Recipe: Orange Ribbon Cheesecake

Creamy cheesecake with a glistening topping of caramelized, candy-like orange slices. Prep and Cook Time: about 2 1/4 hours, plus at least 3 1/2 hours to cool and chill.

Notes: For the topping, slice the whole orange as thinly and evenly as possible. Easier still: cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise in thin slices.

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• For topping
• 1 large thin-skinned orange, such as Valencia
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• For cheesecake
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Mariner or Cointreau, or 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Preparation

1. For topping: Rinse and dry orange. With a sharp knife, slice into thin rounds (between 1/8 and 1/16 in. thick; see Notes), discarding ends and seeds. In a deep 10-in. frying pan or pot over medium-high heat, stir sugar, 3/4 cup water, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add orange slices and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, until they're slightly candied and translucent and liquid has the consistency of a thin syrup, about 20 minutes (there should be about 1/2 cup liquid in pan; if less, add enough hot water to make that amount and shake pan to mix water into syrup). Let cool in pan. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days.

2. For cheesecake: Preheat oven to 300°. Pour graham cracker crumbs into a 9-in. cheesecake pan with removable rim; add butter and mix. Press mixture evenly over bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of pan.

3. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in flour, sour cream, and liqueur just until incorporated. Pour into crust-lined pan.

4. Bake until center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, 60 to 70 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and pan rim. Cool completely at room temperature, then cover and chill until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

5. Remove pan rim. If any moisture collects on top of cake, gently blot dry. Gently lift candied orange slices from syrup, reserving syrup, and blot dry with a paper towel. Arrange slices, slightly overlapping, over top of cheesecake.

6. Measure orange juice. Bring reserved syrup to a boil over high heat. Stir occasionally until syrup is deep golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in orange juice (mixture will bubble up). Let cool to room temperature and generously brush over orange slices (you may have extra syrup).

7. Serve cheesecake, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Use a serrated knife to cut cake, wiping blade clean after each slice.

I really need something like this to perk me up; it's been a rough week. If you bake one let me know how it turns out!

Recipe and image via.

Recipe: Baked Apples with Ginger

Serve these apples warm but have cold, heavy cream to pour over them at the table--or vanilla ice cream is super, too.

Core 6 large baking apples almost to the bottom, and peel halfway down. Mix 1 cup chopped candied or preserved ginger with 1 cup chopped filberts or almonds. Fill cavities with this mixture; put in a baking dish.

Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and a 6-ounce glass of currant jelly, and pour into the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the syrup in the pan. Sprinkle the apples with granulated sugar and put under the broiler until brown.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from ~ Adventures in Food published by Sunset Magazine © 1964.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
1. Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat together peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, then mix until just combined.
4. Divide batter among lined muffin cups (about two-thirds full) and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto a rack and cool completely.
5. Make icing while cupcakes cool: Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
6. To thicken icing to spreading consistency quickly, spread it on a metal baking sheet and chill until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Scrape icing back into bowl and stir until smooth. Spread icing on cupcakes and sprinkle with peanuts.

Yield: 12 servings

Cooks' notes
If you aren't pressed for time, chill icing in bowl, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes before spreading on cupcakes.

Iced cupcakes keep, chilled in an airtight container, 3 days.

Recipe: Rosy Strawberry Sorbet

This juicy sorbet contains rosewater, which combines nicely with strawberries so its flavor seems like an extension of the fruit. It gives the sorbet a delicate, aromatic sweetness.

Prep and Cook Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling and freezing time.

Notes: Rosewater is available at gourmet, Middle Eastern, and Indian markets. If you prefer, you can make the sorbet without the rosewater. Sunset recommends using it, since it really does add a special flavor. To save time, you can quickly cool the sugar syrup in step 1 by setting the pot in an ice bath and stirring until the mixture reaches room temperature, 2 to 5 minutes. You can also bypass chilling the mixture in the refrigerator in step 3 by setting the bowl in an ice bath and stirring until well chilled, about 12 minutes.

Yield
Makes 3 cups; 6 servings

Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
1 1/2 tablespoons rosewater (see Notes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation
1. In a small pot over medium-high heat, bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Stir to dissolve sugar, then remove pot from heat and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, purée strawberries in a blender. Pour purée through a fine-mesh sieve to remove seeds, pressing down with a spatula to extract liquid. Discard seeds.

3. In a medium bowl, combine sugar syrup, strawberry purée, rosewater, lemon juice, and salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

4. Stir mixture well, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

FOUND HERE

Recipe: Mini Orange and Chocolate Cheesecakes

Mini Orange and Chocolate Cheesecakes

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 35 min
Inactive Prep: 25 min
Cook Time: 45 min

You Will Need:

1/3 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 orange, zested
1 egg
Butter, for greasing

Special equipment: mini muffin tin

How To:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter. Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.

2. In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg. Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture. Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes.

3. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.

4. Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis - Food Network 2009.