Sopapilla Cheesecake

Cream cheese, canned crescent rolls, cinnamon, create this delicious, Mexican-inspired dessert. This is a quick, easy, and tasty dessert that has a rich and creamy filling surrounded by a crispy cinnamon crust. 


This Sopapilla Cheesecake was made by Karen and served out our Taste Tempters Cino De Mayo dinner night that was hosted by Jenny in April.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 (8 ounce) cans crescent roll dough
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape the each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.
3. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the cheesecake. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar together with the cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the cheesecake.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares. 

 

 Sopapilla Cheesecake

Chicken With Dumplings

Recipe Coming Soon

Mixed Greens Cashew Salad with Orange Dressing

Prepared By Karen

Salad:
Mixed Greens
Mandarin Oranges (1 can drained)
Cashews
Chow Mein (crisp) Noodles

Dressing:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
½ tsp. dry mustard powder
Sprinkle of salt
½ cup vegetable oil
3 TBSP. Orange Juice

Preparation:
Toss salad. Mix dressing in a blender. Serve and enjoy!

Warm Taco Dip

Prepared by Karen

Recipe Coming Soon...

German Chocolate Cake

Prepared By Karen

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 4-ounce package sweet baking chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 recipe Coconut-Pecan Frosting (see recipe below)

Directions:

• Separate eggs. Allow egg yolks, egg whites, and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch or 8x1-1/2-inch round cake pans; set pans aside. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a small saucepan combine chocolate and 1/3 cup water. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; cool.
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; continue beating for 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition (about 1 minute total). Beat in cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture; beat on low speed after each addition until combined.
• Thoroughly wash the beaters. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold egg whites into the batter. Spread batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pans. 25 to 30 minutes for 8-inch pans, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Spread Coconut-Pecan Frosting over tops of cakes, stacking layers. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting: In a medium saucepan slightly beat 1 egg. Stir in one 5-ounce can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter. Cook and stir over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in 1-1/3 cups flaked coconut and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Cover and cool thoroughly.

Fresh Veggies & Dip

Prepared By Karen

Knorr Easy Vegetable Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
• 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors.
Stir before serving. Serve with your favorite dippers (carrots, broccoli, celery, snow peas, etc.).

Strawberry-goat cheese Bruschetta

Prepared By Karen

Strawberry-goat cheese Bruschetta

(Recipe from: Better Homes & Garden)

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz. baguette
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 4-oz. log goat cheese (chevre)
• 1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup arugula
• Olive oil
• Sea salt or coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Snipped fresh herbs

Directions:

Heat broiler. Halve baguette crosswise, then lengthwise. Place cut sides up on large baking sheet. Brush with the 1 tablespoon oil. Broil, 3 to 4 inches from heat, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide cheese among toasts. Top with sliced berries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese and berries soften. Remove from broiler; top with arugula. Drizzle additional oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs.

Makes 4 servings.

Layred Taco Dip

Prepared by Karen

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) container nonfat sour cream
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce - rinsed, dried, and shredded
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 chopped tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, drained

Directions:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread this mixture in a 9-inch (or a little larger) round serving dish. Top the mixture with lettuce, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper and black olives.

Irish Chocolate Cake

Prepared by Karen




The "Irishness" of this lovely chocolate cake is thanks not only to the wonderful liqueur used in the filling, but also to a certain, very Irish, ingredient in the cake mixture itself, which contributes to its moistness.

Ingredients:
Sponge
175g/ 6oz self-raising flour
1/2tsp salt
50g/ 2oz dark chocolate
110g/ 4oz butter
175g/ 6oz caster sugar
80g/ 3oz cooked mashed potato
2 eggs, beaten
4tbsp milk

Filling
110g/ 4oz dark chocolate
125ml/ 4fl oz double cream
50g/ 2oz icing sugar
3tbsp Irish cream liqueur

Preparation:
Preheat oven to gas mark 5/ 190°C/ 375°F, and grease and line two 20cm/ 8 inch cake tins. Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Melt chocolate in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in the chocolate and mashed potato. Gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour with each addition. Fold in the rest of the flour and stir in the milk.

Divide mixture between cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is firm but springy to the touch. Remove from oven and after a few minutes, turn out on a cooling rack. While the cake is cooling, make the filling. Melt the chocolate as before, stir in the other ingredients and mix well. Use the filling to sandwich the sponge layers together and coat the top and sides of the cake.

Category: Irish Night, Carol's Place March 2008