Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers crumbs

1/2 cup powder sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup melted butter

Combined crushed wafers, sugar, cocoa and butter.  Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch

 springform pan.  Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling Ingredients:

12 oz chocolate chips (melted)

3 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Granche Topping:

1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) of chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.  Add melted chocolate and vanilla, mix until completely combined. Add to this mixture one egg and beat until combined, repeat until all eggs are combined and mixture is creamy.

Pour the filling over the crust and bake at 325 degrees for 45 - 50 minutes or util the center is almost set. 

For the topping, place chocolate chips in a bowl.  In a small saucepan heat cream just to a boil.  Pour the warm cream over the chocolate.  Stir until smooth, add in the vanilla.  

When the cheesecake has cooled cover the top with the topping and let cool until set.  After the topping has set carefully run a knife around the edges to loosen.  Cool 1 hour longer or refrigerate over night.  

May be served with a dollop of whipped cream.

Raw Apple Cake

Raw Apple Cake

This cake is a perfect desert for a fall evening.  You can serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

Ingredients:

4 cups of apples peeled and diced

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Put the chopped apples into a large bowl.  Beat the eggs and add them to the apples along with the sugar oil, vanilla, nuts  and spices.

Mix together the flour, baking soda , baking powder and salt.  Add the apple mixture and stir until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 13 x 9 inch buttered baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.  The cake is done when a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Lemonade Cake

Ambelina's Famous Lemonade Cake

I worked for a National Home builder for almost 7 years; it was absolutely the best group of people I have ever worked for.  When the housing market plummeted in 2008 the office in Bakersfield was closed.  While I was there, I was blessed to work with Ambelina, the Controller for the Bakersfield office.  She would make a birthday cake for each of the accounting staff.  She could have bought a cake, but a homemade cake was her way of showing each of us how much she appreciated all that we did.  Believe me there were many times when we worked late. But that didn't stop her, if it was someone's birthday the next day she would stay up and bake.  It was important for her to show her appreciation.  This was one of the best cakes she made.  Thanks, Ambelina!

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker Lemon Cake mix

1 Can Betty Crocker whipped lemon Frosting

3/4 up frozen lemonade thawed

3/4 cups powdered sugar

Prepare cake as indicated on the box and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. Cool for 20 minutes.  while the cake is cooling mix the thawed lemonade and powder sugar with a wise until smooth and are no lumps.

When cake is completely cool, using a fork poke the entire cake.  Pour lemonade mixture over cake and chill for 2 hours or overnight.   Once cake is chilled spread the lemon frosting over the top of the cake and serve.  

Zucchini Carrot Cake

Makes 2 loaves or 1 bundt cake

Everyone knows there is a point when the zucchini plants in your garden are producing more than anyone can consume.  You pick everything you can one day and the next day it's like you hadn't picked anything for days.  You sauté it, fry it up, make zucchini casseroles, and zucchini bread. Then one day you go to work, and a co-worker has brought in some zucchini bread.  As if you haven't had your fill yet.  But to be polite you take a piece and it's the best thing you have ever tasted.  You ask for the recipe each time she brings zucchini bread because it's so good. Then one day she walks into my office and says "I lost the recipe for the zucchini bread. I'm so upset it was on the side of my refrigerator for years; it's my grandmother's recipe.  When I replaced my refrigerator, I took everything off my refrigerator and put in a drawer. Last night I was looking for the recipe you've been asking me about, and I can't find it".  

Does that stop me?  Heavens no, I go on the hunt googling all kinds of recipes, but nothing is as good. I start to experiment and came up with this one which is as close as I could get to my co-workers Grandmothers recipe.

The cake is rich and super moist, your kids may not even care that it has vegetables in it. This was a labor of love and worth every minute of research and testing.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 cup shredded carrots

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.  Beat together wet ingredients and combine with dry until fully combined.   Butter the loaf or bundt pans generously , pour in mixture and bake for 45 - 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes then invert to remove from pan and completely cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp clovers

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cups canned pumpkin

3/4 cups vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan.  Combine dry ingredients and set aside.  In a seperate bowl beat eggs sugar, brown sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until blended and smooth.  Add in dry ingredients and mix util fully incorporated.  

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for about 45 - 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 30 minutes then invert onto a wire rack until completely cool.  To serve slice 1 inch thick.

Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Roll

Cake Ingredients

1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cups pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients together except nuts.   Cut parchment paper to fit a 10" x 15" x 1" cookie sheet, spray the cookie sheet and parchment paper with cooking spray to prevent sticking.  Pour mixture onto parchment paper, sprinkle with chopped nuts.   Bake for 13 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees test for doneness after 11 minute, the cake is done when it springs back.  

While cake is baking prepare a dish towel to roll cake in.  Sprinkle dish towel with powder sugar to prevent warm cake from sticking.  Immediately loosen the cake and turn onto prepared towel.   Carefully peel off parchment paper.  Roll up cake and towel together starting with the narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powder sugar

Mix all ingredients with hand mixer until smooth.  

To assemble:  Unroll cake, spread cream cheese filling over the cake and re roll cake.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. 

Note:  a 29 oz can of pumpkin will make 5 pumpkin rolls

Wine Cake

Wine Cake 

Growing up this was the cake that appeared at gatherings with family and friends.   Baked in a bundt pan giving the cake a pretty fluted look with just a sprinkle of powder sugar on top.  No need to frost this super moist flavorful cake. 

Ingredients:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp nutmeg

4 eggs

3/4 cups sherry

3/4 cups vegetable oil

Beat ingredients at medium speed for 5 minutes.   Pour into greased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan.  Before serving sprinkle with powder sugar

Strawberry Pie

Making this pie brought back memories of my first home in Napa.   It was a small two bedroom built in the 40's.  There was an arch that divided the living room from the dinning room. Today you might describe it as somewhat of an open plan.  The area we lived in was called Alta Heights and we loved it.  Our lot was not wide but it was long so we had a wonderful backyard with a slope in the very back. We built raised garden beds made out of railroad ties.  One of the boxes was a strawberry patch, which produced berries in the spring and summer.  It seemed as if I picked a bowl of berries every day.
Our second summer in the house Jennifer was almost 1 year old and walking.  I went out to pick berries with Jen, she walked right into the berry patch sat down in the middle and began to pick the best berries and pop them in her mouth.  By the time we were done she had red juice running down the front of her. She loved that berry patch!
If you can buy berries from a local farm, please do. There is no comparison between a store-bought berry and ones just picked from a strawberry patch.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 3 oz package strawberry Jello

1 baked pie shell (I used my basics pie crust substituting butter for the shortening)

Directions:

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Royal Key Lime Pie

My Mom only a few times, fast forward 50 or so years and I still remember this pie.  I think I liked it so much because it has coconut in it.  The lime color made it a perfect desert on St Patrick's Day!

Ingredients

1 box lime pudding filling

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 sliced banana

Prepare a pie shell, prior to baking mix a 1 cup flaked coconut and 2 T softened butter together.  Spread mixture over the bottom and sided of the pastry. Bake at 475 for 8-10 minutes.

Prepare 1 box of lime filling as directed on package.  Once filling is cooked fold in 1 cup thinly sliced bananas and pour into prepared pie shell.  Top with meringue and sprinkle with 1/2 cup coconut on top.  Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.  

Pastry

Makes two 

2 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable 

1 egg

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt.  Add shortening to the flour mixture cutting in with a pastry blender until well blended.  Mix together egg, water and vinegar making sure mixture is cold.  Add to flour and shortening mix with a fork.  Divide dough into two and create two discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out pastry, place in pie pan and fill.

Pumpkin Pie

From the kitchen of Meghan Moffat Casey

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 1/2 cup pumpkin
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 Tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 2/3 cups evaporated mile (heated slightly)

Mix ingredients in order given in the recipe, pour into pie crust.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes until knife inserted in the middle of pie comes out clean.  Serve with whipped cream.

Pastry

Makes two 

2 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable disheartening

1 egg

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt.  Add shortening to the flour mixture cutting in with a pastry blender until well blended.  Mix together egg, water and vinegar making sure mixture is cold.  Add to flour and shortening mix with a fork.  Divide dough into two and create two discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out pastry, place in pie pan and fill.

Peanut Butter Pie

Peanut Butter Pie

In 1993 our family moved to the Central Valley town of Delano to lease operate the Delano Municipal Golf Course.  I was to help start the little coffee shop. Working in the cafe lead to some catering jobs and so "Bonnie's Catering" was born.  This peanut butter pie became one of the favorites of some of my coffee shop staff. This recipe has been requested by so many friends that I had to include this in my blog.  Some recipes use 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter. I personally like a little less peanut butter it makes for a lighter version.  



Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 cup powder sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 8 oz package softened cream cheese
2 - 8 oz tub whipped topping
1 Chocolate or graham cracker pie crust
Chocolate shavings for garnish

Cream together cream cheese, peanut butter and powder sugar. Gradually add in milk and vanilla beat util smooth.  Fold in 1 8 oz tub of whipped topping.  Spoon into prepared cookie crust, top with remaining whipped topping and garnish with chocolate shavings.  Chill for 3 hours before serving,  

Chocolate Crust

30 Chocolate wafers about 1 1/2 cups
5 tablespoons melted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

• Put the cookies in the container of a food processor; process them until they are finely ground. Transfer crumbs to a mixing bowl; combine crumbs, butter, salt, and vanilla; stir until the crumbs are moistened. Press mixture evenly across the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and all the way up the sides of the pan; pack tightly so crust is even and compacted. 

Pina Colada Pie

Pina Colada Pie

Ingredients:

1 8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1/3 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups whipped topping

2 2/3 cups flaked coconut

1/2 tsp rum extract

1 can crushed pineapple

1 small can mandarin oranges - drained (optional)

Beat cream cheese and sugar with rum extract until smooth.  Fold in 2 cups of the whipped topping, pineapple with syrup 2 cups of coconut.  Spread mixture into a graham cracker crust.  Spread with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with remaining coconut and garnish with pineapple wedge and maraschino cherries, 

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 finely ground graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons melted butter

Mix ingredients and press into pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Cool before filling

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

6 apple such as Granny Smith

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 - 1 cups sugar depending on the sweetness of the apples

2 Tablespoons flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg (optional)

2 Tablespoons butter

Peal apples, core and slice place in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss until apples are well coated.  Spoon apple mixture into crust lined pie plate.  Cut butter into small pieces and drop on top of apples.  Top with second pastry, flute edges and cut slits in several places in top crust.

Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 Tablespoon water together.  With a pastry brush, brush egg mixture on top and edges of pie crust.  Bake 40-45 minutes until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

Cool at least 2 hours before serving

Pastry

2 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable disheartening

1 egg

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt.  Add shortening to the flour mixture cutting in with a pastry blender until well blended.  Mix together egg, water and vinegar making sure mixture is cold.  Add to flour and shortening mix with a fork.  Divide dough into two and create two discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out pastry, place in pie pan and fill.

Blackberry Pie

Ingredients:

6 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

2 tsp lemon juice

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet the berries are)

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tablespoons butter

In a large bowl combine berries and lemon juice and toss.  In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, flour and cinnamon; sprinkle over berries and toss until coated.   Spoon berry mixture into pastry lined pie plate.  Dot berries with butter and top with remaining pastry crimp edges and make several slits in the top.  

In a small bowl combine an egg yolk with 1 tsp of water.  Brush evenly over pastry top.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour until juice bubbles through the slits.  If the edges get too brown cover with foil. 

Pastry

2 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable disheartening

1 egg

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt.  Add shortening to the flour mixture cutting in with a pastry blender until well blended.  Mix together egg, water and vinegar making sure mixture is cold.  Add to flour and shortening mix with a fork.  Divide dough into two and create two discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out pastry, place in pie pan and fill.

Blackberry Cobbler

When Uncle Martin, John and Lucy Bardessono decided to leave Anyox British Columbia in Canada to relocate to California Lucy had two conditions, it had to be near a school and have running water.  She got her wish; the property they agreed upon had a school across the street and a creek running through the property.  In 1956 my parents built a home next to the creek where my mom still lives.  Each summer we would walk the dry creek bed picking sweet juicy blackberries.  Blackberries are my absolute favorite!  Mom would make a cobbler, pie and jam with the berries. On the 4th of July we would make homemade ice cream, and I always had blackberries on my ice cream.  Yum!

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

Topping:

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 Tablespoon chilled butter, cubed

1/2 cup milk

Mix berries, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon together, set aside.  For the topping, mix all the dry ingredients together.  With a pastry blender add butter to dry ingredients and blend until coarse crumbs form.  Gradually add in milk stir with a fork, the dough will be the consistency of a soft biscuit.   

Pour berries in a 8 x 8 baking dish and spoon the dough over ti berries.   Bake 30 minutes  until bubbly and crust is golden brown.  Cool and serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Note:  For a quick topping I use Bisquick baking mix following the direction on the box for shortcake.  The shortcake is sweeter than the drop biscuit recipe.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Sour Cream Raisin Pie

This was a secret recipe given to my mother by a gentleman she knew in Yountville.  The flavor is nothing like you've ever had before, it is amazingly delicious!  In fact, the pie is a blue-ribbon winner!  In 1993 Thom and I moved our family to the little central valley town of Delano, California. Each year there was a local festival called Harvest Holidays that had all the makings of a County Fair; livestock auction, carnival rides, food booths and displays of locally grown fruits and vegetable as well baked goods.  Each year the Harvest Committee would select a theme for the baking contest.  One year it was raisins which was a large crop in the area.  I immediately thought of this recipe and entered.  To my amazement I won a Blue Ribbon which I still have.  A few weeks after the fair I was contacted by one of the judges asking if she could publish the recipe.  She said that during the tasting the judges kept taking another sliver of my pie to eat because it was so good.  They had to make themselves stop so there was at least some of the pie left for display.  I had wondered why there was only a slice left of the pie on display when all the other entries only had a tiny piece missing. 

Ingredients:  

1 cup Golden Raisins (the golden raisins make a big difference)

1 large sour cream

2/3 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

1 Tbsp flour

pinch of salt

dash of cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Cook raisins in 1 cup of water until tender about 5 minutes, drain.  Add remaining ingredients the drained raisins and cook until thick 1 or 2 minutes.  Poor into baked pie shell and cool.  Once cool over with meringue or whipped cream.  My preference is whipped cream.

Don't be afraid to try this pie, it is Blue Ribbon quality!

Pie Crust Pastry

2 Cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable disheartening

1 egg

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and salt.  Add shortening to the flour mixture cutting in with a pastry blender until well blended.  Mix together egg, water and vinegar making sure mixture is cold.  Add to flour and shortening mix with a fork.  Divide dough into two and create two discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Roll out pastry, place in pie pan and fill.

Permission Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup purée persimmon pulp

1/2 cup milk

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Add soda to the pulp and let stand.  Sift together all dry ingredients.  Gradually add milk and egg to pulp mixture.  Mix together wet and dry ingredients adding raisins and nuts until fully combined.

Pour mixture into a buttered mold (bunt or loaf pan).  Cover the mold tightly with foil.  In a roasting pan place a rack for the mold to sit on.  Pour boiling water into the pan and cover with foil.  Steam for 1 1/2 hour at 325 degrees.   Cool 10 minutes before removing from the mold.  

Serve with a lemon sauce or queen's sauce

Queens Sauce

1 cup milk

1/1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Add cornstarch to the milk until dissolved.  Heat milk mixture until it begins to thicken.  Cream together sugar, butter and vanilla; add to thickened milk mixture and beat until creamy.  Serve warm sauce over warm persimmon pudding.

Lemon Sauce

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cups sugar

5 teaspoons cornstarch

dash of salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

In a saucepan bring water to a boil.  Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Add sugar mixture to boiling water.  Cook until mixture becomes thick and clear.  Remove from heat and add in lemon zest, juice and butter.  Serve warm 

Pound Cake

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
4 large eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf or bunt pan.  Combine ingredients and beat for 2 minutes.  Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Note: To make a chocolate pound cake use a chocolate cake mix and chocolate instant pudding.