching through a batch of our favorite Chicken Black Bean Salsa.

Thank you also to the Brookings High School Honor Society and the event staff from SDSU Catering. The kitchen was a harmonious frenzy that night and you helped pull off the dessert presentation and service with swift and gracious style.

Lastly but most importantly, to Julie Wermers, Executive Director East Central CASA, and Darilyn Odegaard, President East Central CASA, and to the East Central CASA Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and Fire & Ice committee — thank you for giving a voice to children who would otherwise be unheard, and for giving them hope for the future.

Key Lime Cheesecake with Patrón Sauce

A 9-inch springform pan will give you 12 slices. If you are using the mini cheesecake pans, this recipe will make 24 babies. 

Crust

3/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons sour cream

5 teaspoons flour

4 eggs, room temperature

1 egg yolk, room temperature

1/2 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed to room temperature

1/3 cup Key lime juice, either fresh or bottled – I use Nellie and Joe’s

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Key limes for garnish

whipped cream for garnish

Key Lime Patrón Sauce

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons Key lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 to 2 teaspoons Patrón Silver 100% Blue Agave Tequila, or tequila of your choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix crushed wafer and graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Stir until well combined. Spray a 9-inch springform pan or two mini cheesecake pans. Press crust evenly into pan(s). For 9-inch pan, bake for 10 minutes. For mini cheesecake pans, bake 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

If you are using mini cheesecake pans, reduce the oven temperature to 250°.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth, making sure there are no lumps. Add the sugar and sour cream, beating until smooth. Beat in the flour. At this point, make sure the cheesecake filling is smooth because once you add the eggs, you don’t want to beat it too hard.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, scraping down the sides after each one.

Add the limeade concentrate, Key lime juice, and vanilla. Mix well.

Pour the filling into the cheesecake pan(s).

For 9-inch cheesecake: bake at 350° for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 200° and bake for another 60-70 minutes. The center should be a little jiggly, but it shouldn’t look wet.

For mini cheesecakes: bake at 250° for approximately 25 minutes or until the tops just begin to look done.

For all cheesecakes, cool on wire rack for at least 1- 1/2 hours. Place in refrigerator in the pan. After a few hours, you can remove the cheesecake from the pan and cut into slices but it should chill again in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours for the best flavor. Cheesecake is actually best a couple days after it’s made. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator about 1/2 an hour before eating.

Serve with tequila sauce on the side or drizzled over the top. To make the sauce, simply stir together the sour cream, sugar, Key lime juice, lime zest, and tequila. Top with whipped cream and tiny slices of Key limes. They are even prettier with a little lime zest sprinkled over the top. You can find the 1-ounce shot glasses at most party supply stores.

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Cheesecake can also be frozen for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator a day or two before serving.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Read Full Post »

{Making Cheesecake a Tradition | Reese’s Salted Cheesecake}

It’s happened twice so I hope it becomes a family tradition.

When my two oldest nephews graduated from high school, I offered to bring cheesecake to their parties. Each time, my offer was accepted. On this year’s menu: Caramel Snickers, Raspberry White Chocolate Truffle, Andes Mint and Reese’s^® Salted cheesecake. This one is Garritt’s favorite.

{Reese’s^® Salted Cheesecake}

3/4 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers

3/4 cup finely crushed pretzels

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

5 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for topping if desired

Heat oven to 350°. Combine crushed pretzels and vanilla wafers with melted butter. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping. Press the remaining crust mixture into a greased 9-inch springform pan or 3 greased mini cheesecake pans. Bake 8 minutes in a 9-inch springform or 4 minutes if using the mini cheesecake pans. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add white and brown sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Do not over beat. Stir in chopped peanut butter cups.

Pour cheesecake batter into pan. Bake in 9-inch pan for 50-55 minutes. If using mini cheesecake pans, bake 15-18 minutes or until the top starts to turn a light brown and the center still looks a little shiny.

Remove from oven and cool 2 hours. Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving. Top with reserved crust crumbs and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Do you have a special recipe that is traditionally served at family graduation parties?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Read Full Post »

Rockin’ the Pink {Peppermint} Ladies

If I went to Rydell High in 1958, Rizzo would have given me a Pink Ladies jacket for this. Frenchy may have dyed her hair pink again. And I would wear the skin-tight black leather pants at the end-of-the-school carnival.

By far the cutest, pinkest cheesecakes I’ve come up with so far. Sitting on top of the crunchy chocolate crust  is a creamy layer of white chocolate cheesecake. The pretty pink layer is swirled with crunchy peppermint white chocolate candy, spiked with peppermint creme liqueur and topped off with fluffy whipped cream and a drizzle of pink peppermint chocolate.

You’re the one that I want. ~Love, Danny & Sandy

{White Chocolate Peppermint Twist Cheesecake}

1  1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 cup  melted unsalted butter

3 (1 oz. each) squares white chocolate

3 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 teaspoons peppermint cream liqueur or 1 tsp peppermint extract

11 ounce bag Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, chopped and divided OR 11 ounce bag Andes Mint Peppermint Candy Pieces

1-2 drops red food coloring

whipped cream

Heat oven to 350°. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and melted butter. Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch springform pan (or Chicago Metallic™ mini cheesecake pans). Bake 5 minutes, cool.

Over low heat, slowly melt white chocolate. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. (If the mixture is over beaten, the air in the batter will crack the cheesecake.) Remove 1 cup of this cheesecake mixture and set the remaining mixture aside.

Gently stir the melted and cooled white chocolate into the 1 cup of cheesecake mixture. Pour over crust. 

Gently stir in 3 teaspoons peppermint cream liqueur or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract to the remaining cheesecake batter. Fold in 1 cup of the chopped Candy Cane Kisses (or Andes Peppermint . Add a drop or two of red food coloring to create your desired pink color. Pour the pink peppermint cheesecake mixture over the white chocolate mixture.

Bake at 350° 45-50 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is almost set. If baking in mini cheesecake pans, reduce baking time to 20-25 minutes. Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door to let the cheesecake slowly cool to room temperature. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it from the springform pan. Store in refrigerator overnight.

For garnish, top with whipped cream and sprinkle chopped Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses on top, saving 1/4 cup for drizzle. In a small, snack-size storage bag, melt 1/4 cup Kisses on low heat in the microwave. Snip a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze the melted pink drizzle over the cheesecake. Store cheesecake in the refrigerator up to one week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

My sister commented that these are almost too pretty to eat. Do you make a special dessert that is “almost” too pretty to eat?

If you are too young to remember the Pink Ladies and Danny & Sandy, may I suggest you watch the musical film Grease from 1978?

* * * * * * * *

Read Full Post »

{There May Be Andes Mints Under My Pillow}

Andes Mints under my pillow. Or maybe it was Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. I don’t remember for sure but in two days when we celebrate Christmas, my mom and sisters will remind me as they do each and every Christmas. Staci (that’s me but it sounds more accusatory in third person) used to steal the Andes Mints and/or (yes probably and) the Thin Mint cookies from the kitchen and hide them under her pillow or under the mattress when she was a kid. She would deny it and she and her sisters would all get into trouble and get sent to their rooms—for something STACI did. The jig is up people. Now eat this creamy, chocolately, Andes Minty cheesecake and let us never speak of it again.

 

{Andes® Crème de Menthe Cheesecake}

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup powdered sugar

4 Tablespoons melted butter

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup peppermint cream liqueur (or 2 tsp peppermint extract)

1 – 10 oz. package Andes® Crème de Menthe Baking Chips

3 Tablespoons whipping cream or milk

green food coloring, optional

Preheat oven to 350 °. Combine crumbs, powdered sugar and butter. Press evenly onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 ° for 5 minutes. Cool. Turn oven down to 325 °.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 cup Andes® Crème de Menthe baking chips. Set aside to cool.  

Beat softened cream cheese and  sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add eggs and vanilla, mixing on low speed just until combined. Transfer 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter  into small bowl and gently fold in the melted and cooled Andes chips. Into the remaining mixture stir in 1/4 cup peppermint cream liqueur (or 2 tsp. peppermint extract) and 1 cup of the Andes chips. Add green food coloring if desired. 

Pour the cheesecake mixture with the Andes pieces into the crust. Top with the melted Andes chips cheesecake mixture. Using a table knife, gently cut through layers to create a marble effect. 

Bake at  325 ° for 1 hour or until center is almost set. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and let cheesecake cool for 1/2 an hour. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.  Cool in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

For topping: melt 1/4 cup Andes chips with 3 Tablespoons whipping cream or milk over low heat. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over cheesecake and decorate with remaining Andes chips.

{As pictured above, I used my Chicago Metallic Mini Cheesecake Pan and decreased the baking time to 30 minutes. I also added a little whipped cream before serving.}

What candy or cookie brings back childhood memories for you?

* * * * * * * * * * *

Read Full Post »

{Creamy Dreamsicle Cheesecake with Sugared Cream Sauce}

I love chocolate and cheesecake. When I go to a restaurant, the first thing I do is look at the menu and (1) see if there is chocolate on the dessert menu (2) see if there is chocolate in the form of cheesecake. I tell you this because if you are a chocolate addict like I am, you may not think this recipe is for you since there is not one ounce of chocolate in here. But—this has become my favorite non-chocolate cheesecake. The recipe is from Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary H. Crownover. It is the very first cheesecake cookbook I purchased—back in the mid 90s. In the cookbook, the recipe is called Creamy Orange Swirl Cheesecake. The author describes it perfectly, “This citrus cheesecake tastes like a cross between orange sherbet and an orange julius beverage.“

I brought this to our family reunion on the evening of National Cheesecake Day and it was gone so quickly that I was glad I kept a piece at home for later. It has a wonderful blend of vanilla and orange flavor. And oh, yes— you get to break out the vanilla liqueur while you are stirring up this cheesecake. {What a great way to make dessert!} 

While you’ve got the bottle of vanilla liqueur out, you can make cheesecake shots and cocktails by mixing cranberry juice and Dr. McGillicuddy’s. There are two good drink recipes here.

Based on some of the comments from my winning Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake photo on Kraft Foods Facebook page, there are people who cannot eat chocolate or simply don’t like it so this is a perfect dessert for them too!

Vanilla Cookie Crust

11 vanilla sandwich cream cookies, crushed

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I always use butter)

In a small bowl, stir together crushed cookies and melted butter until well combined. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. (I place the crust in the freezer while I prepare the cheesecake batter.)

Creamy Dreamsicle Filling

24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream

5 teaspoons cornstarch

4 eggs (at room temperature)

1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel (sometimes I use a tangerine)

1/3 cup vanilla-flavored liqueur

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, whipping cream and cornstarch. **Cornstarch Tip: This stuff is tricky. Don’t just drop the powder into the batter or it will clump up and there is no way to get it smoothed out. Instead, put the 5 teaspoons of cornstarch into a tiny bowl or compote and then add just enough ice-cold water to stir it smooth. Then pour it into your batter.** Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (Don’t overbeat–too much air gets in the batter and will cause the cheesecake to crack.)

Remove half of the mixture and put into a small bowl; stir in orange juice concentrate and orange peel. Set aside. Stir in liqueur and vanilla extract into the remaining cream cheese mixture.

Pour the orange mixture over the crust. Top with the vanilla mixture. Without disturbing the crust, swirl the blade of a knife through the cake to create a marbling effect. (I don’t use food coloring so there isn’t much difference in color between the two mixtures.)

Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 225˚ and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center no longer looks wet or shiny but still has a “jiggle” to it. The cheesecake continues to bake and set even after you take it out of the oven. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Chill overnight.

Sugared Cream Sauce

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice (I probably use at least 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

Fresh orange slices to garnish if desired

The sugared cream sauce is part of what makes this cheesecake so great so I encourage you to make it. It can be made ahead and served on the cheesecake or you can serve it in a bowl so guests can add their own.

You could change the recipe just by adding a different fruit juice and liqueur. I bet  it would be excellent with maraschino cherry juice in place of the orange juice and zest. What other combinations would you try?

Read Full Post »

{Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake with Caramel Shots}

Friday was National Cheesecake Day! This calls for a sinful and chocolatey celebration of caloric sort. I’ve been wanting to try this cheesecake from the Paula Deen’s Chocolate Celebration 2008 Special Issue, pretty much since I bought the magazine. Knowing that 30 July is “the big day” I decided to finally try it. And based on my “test kitchen” reviews (a.k.a. shared  it at work and with family), it was a hit!

Chocolate Explosion Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups crushed chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer:

6 (1-ounce squares) semisweet chocolate

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Layer:

1/2 cup caramel ice-cream topping

1 (16 1/2 ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache:

3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300˚.

To prepare crust: In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter, stirring to combine. Press crust into bottom and up sides of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes; let cool.

  

To prepare chocolate layer: In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate and butter and melt over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in sugar, eggs (at room temperature)  and flour until just combined. Pour into bottom of cooled crust; bake for 15 minutes; let cool.

To prepare cheesecake layer: Spread caramel topping evenly over chocolate (leave about an inch from the side of the pan or the caramel edges will become hard). Cut cookie dough crosswise into 1-inch slices. Place slices in an even layer over caramel, pressing gently together to seal edges.

What? No way, I was NOT drinking this amazing caramel from a shot glass. I don’t know whose that is…

 It’s my friend Caitlin’s fault for introducing me to this amazing “sauce” from her Better Than Sex Cake recipe. {She’s an enabler.}

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese (at room temperature) and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs (room temperature), one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and flour just until combined. Stir in sour cream. Pour over cookie dough layer and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around edges to release crust from sides of pan. Let cool completely.

To prepare chocolate ganache: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate and whipping cream, melt over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread over cooled cheesecake. (I prefer to decorate the cheesecake with the ganache so I put it in my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator and pipe the ganache on the cheesecake. I also couldn’t resist drizzling more of the gooey caramel on top. You may also find me serving each slice with a shot of caramel. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

 

You will definately want to pair this with a cup of hot coffee or an ice-cold glass of milk. Do you like rich chocolatey cheesecake or do you prefer the lighter vanilla cheesecake with fruit topping?

Read Full Post »