"New" Food

I am no cook or a baking goddess by any means! Most of the things I try for dinner or baking I'm trying for the first time because as I've mentioned before in my blog I just "survived" in University with eating and didn't learn much growing up (my choice.) I'm going to record my "new" meals and baked goods that I try. I have a hard time finding a place to keep all the recipes I find online (usually at allrecipes.com) so I'll just record them here. I think I will record how it went as well so I remember for the next time I try it. Most of the time I try these things when I'm hosting people at our house or to give to friends.

April 28th, 2011 (Andrew's birthday dinner)

Raspberry Cheesecake (allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour half of batter over crust. Spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over batter. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce. 
6. (my own addition) I also made little chocolate curls that I saw on the picture for this recipe. I googled how to make them and it said to use a cheese slicer. So I just melted some chocolate chips and put it in the fridge like you do with chocolate bark and then used the cheese slicer on the edge of the chocolate mound. It worked pretty well.

April 28th, 2011 (Andrew's birthday dinner)
Maple Salmon  (allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound salmon

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

 

March 21st, 2011

Walnut Mocha Torte (Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book)

Ingredients

2 cups walnuts or pecans toasted

2 tbsps flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

Frosting (1 tsp instant coffee, 1 cup whipping cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla) 

I cheated and just used a betty crocker cake mix that I had in the cupboard. I used butter pecan. I made cupcakes and put the mocha frosting on top. mm. It still tasted yummy

March 9th, 2011

No Egg Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (found online. Not my picture)

conclusion: not as good as with eggs

Ingredients

I cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions 

1. Beat butter or margarine, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. 

2. Add flour and salt, mix well.

3. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and add to mixture. Stir in rolled oats, raisins and chocolate chips.

4. Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes.

March 7th, 2011

Cheesecake cupcakes (just a basic cheesecake with caramel sauce from Better Homes Cookbook)

conclusion: success.
Ingredients
Crust 
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
1/4 finely chopped walnuts (i used pecans)
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling
2 packages of cream cheese (it calls for 3 but I just changed all the amounts for how much cream cheese I had)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 (ish) milk
2 eggs


Caramel Sauce( I didn't really like this recipe as much as a previous easier one I've done before but I couldn't remember the directions)
1/2 cup whipped cream
1/2 cup butter
3/4 brown sugar
2 tbsp light coloured corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. mix crust ingredients, mix filling ingredients
2. spoon into crust
3. bake for 20 minutes (in cupcakes it doesn't take long. In the cake form it says 30-35 minutes) @350
4. cool for 15 minutes. cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving
5. caramel sauce- stir in saucepan whipped cream, butter, sugar, syrup. Boil on med/high heat. Whisk occassionally. Once it's boiling reduce heat.
6. boil gently for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. cool for 15 minutes.
7. Needs to be room temp for 1 hour before serving.