Classic Cheesecake
Cheesecake has always been editor and publisher Colleen Smith Armstrong’s favorite dessert. This recipe comes from her grandmother, who made it on her birthday every year. It is decadent but has a delicate flavor.
Crust
19 graham crackers (crushed)
1 stick of butter (melted)
1/4 cup of sugar
Mix and press firmly into a spring form pan.
Filling
3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese at room temp
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
Grated rind of large lemon
Beat all ingredients well with an electric mixer and pour into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Topping
2 cups of creme fraiche
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix well and pour over the hot cheesecake. Return to 425 degree oven and bake for five minutes. Refrigerate for eight hours before serving.
Eat your veggies
Circulation manager Joanna Massey’s mother Meg devised a clever way to hide carrots in the family’s favorite mashed potato recipe.
20 potatoes
15 carrots
1 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 Cup Milk
Preheat oven to 350.
Peel potatoes and carrots.
Boil vegetables separately until fork-soft.
Mash together.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add butter.
If too thick, add a little more milk.
Bake for 30-45 minutes.
If not to be eaten immediately, place mashed vegetables in an oven-proof casserole dish and add several tablespoons of milk to top of casserole. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for no longer than 24 hours.
The following are savory recipes by assistant editor Cali Bagby.
Fondue
My grandfather’s parents immigrated from Switzerland in the early 1900s. Despite being born an American my grandpa never lost his cultural ties to his parents’ country. One way my family continues to keep our heritage alive is by preparing Swiss food during the holidays. My favorite dish is fondue.
7 ounces Emmentaler cheese, shredded
7 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
7 ounces Swiss cheeses, shredded
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove
1 cup white wine
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 shot of kirsh (a cherry liquor, which may sound like an off ingredient, but is what actually makes the dish delicious).
In a fondue pot melt the butter with the garlic clove cut in half. In a separate bowl mix all of the cheese together. Slowly integrate the flour into the cheese so each piece is lightly coated in white. Slowly start mixing the cheese and wine into the butter. The worst you can do is mix too much cheese at once, which will create a chunky sauce. After all the cheese and wine is mixed add the kirsh and nutmeg. Now what to use as dippers in the sauce. Here are my favorites: bread, broccoli, potatoes and fresh apples and pears.
Stuffed Sprouts
Stuffed brussels sprouts are not only a guest pleaser, but are a healthy and unique treat to add to the holiday dining table.
Many chefs will recommend blanching the sprouts prior to coring to make this dish easier. Blanching requires you to cut the sprouts in half and place them in boiling water for one to two minutes and remove them and let them cool. Now you should easily be able to cut the core out of each sprout. Next we get to the fun part of filling these little green cups.
Here are a few filling ideas:
Bacon, breadcrumbs and cheese;
Parmesan, vegetables and pinenuts;
Italian herbs, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes;
Get really crazy and add goat cheese, fennel and beets.
Cooking temperatures will depend on your filling. Twenty minutes at 400 degrees is a ball park for most of the sprouts I have made, but just be sure to check on these treats every five minutes or so once you pop them in the oven.
When these sprouts are out of the oven and cooled, add balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for some added zest and flavor.
