Christmas Recipe: Blueberry Cheesecake
The word cheesecake is also used to describe the creamy, cheesy flavour of the dessert. There are also savoury cheesecakes, often flavoured with blue cheese and served as hors d’oeuvres or with accompanying salads.
Estimated cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes + 4 hours chilling
Blueberry Cheesecake Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 (21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
Blueberry Cheesecake Cooking Instructions:
* In a medium bowl blend together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter; mix well. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
* Using an electric mixer softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; mixing well. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and beat well. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon blueberry pie filling on top of the batter in a ring pattern about halfway from the edge of the cake. Pour the remaining batter on top.
* Bake in a 375°F(190°C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Loosen the crust from sides of pan and cool 30 minutes more. Remove the sides of the pan; cool cheescake completely.
* Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.
Christmas Recipe: Buko Pandan Salad
Buko Pandan Salad Ingredients:
* 8 leaves of Pandan – (must be cleaned well)
* 5 Buko (Coconut)not too hard, not too soft- Grated to strips
* Water approx. 10 cups
* 3 small cans of Nestle Cream
* 1 medium can of Condensed Milk
* 2 bars of Green Gulaman
* 1 3/4 Cups Sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
* 1 cup Kaong (optional)
Buko Pandan Salad Preparation Instructions:
* Boil water together with 8 pandan leaves that are individually twisted to break the fibers and expose the juice. Simmer for 20 minutes.
* Before adding 2 bars of gulaman, make sure you remove the pandan leaves and check if the remaining water is equal to 8 cups – 1 bar of gulaman is good for 4 cups of liquid. If it is not 8 cups, less will mean hard gulaman and more than 8 cups will result in mushy soft gulaman.
* Ensuring gulaman is well-dissolved stir well.
* Add sugar while mixing. Do this for 5 minutes.
* Pour through a strainer into cooling trays. Wait till it cools and hardens, then put in fridge.
* Meanwhile, mix the grated buko with the 3 cans of cream and 1 can of condensed milk.
* Add kaong if you prefer.
* Get gulaman from ref and cut into 1 cm cubes.
* Mix with buko mixture.
Christmas Recipe: Crema de Fruta
* 1 Sponge cake
* 1 canned fruit cocktail or peaches, pineapples, and other fruits ( well drained )
Custard Filling
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 4 Tbsp flour
* 2 3/4 cup single cream (evaporated milk or half double cream half milk)
* 5 egg yolks
* 3/4 cups water
Gelatin
* 1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
* 2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
* 1 cup water
* 6 Tbsp sugar
* 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Crema de Fruta Cooking Instructions:
Custard Filling
* Combine all ingredients in a heavy based saucepan.
* Stir constantly while bringing it gently to boil until it thickens.
* Remove from heat and cool.
Gelatin
* Blend all ingredients in a saucepan and cook for about 15 minutes or until the gelatin is well dissolved.
* Remove from heat and cool.
To assemble
* Cut the sponge cake to fit the serving pan.
* Put in the sponge cake as the first layer.
* Spread the custard filling on top of the sponge cake, making sure to level and even it out all over the pan.
* Arrange the canned fruits on the custard.
* Pour in the gelatin on top; if possible, completely submerging the fruits.
* Chill in the fridge until the gelatin is set.
Christmas Recipe: Brownies
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16 brownie squares
Brownies Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped peanuts(optional)
Creamy Brownie Frosting:
* 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
* 3 tablespoons Hershey's Cocoa
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Brownies Cooking Instructions:
* Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
* Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl.
* Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
* Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended.
* Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
* Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
* Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
* Prepare Creamy Brownie Frosting; spread over brownies.
* Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.
Creamy Brownie Frosting:
* Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended.
* Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency.
* About 1 cup frosting.
Christmas Recipe: Cassava Cake
Cassava Cake is a classic Filipino dessert enjoyed all year round.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes
Servings: 24 squares
Cassava Cake Ingredients:
Cake
* 2 Lbs Grated Cassava
* 1 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
* 1 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
* 1 14 oz. Can Coconut Milk (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
* 1 13 oz. Can Coconut Cream (Reserve 1/3 cup for Topping)
* 2/3 Cup Sugar
* 3 Eggs plus 3 Egg Whites
* 1 Cup Grated Coconut
Topping
* 3 Egg Yokes
* 1/3 Cup Reserved Sweetened Condensed Milk
* 1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Milk
* 1/3 Cup Reserved Coconut Cream
Cassava Cake Cooking Instructions:
* Preheat oven to 325° f.
* In large mixing bowl combine cake ingredients.
* Mix well. Pour equally into two large greased rectangular pans.
* Bake until top is no longer liquid (approximately 30 minutes).
* Mix topping ingredients well and spread evenly on the two cakes.
* Bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes completely.
* Slice each cake into 24 equal squares.
Christmas Recipe: Christmas Cupcakes
Estimated Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 24 min
Christmas Cupcakes Ingredients:
* 2 cups sugar
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa or Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup boiling water
* 1 can (16 oz.) creamy vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
* Mounds Sweetened Coconut Flakes
* Assorted candies such as candy canes, spearmint leaves and Twizzlers Strawberry Twists
Christmas Cupcakes Cooking Instructions:
* Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper or foil bake cups.
* Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
* Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
* Frost each cupcake with vanilla frosting. Decorate with coconut and candies in various Christmas themes. (Ex. Slice spearmint leaves and place on cupcake surface along with slices of strawberry twists to resemble holly leaves and berries.) About 33 cupcakes.
Christmas Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Fudge
Chocolate Cherry Fudge Recipe from Hershey’s. Makes About 4 dozen pieces.
Estimated cooking time: 40 minutes
Chocolate Cherry Fudge Ingredients:
* 1/3 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, well drained
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
* 3-2/3 cups powdered sugar
* 1/2 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa or HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
* 1/4 cup evaporated milk
* 1/3 cup pecan pieces
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* Maraschino cherry halves, well drained (optional)
* Slivered almonds(optional)
Chocolate Cherry Fudge Cooking Instructions:
* Line 8-inch square pan with foil.
* Lightly press chopped cherries between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture.
* Place butter in medium microwave-safe bowl.
* Microwave at High (100%) 1 minute or until melted; stir in powdered sugar, cocoa and evaporated milk until well blended.
* Microwave at High 1-1/2 minutes; stir vigorously.
* Microwave at High an additional 30 seconds at a time, until mixture is hot, slightly thickened and smooth when stirred.
* Do not boil. Stir in chopped cherries, pecans and almond extract.
* Spread mixture into prepared pan. Cover; refrigerate until firm.
* Remove foil; cut into squares.
* Garnish with cherry halves and slivered almonds pressed lightly onto fudge, if desired.
* Serve cold; refrigerate leftover fudge.
NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe.
Christmas Recipe: Golden Fruitcake
Estimated cooking time: 65 minutes
Yields: 1 Bundt cake or 2 loaf cakes
Golden Fruitcake Ingredients:
* 1 package (1 pound 2.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
* 1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
* 3 eggs
* 2-1/2 cups California raisins
* 1 jar (10 ounces) red maraschino cherries, drained
* 1 jar (6 ounces) green maraschino cherries, drained
* 1 cup chopped dried apricots
* 1 cup broken walnuts
Golden Fruitcake Cooking Instructions:
* Heat oven to 350°F.
* Generously grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan or 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans.
* Combine cake mix, sour cream and eggs in large bowl. Mix at low speed until well combined.
* Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.
* Spoon into greased and floured pan.
* Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes for Bundt cake or for 50 to 55 minutes for loaf cakes, or until top is deep golden brown.
* Do not underbake.
* Cool slightly in pan. Remove from pan onto cooling rack.
* Cool completely. Brush top of cake with light corn syrup, if desired.
* Wrap tightly in foil. Store in refrigerator.
