coconut cream cheesecake

2 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
1 cup heavy whipping cream - scalded
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cold real butter - sliced
4 tsp. granulated sugar
20 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 Tbls. coconut liqueur
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream of coconut
1/2 tsp. coconut liqueur
toasted coconut flakes - for garnish

-Puree coconut and cream in a blender for 4 minutes; set aside to cool.
-Cut butter into flour and 4 tsp. sugar until mixture resembles small crumbs.
-Press evenly into bottom of a greased 10" springform pan.
-Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until golden; set aside.
-Cream together cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar.
-Stir in cooled coconut puree, then eggs and yolks, then 2 1/2 Tbls. liqueur, lemon juice, and extracts.
-Pour mixture evenly over prepared crust.
-Bake in a 325 degree oven until sides of cake are dry and center is set, about 1 hour.
-Allow cheesecake to cool for 30 minutes.
-Beat together sour cream, cream of coconut, and 1/2 tsp. liqueur; spread over cheesecake.
-Bake in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.
-Allow cheesecake to cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 4 hours.
-Sprinkle coconut flakes over top before serving.


~This will cheesecake will wow them all!!  It can be served after a dinner or take it with to a friends house for an evening of hanging out together.  

puppy chow chex mix for humans

9 cups chex cereal
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-Measure cereal into a large bowl; set aside.
-Microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in bowl, uncovered, on high, for 1 minute.
-Stir, then microwave 30 seconds longer, until mixture stirs smooth.
-Stir in vanilla.
-Pour over cereal in bowl, stirring until cereal is covered.
-Pour into large zip sealed bag, add powdered sugar, and shake until well coated.


*******silly name - good party food

cinnamon rolls

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbls. ground cinnamon
(2) .25 oz. pkts. active dry yeast
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup 110 degree water
1 cup warm milk
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs - slightly beaten
up to 8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts OR pecans - optional
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup melted butter 
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple extract 
up to 6 Tbls. hot water

-Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and the cinnamon; set aside.
-In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water; set aside.
-In a large bowl, mix together milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, salt, and eggs; add yeast mixture and 4 cups of flour to mixture; beat until smooth; stir in enough flour to form a slightly stiff dough.
-Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8 minutes.
-Place dough into a large greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.
-Punch down dough and let rest for 5 minutes.
-Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a 15" x 20" rectangle.
-Brush 1/2 cup melted butter over dough; sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough; sprinkle nuts evenly over dough, if desired.
-Tightly roll up dough and pinch edges together to seal; cut the roll into 12 - 15 slices using dental floss or thread.
-Coat the bottom of a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan with 1/2 cup melted butter; sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar evenly in the bottom of the pan.
-Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the prepared pan; cover pan and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
-Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
-Stir together powdered sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, and extracts; stir in hot water, 1 Tbls. at a time, until the glaze reaches desired spreading consistency.
-Spread prepared icing over slightly cooled rolls.




~ I love to have friends over in the morning for coffee and serve these! They are also great for when you have house guests.....a perfect smell to wake up to in the morning. 

chocolate polar bear

	1 oz. Amaretto 0.25 oz. chocolate syrup 1 oz. Creme de Cacao 5 oz.  french vanilla ice cream 2 dashes Vanilla Extract
	Combine all ingredients in a blender on low speed for a short length of time. Pour into a chilled glass and serve.

Snickerdoodle Spirals

1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup softened butter, plus melted butter for brushing dough
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour


1. Mix 1/3 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
2. Beat softened butter and cream cheese. Beat in remaining cup of sugar and baking powder, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour to batter in small increments, beating as much as you can with mixer. Blend in remaining flour with a wooden spoon, or, if wearing food-preparation gloves, blend in by hand.
3. Divide dough in half. Roll half of dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper into 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of paper. Brush dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture.
4. Starting from one of the short sides, roll up jellyroll fashion, removing paper as you work. Use paper to bend and roll dough as you work. Repeat with remaining dough, melted butter and cinnamon mixture. At this point, you can wrap dough in parchment or wax paper and store in a freezer-quality sealable plastic bag. Freeze overnight before baking. Dough should be very firm.
5. Heat oven to 375 F. Using sharp knife, cut dough into slices. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to rack to cool.

chocolate truffles

• 8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (or other extract flavor)

Truffle coatings

• Cocoa powder
• Finely chopped walnuts
• Finely chopped almonds
• optional: coconut

1 In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer stir constantly.
2 Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. 
3 Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the chocolate. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
4 Roll in cocoa powder, chopped nuts or coconut and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.

cinnamon rice pudding

• 2 1/2 cups of whole milk
• 1/3 cup of uncooked short grain white rice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raisins

1 In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, rice and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2 In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until well mixed. Add a half cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, stir to incorporate.
3 Put egg mixture back into the saucepan of rice and milk and stir, on low heat, for 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and cinnamon.
Serve warm or cold.

pumpkin smoothie ~ non alcoholic

 

 1 15-ounce can pumpkin (chilled)

 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk    (chilled)

 8 ounces vanilla yogurt

 1/4 cup sugar

 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

 optional: Whipped cream

Directions

Combine pumpkin, milk, yogurt, sugar and spice in blender.

Blend until mixture is smooth.

Pour into glasses; top with whipped cream (if wanted) and an additional sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

vanilla mocha caffe cooler ~ non alcoholic

  1 oz. espresso, room temperature
1 tsp. simple syrup
A few drops of vanilla extract
1 1/2 oz. chocolate syrup
ice
Garnish: lemon or orange twist - optional


Fill a shaker halfway with  ice. Pour espresso, simple syrup and vanilla over ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled glass that has been lined with a spiral of chocolate syrup. Garnish.

pumpkin cookies

2 cups butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh (or canned) pumpkin
4 cups flour (sifted)
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Blend all ingredients thoroughly
Drop one inch dough balls onto greased cookie sheet.
Baking time 15 minutes 

strawberry pistachio quinoa pudding

• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or one vanilla bean
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup water

• 1/6 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup quinoa
• a few diced strawberries
• chopped pistachios

1. Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse with cold water for a few seconds.
2. Combine the milk, water, sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the quinoa and stir. Reduce heat to medium low, partially cover and cook for about 30 minutes stirring every few minutes. If skin starts to form across top of milk, just stir it back in.
3. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature or cold in the fridge. Spoon pudding into bowls and top with chopped strawberries and pistachios.

dream time drink ~ non alcoholic

• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 drops vanilla extract
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon

1. Heat milk on stove top or in the microwave.  Stir in honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. Serve.

chocolate cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.

chocolate in a cup ~ non alcoholic

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup of your favorite unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons white sugar
• splash vanilla
• dash cinnamon

Heat milk over burner, stirring constantly. When milk is warmed, add chocolate and sugar. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Whisk in cinnamon and vanilla. Pour in mug and serve.

kahlua shake

1  pint  vanilla ice cream

1/3  cup  Creme de Cacao

1/3  cup  Kahlua

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. 

homemade irish cream

• 1 cup half and half (or cream or milk)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
•  7 oz. Irish whiskey  (more/less to you liking)
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a blender, combine half and half, sweetened condensed milk, Irish whiskey, instant coffee, chocolate syrup,  and vanilla extract. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving. 

chocolate cake cocktail

2  parts  Vanilla vodka

1  part  Frangelico

1  part  Creme de cacao

1  part  Coconut liqueur

Fill glass with ice. Add vodka then all other ingredients. Stir. 

vanilla almond tea shake ~ non alcoholic

1/2  cup  almond-flavored herb tea

   2  scoops  vanilla ice cream

      whipped cream (opt)

      sliced almonds, for garnish (opt) 

Mix the tea and ice cream together in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture into a tall glass. Top with whipped cream and garnish with sliced almonds, if desired. 

yummy brownies

ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped walnuts

directions

~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

~ Melt butter or margarine and chocolate, stirring the mixture constantly.  Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the walnuts. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

~Bake in oven 30 to 35 minutes. Brownies are done when toothpick inserted into center come out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.