Sunday, October 31, 2010

Jello Cake!


Ingredients:
   about 5 1/2 cups of water
   1 peach jello
   1 apricot jello
   3 other jellos, flavors of your choice (as long as all 3 of them are the same flavor)
   4 tbsp. sour cream
   1/2 of a 12 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
   8 oz. whipped cream

Step 1: Take the peach and apricot jellos and mix them (both) in 1 cup (8 oz.) of boiled water. Then set it aside and let it cool while you do the next step.
Step 2: Take the sour cream, condensed milk, and whipped cream and mix them together. Make sure it is mixed very good.
Step 3: Pour in the jello u have put aside into the bowl you had just mixed the ingredients in "Step 2", and mix that until it has an even orange color. Then let it cool for a while and put it in the refrigerator when it's not hot or very warm any more.
Step 4: Let it stay in the fridge for a while until it is hard enough to not let fruits sink in. Then take it out decorate it with fruits and put it back in the fridge while you do the next step.
Step 5: While the fruits are sticking to the jello in the fridge, take 1 of your "same-flavored" jellos n mix it with a bit more than 1/2 a cup of boiled water. Then after you've mixed that, put cold water and ice to fill it up to 1 1/2 cup.
Step 6: Make sure that jello is at least a little bit cold before gently pouring it on top of the jello in your fridge. Make sure to be very careful otherwise it will ruin your design.
Step 7: Let that cool until it is fully done, then make the other 2 jellos like you made your 1st one (1 1/2 cups of water) and pour them on top. Then let it cool until it is fully done.
Step 8: When it is done.......... Enjoy! 

Saturday, October 30, 2010

No-bake Cherry Cheesecake


Ingredients for crust:
   Vegetable oil cooking spray, for pan
   1 1/3 cups vanilla wafer or shortbread cookies, finely ground (6 oz.)
   2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
   2 tbsp. sugar
   1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
   Salt
Ingredients for filling:
   1 cup sour cream, room temperature
   2/3 cup sugar
   4 oz. mascarpone cheese (1/2cup), room temperature
   4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 cup), room temperature
   2 oz. soft fresh goat cheese (1/4 cup), room temperature
   1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use (or 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract)
   1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
   1 cup heavy cream
Ingredients for topping:
   1 pound sweet cherries, halved and pitted (3 cups)
   1/3 cup sugar
   2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
   1/2 cinnamon stick
   1 tbsp. cornstarch
   1 tbsp. water

Step 1: Make the crust: Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray; line bottom with a round of parchment. Stir together cookies, butter, sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt; press evenly into bottom of pan. Refrigerate while making filling.
Step 2: Make the filling: Beat sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, the cheeses, vanilla seeds or extract, and lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed until very smooth (about 4 minutes). Pass mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Whisk heavy cream and remaining 1/3 cup sugar until medium peaks form; fold into filling mixture, and spread evenly onto crust. Smooth top, and freeze until firm (at least 2 hours). Refrigerate for 45 minutes before serving.
Step 3: Make the topping: Bring half the cherries, and the sugar, vinegar, and cinnamon stick to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, and simmer until cherries are soft (about 3 minutes). Whisk together cornstarch and water; add to cherry mixture. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining cherries. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4: Run a knife around edge of cake; release sides to remove from pan, and transfer cake to a serving platter. Remove cinnamon stick from topping; spoon over cake.
Step 5: Enjoy your cake!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Chocolate, Banana, and Graham Cracker Icebox Cake


Ingredients:
   15 oz. milk chocolate, chopped
   5 large egg yolks
   Salt
   3 cups heavy cream
   20 graham cracker sheets
   4-5 ripe bananas, very thinly sliced lengthwise
   Garnish: whipped cream

Step 1: Line a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place yolks and a pinch of salt in another heatproof bowl.
Step 2: Bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour cream into bowl with yolks, whisking constantly; return mixture to saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes (mixture should not come to a boil). Immediately strain through a fine sieve set over chocolate; stir until chocolate melts and is smooth. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 4 hours.
Step 3: Spread 1 cup chocolate mixture evenly into bottom of loaf pan. Top with a layer of 4 graham crackers, trimmed to fit. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate over bananas, and top with a layer of 4 trimmed graham crackers. Repeat with remaining chocolate, bananas, and graham crackers until you reach the top of the pan; finish with graham crackers.
Step 4: Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Uncover, and turn out onto a serving platter. Remove plastic wrap. Garnish with whipped cream, and cut into slices.
Step 5: Enjoy!!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

No-Bake Fudge Brownies


Ingredients:
   12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
   1 1/4 cups evaporated milk (from one 12-oz. can)
   1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
   3 cups finely ground chocolate wafer cookies (from two 9-oz. packages)
   2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sweetened shredded coconut
   1 cup plus 2 tbsp. salted cocktail peanuts
   1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
   Salt

Step 1: Line a 9-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides.
Step 2: Heat chocolate and evaporated milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Set aside 1/3 cup.
Step 3: Combine cookies, 2 cups coconut, 1 cup peanuts, the sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl. Pour in chocolate mixture; stir until combined.
Step 4: Spread mixture evenly into dish. Spread reserved 1/3 cup chocolate over top. Finely chop remaining 2 tbsp. peanuts; sprinkle evenly over chocolate. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. Remove brownies from pan by lifting plastic wrap. Remove plastic, and cut into 24 brownies.
Step 5: Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Homemade Cheesecake


Basic Ingredients:
   16 oz. of cream cheese
   16 oz. of whipped cream
   8 oz. of powdered sugar

Step 1: Mix all the given ingredients together, and put aside.
Step 2: Take some "Chocolate Graham Crackers" and cover the bottom of your dish.
  (dish should be 9 inches long, either square or rectangular.)
Step 3: Cover the crackers with the cream you made in "Step 1".
Step 4: Cover the cream with another layer of "Graham" crackers.
Step 5: Cover the second layer of crackers with another layer of cream.
Step 6: On top of the second layer of cream, put another layer of crackers.
Step 7: On top of the third layer of crackers put another layer of cream.
Step 8: Keep doing this until you run out of cream or space, then go to the next step.
Step 9: Make sure your last layer is cream, it can't be crackers.
Step 10: When you are finished with the first 9 steps, get some shaved chocolate and decorate the top.
Step 11: Let it stay in the refrigerator for at least an hour, then... Enjoy your cake!