Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Crust

25 Oreo Cookies (your favorite flavor)

5 tablespoons unsalted  melted

Filling
3 packages cream cheese
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup mini chocolate chips (plus more for topping)

Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp salted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

Finely crush your cookies. I like to use a food processor for this step, but you can also place the cookies in a plastic bag and roll the sealed bag with a rolling pin. If you're using a rolling pin, seal the bag but leave about an inch open for air to escape. You'll have to put some muscle in it to get a fine crush. The crust sticks together best when the cookies are crushed finely.

NOTE: You do NOT need to remove the filling from the Oreo.

Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together with a fork. Press crumbs into the bottom of a spring form pan.

Bake the crust for 5-8 minutes at 350°F then cool completely before filling. Once cool, cover the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil.

Reduce the oven heat to 325.
Beat the cream cheese in mixer until it is smooth and not lumpy.
Add sugar and salt and mix till smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time. Mix until smooth after each egg. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg.
Mix in the vanilla extract, sour cream and heavy cream.  Mix until smooth.  Add chocolate chips to the bowl, and fold in gently with a spatula.
Pour the batter on top of the crust in the pan.
Place the pan with the aluminum foil on it into a larger oven safe pan. Put about an inch of hot water into the larger pan, making a water bath. Making sure the water doesn't go higher than the aluminum foil.
Bake at 325 for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes the middle should still be jiggly but the sides should be set. Turn the oven off and crack open the door. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an hour.

Then take the cheesecake out of the oven, remove it from the water bath and place on a wire rack for 45 minutes to continue cooling. Run a thin knife around the cheesecake to help prevent it from cracking.
Then refrigerate.

Make the caramel sauce- in a small saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat. Use a heat-resistant spatula to continually stir the sugar. It will start to melt and form brown clumps. Keep stirring! Once the sugar is melted, add the butter. Be careful to keep stirring as the caramel will bubble up when you add the butter. Stir the butter until completely melted, 2-3 minutes. Continue stirring as you slowly drizzle the cream in. Keep stirring again, because the caramel will bubble up again when you add the cream. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, then remove pan from heat. Set sauce aside and allow it to cool before using. Store in a glass jar for ease of use, keep sauce in the fridge.

Chicken cordon bleu

6 chicken cutlets (the already thin ones from the store)
6 slices swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon paprika
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup heavy cream

Place a slice of cheese and a slice of ham on top of 1 chicken cutlet.
Fold the chicken oven in half and secure with a toothpick.
Repeat for the other 5 remaining chicken cutlets.
In a bowl mix flour and paprika.
Coat the folded chicken cutlets in the flour mixture.

Heat the butter in a large pan on medium heat.
Place all of the chicken in the pan cook till it is browned on all sides.
Add the wine and bouillon.
Reduce heat to a low simmer.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.

Remove the cooked chicken from the pan leaving the liquid in the pan.
Place chicken on a warm platter to serve once sauce is done.

Mix the cream and cornstarch together in small bowl.
Add the cream mixture to the liquid in the pan.
Whisking until thickened.
Pour over chicken and eat!

Beer dip

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup beer

Mix cream cheese and dressing mixing well.
Stir in cheddar cheese and then the beer.
The mixture will appear mushy.
Coven and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. 

Banana bread

2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 large eggs
3-4 bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

Mix sugar, shortening and eggs in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda together and set aside.
Take 1/2 of the sugar mixture and 1/2 of the mashed bananas and mix into the dry mixture until well blended.
Then add the rest of the mashed bananas and sugar mixture to the flour mixture. Until well combined.
If you want to add nuts do it now and fold it into the mixture.
Pour into a well greased loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
When done take out of oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.

Triple chocolate cheesecake

Crust
1 plastic sleve chocolate graham crackers
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
4 (8 ounze) bars cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk chocolate, melted

For chocolate ganache topping
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Use 9-inch springform pan with the raised side of the bottom facing down.

Use a food processor to finely ground. The chocolate graham crackers.
Put graham cracker crumbs into a bowl and add butter, mix well until combined.
Put crumb mixture into the spring form pan and press crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven to cool on a wire rack.
Once cool cover the bottom with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl mix cream cheese, sugar, and salt; blend until smooth.
Once smooth add eggs, scraping down the sides after each addition.
Then sour cream, and finally chocolate.
Scrape down the sides as much as needed to make sure it is mixed well.

Pour filling onto crust.
Place the pan with the aluminum foil on it into a larger pan. Put about an inch of hot water into the larger pan. Making sure the water doesn't go higher than the aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes the middle should still be jiggly but the sides should be set. Turn the oven off and crack open the door. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an hour.

Then take the cheesecake out of the oven and run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to help prevent cracking. Leave in pan, and cool completely on wire rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate, at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

For the chocolate ganache
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat, and add chocolate. Stir until melted, then set aside until thickened, 2 to 5 minutes.
Unmold cheesecake. Spread ganache on the top of cheesecake.
Wait for it to fully set, then serve.

Pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup corn starch
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda

Frosting
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup unsalted butter,  softened
4 cups powered sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degree

To make the cupcakes:
Blend the eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin in a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl stir together the flour, corn starch, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended.
Fill lined muffin tins about 2/3 the way up.
Bake for 30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool on wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting:
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until well combined.
Add powdered sugar and pure maple syrup and beat until smooth.
Spread over cooled cupcakes.
And enjoy!

Blueberry cheesecake

Crust
8 tablespoons melted butter
60 vanilla wafers
4 tablespoons brown sugar

Filling
3 packages cream cheese
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

Topping
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350.
Use food processor to crumb vanilla wafers.
Mix vanilla wafer crumbs with brown sugar and melted butter.
Press into the bottom of a spring form pan, then bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Take out of oven and allow to cool.
Once cool cover the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil.

Reduce the oven heat to 325.
Beat the cream cheese in mixer until it is smooth and not lumpy.
Add sugar and salt and mix till smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time. Mix until smooth after each egg. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg.
Mix in the lemon juice, vanilla extract,  sour cream and heavy cream.  Mix until smooth.
Pour the batter on top of the crust in the pan.
Place the pan with the aluminum foil on it into a larger pan. Put about an inch of hot water into the larger pan. Making sure the water doesn't go higher than the aluminum foil.
Bake at 325 for 60 minutes.

After 60 minutes the middle should still be jiggly but the sides should be set. Turn the oven off and crack open the door. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an hour.

Then take the cheesecake out of the oven, remove it from the water bath and place on a wire rack for 45 minutes to continue cooling. Run a thin knife around the cheesecake to help prevent it from cracking. 
Then refrigerate.

To make the to topping. Put the blueberries into a food processor.  Process till smooth. Empty into a fine mesh strainer and work the liquid through to an empty pot. (This will separate the skins from the liquid) Add water and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling add the cornstarch to hel thicken it up. You might need to add more cornstarch if it is too runny. Let the berry mixture cool for at least 10 before putting it on top of the unmolded cake.