Savory Crab Meat and Shrimp Cheesecake

This cheesecake is the ultimate appetizer that replaces a cheese-ball hands down.  Serve warm with a red or white glass of wine.  Enjoy and have fun!

Crust

1 stick of salted butter – room temperature
1 cup of pecans which have been placed in and blender and ground into small course pieces
½ cup of flour
1 cup of butter crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper

Mix all together and press into a spring  form pan which has been sprayed with a non stick coating.  Bake in an oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.  Set aside and cool while you prepare the filing.

Filling

1 stick of butter melted and sautéed with 1 cup each
Celery
Onion
Bell pepper – During the holidays red and green help to keep this cheesecake festive.
Sauté until tender.

Cook 2 cups of 31 to 40 count shrimp with butter in a skillet until cooked.  Cut shrimp into 3rds and set aside.
Measure 1 cup of crab meat . Set aside.
Grate 2 cups of Gruyere, 1 cup of Asiago grated cheese set aside.

Place in a mixer

5 ounces cream cheese – room temperature
½ cup sour cream
6 large eggs room temperature – one at a time
1 teaspoon Lawry’s
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of dried dill
1 tablespoon of parsley

3 teaspoons granulated garlic

3 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
6 dashes of Tabasco Sauce - add as much as you want if you like an extra kick
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - use it or not, it is up to you

Mix in a bender the cream cheese until well blended and creamy.  Add the sour cream and beat until well blended.  Add all seasonings along with Worcestershire and Tabasco Sauce, along with sautéed onion, celery and bell pepper.  Fold in cheeses, shrimp, and crab meat.

Pour into prepared spring form pan which has the precooked crust.

 

Bake in a 350 degree for 30 minutes.  Drop down the oven to 325 degrees and cook for an hour.

Drop down for 300 for an hour .  Finish off at 250 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Let  cool from the oven and refrigerate. Serve warmed from the micro oven with crackers.  Enjoy with a glass of wine.

 

Perfect for the holidays and I know you are going to have fun!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Requested from a dear family friend!  You know who you are!  This is for you!

You will need a 9” diameter with approximately 4” deep -  spring-form pan.  My recipe calls for using this size.   Start by spaying the spring form pan with a non- stick spray coating.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs – I prefer using the cinnamon flavored graham crackers

¼ cup of granulated sugar
5 tablespoons of melted salted butter

Mix the graham crackers well and press the graham cracker mixture firmly on the bottom of the spring form pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool while you start on the cheesecake and cookie dough recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

1 cup of salted butter – room temperature

3/4 cup of light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (12ounce)

Mix the above ingredients and roll into small balls, approximately ¼ to ½” balls.  Please note, I purposely left out adding an egg.  This is my chocolate cookie recipe which calls for an egg.  I was concerned not knowing exactly if the egg in the cookie dough reached the temperature it should in order that the egg is cooked and no chance for salmonella.  Leaving the egg out worked perfectly.  I used almost the entire cookie dough recipe, except for 1 cup.  So roll away.  If you prefer to use the entire recipe do so.  This is your creation, have fun!

Cheesecake Filling

5 – 8 ounce Philadelphia Cream Cheese – room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs – room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat the cream cheese until well blended in a mixer.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Add the eggs one at a time until all are well incorporated.  Last, add the vanilla.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl in order to make sure the entire cheesecake filling has been mixed well.

Assembling

You will need to make 4 layers of the cheesecake filling and cookie dough balls.  Pour ¼ of the filling first then place the cookie dough balls all around the bottom, keep layering ending with cheesecake filling.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes, then turn down the oven to 300 degree for 30 minutes, and finish off baking at 250 degrees for another 30 minutes.  You may need to add more time, just depends how your cheesecake has set.  If I could come into your home, I could let you know when you can look and tell your cheesecake is fully baked.  A little jiggly in the center is okay, but if the entire pan is jiggly you need to bake longer.

Sour Cream Topping

Add immediately once you have taken the cheesecake out of the oven.

Mix the following and pour over the top of the cheesecake
3 cups of sour cream
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla

Best results, refrigerate over-night.  And then call your girlfriends/guy friends  over, open a glass of wine and enjoy a slice of this cheesecake.  Guaranteed to have fun!

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This is exciting!  I love you all.  Started last year in September!  I definately had fun and I hope I offered recipes for you to have fun as well!  Love to all  hugs and kisses!  Stay tuned,  I do not plan on stopping!

Champagne Cocktail

This recipe is inspired from a favorite hotel and a most favorite waiter which I love very much!  Here is to you Josh at Lowe’s Hotel in New Orleans.

Josh offered me a wonderful Champagne Cocktail and it was delicious.  Not knowing the recipe exactly, this is my rendition.  Just in time to have for the holidays coming!  Time to plan to have fun with family and friends

1 cup of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne (Wonderful)

¼ cup of cranberry juice
3 tablespoons of Chambord
Fresh raspberries (2 to 3) add at the bottom of glass for garnish

Measure, stir and pour into a champagne glass.

Oh enjoy with appetizers and have fun before you start your dinner with your wine.  There is nothing more important in life than family and friends and having fun!

 

Let’s Have Some Fun!

Fruit Bowl for Holiday Brunch Celebration

 This is the time of year to start planning for those over night guests during the holidays.  I thought I would start putting together a breakfast which would be fun to serve and enjoy!  This recipe of course should be offered on days when you are entertaining your guests and not going into work.  You will begin the day with having some fun!  Enjoy!

 Fruit is always a good beginning to offer your guest with coffee and juice.  For starters begin here and have fun!

 2 pink grapefruit – sliced in half and separate segments with a paring knife and keep the grapefruit shells.

2 naval oranges – cut into segments again
3 cups of strawberries thinly sliced
4 kiwifruit, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons of Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint leaves

Mix the above and fill the grapefruit shells.

The beginning of your brunch to your guests could be served with this fruit bowl and Mimosas.  Come on, have fun, enjoy, and relax.  Holidays can be stressful and now is the time to sit back and relax.  Stay tuned I will have additional brunch ideas to offer after fruit and drink.

 

Orange Grand Marnier Cocktail

Cocktails brings me back to home.  Dad always loved his beer, but during the fall and winter my father enjoyed a cocktail.  The celebration of the season was special with a little glass of whiskey and coke.  Okay, of course I was not drinking then, just remember my father, a jem of a gentleman and he loved to have some fun!  There you go!

 2 cups of crushed ice cubes

¼ cup of vodka – you could purchase orange flavored vodka
2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier
Orange slice for garnish

Combine first 4 ingredients in a martini cocktail shaker. Cover with lid tightly and shake shake shake, shake shake,  shake your martini shake your martini!  Remove lid and use strainer to pour your cocktail in cocktail glass.  Garnish with orange slices and serve immediately.

Guaranteed to have some fun!  Please do not drink and drive!  This recipe is only intended for fun at home, please!

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) Wraps

You are going to love these wraps.  The flavors which are built and wrapped are totally enjoyable!  Come on try them and have some fun!

Chipotle Mayonnaise

1 cup of good quality mayonnaise – I use Hellman’s or if you prefer vegan mayonnaise pick up a jar at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods

3 chipotles chopped from a can of chipotles and adobe sauce – located in the Mexican Food aisle in your grocery store, I have found these in HEB and Walmart

Juice from a lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix and refrigerate until ready to use

Assembling BLT

 1 cup of Chipotle Mayonnaise

½ cup of sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 head of Boston or Butter Lettuce
16 applewood bacon slices cooked in the oven and chopped or crumbled
4 green salad onions – chopped thinly
½ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

 Combine

Chipotle Mayonnaise, tomatoes, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Spread evenly over the 8 tortillas.  Layer lettuce, bacon, and onion over the mayonnaise mixture.  Roll up tortillas and secure with wooden picks and cut in half diagonally.

Enjoy and please have some fun, try adding a glass of wine!  Bet you have some fun! 

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

 

Autumn, this is the time of year in which we love to see pumpkins.  Our imagination of pumpkins dance in our heads and add the season to our tables.  I hope you enjoy these pancakes which are made from canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree.

 

Whatever the recipe for pumpkin, enjoy, smell the season and just have some fun!

¾ cup of canned pumpkin

1 ½ cups milk
1 egg
4 Tablespoons of melted butter
3 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons pumpkin spice
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all the above ingredients in as mixing bowl one ingredient at a time.  Use an electric skillet or large teflon coated skillet over the stove,  butter or spray the cooking surface and place on medium flame.  Pour pancake sauce over the middle of the pain until sides of pancake have become dry.  Flip and turn cooking until pancakes are cooked appropriately.

After all the batter is poured and cooked on skillet, place to cool.  Spread each pancake with the Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter thinly and then pour desired amount of syrup.  I promise you, you will have some fun!