organizing my recipe box and I found...

Tonight I decided I would reorganize my recipe box (since it gets totally rearranged by me and my kids) and I came across my favorite cheesecake recipe.  Now, when I first got married I made quite a few cheesecakes and this was the best.  Unfortunately, it has been a while since I made it!  I think I will have to dig out those spring form pans!  It has a smooth chocolate layer on top with the chocolate chip filling below and a chocolatey crust.  How can you go wrong?  The recipe came from a 2003 Taste of Home magazine, although I have altered it a little.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

2 C vanilla wafer crumbs

1/2 C finely chopped walnuts

1/4 C sugar

3 T baking cocoa

1/3 C butter, melted

Filling:

4 pkgs. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 C sugar

4 t cornstarch

4 eggs

1/3 C whipping cream

3 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 C miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

3 squares (1 oz each) semisweet chocolate, melted

1 T butter, melted

1 C powdered sugar

1/4 C whipping cream

     In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; stir in butter.  Press onto the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 10 inch springform pan.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes,

     In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Combine sugar and cornstarch; beat on low speed just until combined.  Add the cream, vanilla and chocolate chips,.  Pour into prepared crust.

     Place pan on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until center is nearly set.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosed; cool 1 hour longer.  (Cheescake top may crack but topping will cover.)

     For topping, combine chocolate, butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Slowly beat in cream until mixture achieves spreading consistency.  Spread over cheesecake.  Refrigerate overnight.

     Remove sides of pan.  Refrigerate leftovers.

camp food...indoors

Last night we sort of had an indoor camping night...so fun! So naturally, the food we ate revolved around that theme. You have to try Paula Deen's Sure Fire No Fire Smores!! They are made in the oven and I even like them better than the campfire kind! And of course we had my favorite (thus far) hobo dinner. Everything done in our oven.

Here is the link to Paula Deen's Smores: http://recipes.pauladeen.com/index.php/recipes/view/sure_fire_no_fire_smores/

And here is our campfire bundles (adapted from a recipe I got out of some magazine)

1 large white onion
1 each large green, red and yellow bell peppers
5 red potatoes, sliced about 1/4-1/2 inch thick
1 package fully cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1/2 C butter
salt and pepper

Place vegetables in order listed on three pieces of double layered heavy duty foil (so this recipe makes 3 large pouches). Add sausage and dot with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil around the mixture and seal tightly.
Grill: Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes. Turn and grill 30 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
Campfire: Place it into the coals. It does not take all that long to cook. Sorry, I can't remember the exact time.
Oven: We cooked it last night at 375 degrees for about an hour and 15 minutes, maybe a smidge longer until the potatoes were ready.

Buttermilk Pie

A Bradshaw family favorite!

Buttermilk Pie

1 9 inch pie crust unbaked
1/2 C butter
2 C sugar
3 T flour +1 T cornstarch (or more, but I have never needed to add more)
3 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1 t vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients one at a time. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

It is a little like custard. Make sure to test it to see if it is done. A knife inserted in the middle should come out pretty clean. I always refrigerate the leftovers.

Candy Cookie Cups

I can't believe I forgot about these for so long! They are seriously some of my favorite treats and so easy to make! Taken from a magazine from somewhere, recipe by Sarah Vasques.

Candy Cookie Cups

1/2 C finely chopped macadamia nuts
1 pkg (18 oz) individually portioned refrigerated white chip macadamia nut cookie dough
24 miniature peanut butter cups

Sprinkle macadamia nuts into 24 greased miniature muffin cups, 1 teaspoon in each. Cut each portion of cookie dough in half; place each half in a muffin cup. Bake at 325 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately place a peanut butter cup into each cookie; press down gently. Cool completely before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen.

Cobbler

This may be called a "holiday" dish but we like it any time of year! Enjoy it with ice cream because it is sweet and rich.

Holiday Cranberry Cobbler
(Helen Weissinger, Taste of Home's Treasury of Christmas Recipes)

1 can (21 oz) peach pie filling
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 C cold butter
1 C chopped nuts

Combine pie filling and cranberry sauce. Spread in an ungreased 9x13 in. baking dish. In a bowl, combine dry cake mix, cinnamon and nutmeg; cut in butter untill crumbly. Stir in nuts; sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yields: 12-15 servings.

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

We are deep in the midst of packing so I thought I would add a recipe before they are all packed away. I love this cake! Joe is not a huge fan of it because of the pineapple (and he despises anything that resembles pina colada taste or smell), but I love it. It is very moist and has such a nice and light taste. It is an old family recipe...

Hawaiian Wedding Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 medium can crushed pineapple (do NOT drain)
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 small (3 oz) cream cheese (softened)
milk
Cool Whip

Bake cake in a 9x13 in. pan and let cool. Poke holes over surface of cake with a fork. Spread with the pineapple (juice and all). Mix pudding powder and cream cheese and thin slightly with milk. Spread mixture over the cake and top with a layer of Cool Whip. Enjoy!

Whew! Just got back from our trip, so I am digging an old recipe out of the box. I love this sweet recipe. I have taken it to baby showers and such and it has been a hit!

Strawberry Pizza

sugar cookie dough (that comes in a tube at the store)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 C sliced fresh strawberries

sauce:
1 C sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
2 C crushed strawberries

Spread sugar cookie dough onto a pizza pan for crust and bake as directed. It should start to become a little golden. I usually do a toothpick poke in the middle to make sure that it is cooked. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread over the crust. Arrange fresh strawberry slices on top.
Bring sauce to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly. Spoon over fresh strawberries and refrigerate.

Hey, all you coconut lovers out there...

Look out Almond Joy... these are delicious! I like these better than the real Almond Joy candy bars! My mother-in-law has frozen them before too and said that they freeze great! Once again, the recipe is taken from a Taste of Home magazine.

Chocolate Coconut Candies

1 3/4 C confectioners sugar
1 3/4 C flaked coconut
1 C chopped almonds
1/2 C sweetened condensed milk
2 C (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T shortening

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, coconut, almonds and milk. Shape into 1 in. balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip balls in the chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

What is a recipe blog without...dessert!

This is one of our favorites that never fails!

Caramel Brownies

1 bag (about 50-60 pieces) Kraft caramels
2/3 C of evaporated milk, divided
1 German chocolate cake mix
7 T margarine
1 C chocolate chips

Put caramels and 1/3 C evaporated milk in saucepan on medium heat to melt. Stir frequently until smooth. (Or melt it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute). Mix dry cake, melted margarine, 1/3 C milk together. This will be a stiff batter. Pat half of it into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and drizzle the caramel over that. Drop small pieces of remaining batter over the caramel. Bake again for another 18 minutes. Remove and cool. The caramel is more set up the cooler the brownies are.

* Tip: I usually get my caramel stuff unwrapped and ready to go first, and then melt my caramel while that first part is baking for the 7 minutes.