Friday, October 1, 2010

Olive Garden Cookie Dough Cheesecake

2 Tbsp. Margarine
2 1/2 C. Chocolate cookie crumbs
2 lb. Cream cheese, softened
1 C. Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp. All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Sour cream
1 lb. Refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
2 oz. Chocolate chips

TOPPINGS
1 pt. Heavy whipping cream, whipped
Chocolate chips
Chopped walnuts

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

CRUST: Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.
Combine the margarine with the chocolate cookie crumbs. Press onto the bottom
and sides of the pan.

FILLING: Using an electric mixer on high speed, combine cream
cheese, sugar,eggs and flour and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and
sour cream and mix just until blended. Pour 1/2 of the batter into
prepared crust. Cut cookie dough into golf ball size chunks and drop
into batter. Sprinkle in chocolate chips. Pour over remaining
batter. Bake for 60 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door to
the broil position. Allow cake to remain in the oven 30 more
minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. To serve, remove the
sides of the pan and top with fresh whipped cream. Sprinkle with
additional chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

In-n-Out Double Double Burger

1 plain hamburger bun
1/3 lb ground beef
Salt
1 tbsp Kraft thousand island dressing
1 large tomato slice (or 2 small slices)
1 large lettuce leaf
4 slices American cheese
1 onion slice

Heat a skillet over medium heat.

Lightly toast both halves of the hamburger bun, face down. Set aside.

Separate the beef into two even portions, and form each half into a thin patty
slightly larger than the bun.

Lightly salt each patty and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side.
Flip the patties over and place two slices of cheese on top of each one. Cook
for 2 to 3 minutes.

Build the burger in the following stacking order from the bottom up: bottom bun,
dressing, tomato, lettuce, beef patty with cheese, onion slice, beef patty with
cheese, top bun.

Makes 1 Burger

Strawberry Cheesecake Mini's

SERVINGS 12
PREP 15 min.
COOK 15 min.

INGREDIENTS
2 packages (8 ounces each) reduced-fat cream cheese
Sugar substitute equivalent to 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup egg substitute
12 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
1 can (12 ounces) strawberry cake and pastry filling

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar
substitute and sugar. Beat in vanilla. Add egg and egg substitute; beat until
blended. Place each vanilla wafer flat side down in a foil-lined muffin cup.
Fill with cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350� for 15-20 minutes or until puffed
and set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour (centers will sink slightly). Spoon
pastry filling into the center of each cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.
Yield: 1 dozen.

Cheesecake Factory Twilight Zone

1/2oz Bacardi light rum
1/2oz Myers dark rum
1/2oz creme de cacao liqueur
1/4oz Bacardi 151 rum
1/4oz triple sec liqueur
1/4oz amaretto liqueur
2oz (1/4 c) mango juice
2oz (1/4 c) orange juice
2oz (1/4 c) pineapple juice

Garnish:
lime wedge
orange slice
maraschino cherry


Fill a 16oz glass with ice.

Add all ingredients in the order listed.

Drop in lime wedge, orange slice, and maraschino cherry. Serve with a straw.

Makes 1 drink.

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

6 squares (2 1/2 inches each) chocolate graham crackers made into crumbs
2 1/3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 oz. nonfat cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. Amaretto liqueur
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300° F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking
spray. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan.

(If you don't have an 8-inch springform pan, make cheesecake in an 8-inch
aluminum foil baking pan. Using a scissors, cut sides away
before serving.)

In a blender or food processor, puree the ricotta and cream cheeses, sugar,
cocoa, egg, flour, liqueur and vanilla; stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture over the crumbs. Bake until a knife inserted in the
center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 3 hours.

Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup sugar, plus
1 tablespoon sugar
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
whipped cream


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted
butter and 1 T sugar in a medium bowl.
3. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so
much as to turn the mixture into paste.
4. Keep it crumbly.
5. Put foil partway up the outside part of an 8-inch springform pan.
6. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about two-thirds of the way up the
sides of the springform pan.
7. You don't want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each
slice of cheesecake.
8. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside until you are ready to
fill it.
9. In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 C sugar, and
vanilla.
10. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
11. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and continue
beating until smooth and creamy.
12. Pour the filling into the pan.
13. Bake for 60-70 minutes.
14. The top will turn a bit darker at this point.
15. Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool.
16. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the
refrigerator.
17. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut the cake
into 8 equal pieces.
18. Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.

Cheesecake Factory Lemon Cheesecake

3 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 c sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 1/2 c whipping cream
1 jar (11 1/4 oz) lemon curd
1 (9 1/2) Graham Cracker Crumb Crust (see below)
Shaved white chocolate for garnish (optional)

In bowl of electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and
creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add lemon juice,
lemon extract and 1/2 cup cream. Continue beating at medium speed 5 minutes.

Turn 1/2 of cheesecake mixture into Graham Cracker Crumb Crust (in 9 1/2-inch
spring form pan).

Using 1/2 of lemon curd, drop teaspoonfuls of lemon curd over top of cheese
filling. Carefully top with remaining cheese filling.

Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining lemon curd over surface of filling.

With a knife, swirl lemon curd slightly through cheese filling.

Bake in preheated 325-degree oven 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room
temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Just before serving whip remaining 1 cup cream until thick and pipe onto top of
cheesecake for garnish. Decorate with shaved white chocolate, if desired.

Crust:
Combine 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar with 5 tablespoons
melted butter.

Press into bottom and part way up sides of 9 1/2-inch spring form pan. Wrap
double thickness of foil around bottom and part way up sides of the outside of
pan to prevent any leakage.