Strawberries and Cream Cookies

I got this recipe out of the Washington Post's Food section. Very different, I thought. Plus I absolutely adore the dried strawberries I can pick up at my favoritest market in town, The Merc. So off I went, spent my pennies on some good white chocolate and strawberries, and hit the kitchen.

And then the problems began.

First off: do yourself a favor, just buy some superfine sugar. I was out and didn't restock, thinking a quick whirl in the food processor (as the recipe instructs) would be quick. Around and around spun my sugar, but it never really got fine. Instead all I got out of it was (1) regular sugar mixed with (2) powdered sugar. No super-fine anything.

Then: chopping dried strawberries is not a pleasant task. I tried sprinkling them with powdered sugar and going at them with a knife. I was lucky I didn't cut my finger off, that knife just rolled all over the place and really didn't chop much. Then I threw them in the food processor (HA! That was a gummy mess). I tried a nut chopper, I went at them with the mezzaluna; then I became desperate and began tearing those sticky suckers apart by hand. I did everything short of gnawing on them with my teeth (I'm sure my family and friends are appreciative that I stopped there). Then I gave up and just tossed the biggish chunks in the dough.

And finally? The cooking portion of this recipe is rather odd. Maybe it's because I'm a novice, but - why the two sheet pans? And I always had to pull my batches early, like 20 minutes early. Plus they weren't supposed to spread - I had chilled dough, I didn't flatten it - but mine sure did a lot of spreading (hence the blobby strawberry-ish shaped cookies in the photos, instead of the nice neat strawberries like my dear cookie cutter usually produces).

These issues withstanding: the cookies are still The Yum. Still worth it, dear readers - just keep in mind the above notes. Crunchy, creamy from the white chocolate, and nice chewy bits of strawberries. Mmmm. Very different for the wintertime and holidays, and yet just special enough to be perfect for Christmas time. And yes: I'd still totally make them again.

Strawberries and Cream Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 c. sugar (may substitute superfine sugar)
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 Tsp. salt
1/2 c. finely chopped white chocolate
3/4 c. dried strawberries, finely chopped

Finely pulverize the sugar in a food processor, letting the machine run for about 10 seconds. (Skip this step if using superfine sugar.)

Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer; beat on low speed for several minutes, until fluffy. Add the flour, vanilla extract, cream and salt; mix well. Stop the motor and stir in the white chocolate and dried strawberries, mixing until evenly distributed. The dough should be firm (if not, add up to 2 tablespoons flour and incorporate well). Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; knead gently for about 1 minute, until it holds together and becomes firmer. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and as long as 12 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 F. Stack 2 baking sheets together and line the top sheet with parchment paper.

Gently roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2 inch; use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet; reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer carefully to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cocoa Cappuccino Cookies

One problem that I tend to have while Christmas shopping is that, well, I find lots of fun things for myself. Usually not of the apparel or electronics kind, though – more of the cooking/baking supplies kind. Christmas is the one time of the year when I’m baking for a distinct gift-type purpose, and I take full advantage of that fact! Anytime we’re out shopping for holiday presents, I make a point to check out the baking products if possible.

Hubs made the mistake of walking into World Market with me a few days ago, and we came out with a nice supply of baking paraphernalia (er, and no gifts for anyone else). Aside from the decorator’s chocolate and paper loaf pans and other baking toys, I had picked up some Guittard cappuccino chips. Armed with a new recipe from dianasdesserts.com, I set to work (although I changed it a wee bit so I could incorporate my new cappuccino chips).

I didn’t roll the cookies in sugar as in the recipe below; instead, I added about a cup of the chips to my dough. One thing I must say about these cookies: I’m not fond of the cinnamon in them. I love love love me some cinnamon, but I do not like it paired with chocolate. The taste just doesn’t do anything for me, so these cookies weren’t a favorite of mine. No matter though: Hubs gobbled up my test cookies, so I figure they can’t be half bad. They are very very cakey, so I recommend storing them in an air-tight container with parchment or wax paper between layers (otherwise they will stick like mad).

Cocoa Cappuccino Cookies

Ingredients:

1/3 c. butter, softened

1 c. packed brown sugar

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large egg whites

1/3 c. vanilla yogurt

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg whites and yogurt until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons into sugar and roll into balls. Roll again in sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

What does a lady do when she has little time but needs to bring cookies into the office for a party? And therefore needs an easy, delicious, and impressive cookie recipe? Why, she turns to the lovely Barefoot Contessa, of course!

Another goodie from Ina Garten. The dough reminds me of spritz cookies, for some reason: firmer than a spritz dough, but the flavor is similar. The coconut is the perfect flavor match to the jam. I used raspberry jam and cherry preserves (all I had on hand), and they turned out great; use whatever jam/preserves you love, I'm sure they'll all turn out perfectly too.

Jam Thumbprints

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 egg beaten + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash

7 oz. sweetened flaked coconut

Raspberry and/or apricot jam (or anything else you like)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together.

Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1-oz each.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 tsp. of jam into each indentation.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Is anyone surprised that I have a Christmas cookie recipe with dried cherries in it? I mean honestly? You should be aware at this point that I salivate at the mere thought of cherries.

This goodie comes from the book Baking Boot Camp. It's actually more of an instructional book, and very cool. It's a diary of sorts of one woman's experience attending a CIA Baking course, including the disciplines of baked-good recipes, the science behind baking, and some wonderful recipes at the back of the book. Hubs gave me this book (and a few other cookbooks) for our anniversary this year, and for that I'm eternally grateful. I highly recommend this sucker if you don't have it already!

Anyhoo, wouldn't you know - the author's recipe for chocolate chunk cookies also happens to include dried cherries(!). Perfect, considering I have quite the stash of dried cherries at my disposal for such a thing. And I wanted to make a chocolate chip-ish cookie for Christmas. This one is good, a nice basic chocolate chip cookie recipe. The cookies end up very soft and the use of bittersweet (instead of semi-sweet) chips is a nice surprise. It plays off the cherries quite well!

So here you go, you knew the cherries were going to be included in a recipe somewhere this holiday season. And they are perfect in this recipe.

Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
3 c. all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
¾ c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips
1 c. tart dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract. Blend until incorporated.

Mix in the sifted dry ingredients, the chocolate chunks, and cherries. Use one of the following methods to shape the cookies: use two spoons to drop the dough onto cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. If desired, slightly flatten the cookies before baking. Or, roll dough into a log, chill until firm, then slice and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake about 12-14 minutes, and transfer to wire racks to cool.

Molasses Cookies

I read a wide variety of food blogs on a daily basis (an addictive habit, I must admit). When I found out that Susan (at FoodBlogga) was hosting a blog event called Eat Christmas Cookies, I decided that I had to make something. Seemed too fun to pass up. And I wanted to bake the most amazing cookie. I thought of making the rosemary-mint cookies I read about in the LA Times, or maybe something delicate with lots of icing detail. Or perhaps a rolled cookie that would photograph well. To be honest, a million different "impress the masses" recipes were floating around in that brain of mine.

I pondered it for awhile, but it was yesterday when the perfect recipe finally came to me: the molasses cookie. Yup, the very same molasses cookie that everyone makes this time of year. No ma'am, no gourmet twist. No icing, no fancy cookie cutting action. Nothing out of the ordinary, just my regular old recipe. But hear me out.

Yesterday was a terrible day. Work was quite stressful and I was exhausted after a very long day at the office. And yet still behind on my deadlines, ugh. The house was a mess, I still had loads to do before the weekend, and it was dark and cold outside. An icky day that was turning into a yucky evening as well. However: I put aside the cleaning, the dinner-making, the million other chores. Instead, I put on some Christmas music, rolled up my sleeves, and started pawing through the cabinets for my jar of molasses. Days like this can almost be salvaged by the presence of warm molasses cookies.

I've always loved the taste of ginger and molasses together, the spicy and sweet combination. Gingerbread cake, bars, gingersnap cookies, I enjoy them all. I even have a great recipe for gingerbread waffles that I'm dying to try this winter. But most of all, I love the molasses cookie. Soft and chewy with crispy edges and a nice sparkly coating of sugar. My mother always imprinted hers with wooden cookie press, so they came out of the oven with a pretty concentric-circle pattern.

Molasses cookies are definitely a family favorite, and probably why I find them so comforting. I try to make these as close as possible to my Mom's recipe, although I don't have that fancy schmancy cookie press she uses. I tend to add an extra bit of ginger (spicy spicy spicy!) and I like to roll my cookies in raw sugar – just a bit more glittery and festive that way, methinks.

So here's my entry, my favoritest cookie of them all: the humble molasses cookie. A basic, uncomplicated, and yet oh so soothing and homey recipe. Totally satisfying. There's a reason this cookie is a Christmas classic, my friends. And that's why I went personal for my entry instead of flashy.

Enjoy!

Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ tsp. ginger

¾ tsp. ground cloves

¼ tsp. allspice

¾ c. shortening

½ c. dark brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 c. molasses

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a medium bowl, sift and mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars, until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Roll dough into small balls, and roll balls in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake 11-13 minutes, then cool on racks. NOTE: be careful not to overbake! They are done when the centers are still soft and puffy.

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies

I figured I'm going to fill out the rest of the month with my Christmas cookie recipes for this year. Festive! Topical! And makes my life oh-so-much easier, given how hectic things are right now. Heh. Although I have also made a few stellar soups, if I do say so myself, so those will be posted once I get through all my goodies.

So, this cookie. Even the Abominable Snowman adores this cookie. I originally found the recipe at this site, and I actually enjoy this cookie a lot too. First and foremost, they taste exactly like Girl Scout Thin Mints. Seriously, it's uncanny. Only they are poofy and soft and oh so much nicer. And not to mention: much, much cheaper than Thin Mints. And you can have them year-round. Which is a total win in my book.

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. (9-oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 c. chopped nuts

Melt 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips in small, heavy saucepan over lowest possible heat. When morsels begin to melt, remove from heat; stir. Return to heat for a few seconds at a time, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature. *Or, you can do what I did and melt them in your own beloved microwave.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peppermint extract and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining morsels and nuts. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 350° F. oven for 8 to 12 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still soft. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Slice Cookies

It's freezing rain outside, Kansas is supposed to really get walloped by the weather tonight and tomorrow. And clearly, we aren't alone. All of the States, it seems, are getting battered by the chilly weather. And thus my inspiration: how about a batch of sunny little cookies to help brighten up these frigid winter days?

This recipe is from a REALLY old copy of Good Housekeeping. A little more time-consuming than your usual cookie, but oh so worth it! I love the lemony flavor (in fact, a secret: I usually juice my zested lemon into the dough as well, for an extra lemony punch). This time I didn't have any yellow sparkling sugar and was too lazy to make some, so I used the pink sugar in my cabinet. Think of them as pink lemon(ade) cookies.

Thoughts and prayers to all my fellow winter warriors! Hang in there.

Lemon Slice Cookies

Ingredients:

3 c. All-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. Powdered sugar

1 1/4 c. Butter, softened

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Large egg

2 tsp. Lemon extract

1 tsp. Lemon zest

Yellow food coloring

Egg white

Yellow sparkling sugar

In a large bowl, mix together flour, butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg. Reserve 1/4 of dough (cover and refrigerate).

Knead lemon extract and zest as well as yellow food coloring into dough. Roll dough into a thick (4-in. long) log. Roll out reserved dough so that it is long enough to wrap around log. Wrap rectangle around log. Wash outside with egg white, then roll in sparkling sugar. Wrap tightly in Saran Wrap and chill at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

To bake: cut log in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/8-in. thick slices. Place cookie slices on greased cookie sheets (or sheets lined with parchment paper), then with a butter knife add 5"spokes" to each slice. Bake about 6 minutes and cool on racks.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

I had some leftover hazelnuts from a prior baking experiment (posted soon my dears, I promise). I decided to make some hazelnut cookies. Found this recipe at allrecipes.com and adapted them a bit. I actually think this came from a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe to begin with (I recall her making a cookie strikingly similar to this, on a long-ago episode on Food Network).

I made these these early this morning around breakfast time, and let me just say: these suckers are perfect with a nice hot cup of coffee. Thin and crunchy, full of hazelnut flavor with a nice drizzle of chocolate on top. Yum. A crispy cookie form of biscotti, essentially. Dunk away!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies



Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 c. hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and coarsely chopped
2 (1oz) squares semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

Blend flour, brown sugar, cornstarch, espresso powder, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and vanilla. Using the pulse cycle-or pressing on/off button on your food processor, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add nuts; blend until finely chopped. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Knead just until dough comes together.

Divide dough in half. Press each half into 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom.
Bake at 350 F (175 C) until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 2 minutes then remove sides of pan. Cut each shortbread round into 24 wedges. Cool completely. (Or! Use cookie cutters like I did.)

Stir chocolate in a saucepan over medium-low heat, until chocolate is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over cookies. Let stand until chocolate sets.

Pasta Carbonara

It's been a carbonara kind of week. You know that week: when you're baking like a fiend and doing holiday cards and running everywhere shopping and have a million engagements? And tired of inhaling fast food or scrounged up leftovers while standing over the sink? A week like that calls for a nice carbonara - warm, easy, homey, and comes together in the time it takes to boil a pot of pasta.

This recipe is from Ruth Reichl's memoir Garlic and Sapphires. Better known as the Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet (as well as restaurant critic), some don't know just what a talented storyteller Ruth Reichl is, and what a fascinating life she has lived thus far. I really do suggest you check out her memoirs, all three of them - great reads, all among my favorite books ever read. Start with Tender at the Bone. And a big thank you to my darling Beah, who put R.R.'s books on my radar.

Back to the recipe: oh so comfy, I love a good pasta carbonara. Insanely simple, quick, yet also mouth-wateringly delicious. Note to first-time carbonara makers: stir that mixture quickly after adding the pasta to the eggs! The heat of the boiled pasta will cook the eggs but you certainly don't want any curdling; you want a nice, creamy sauce.

Pasta Carbonara

(from Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires)

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 to 1/2 lb. thickly sliced bacon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 large eggs
Black pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmigiano cheese, plus extra for the table

Cut the bacon crosswise into pieces 1/2 inch wide. Put them in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes until the fat begins to render. Add the whole cloves of garlic and cook about another 5 minutes, until the edges of the bacon just begin to get crisp. Do not get too crisp, otherwise they will not meld with the pasta.

Beat the eggs in the serving bowl, and add pepper.

Remove the garlic from the pan. If it looks like too much fat to you, discard some, but you're going to toss the bacon with most of its fat into the the pasta.

When it is cooked, drain the pasta and immediately throw it into the beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. The heat of the spaghetti cooks the eggs and turns them into a sauce. Add the bacon with its fat and toss again. Add cheese and serve.

No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream

The problem with getting involved in the blogging world: it's almost kinda sorta embarrassing when you try out other bloggers' recipes and post them on your own blog; it feels like cheating somehow. But regardless, I decided this one was worth any potential embarrassment, considering (1) it uses pomegranates, (2) it's ice cream, (3) it looks gorgeous on Lynn's blog, and (4) it's ice cream.

I got this one from Lynn, a talented baker that I found through tastespotting.com. Have you been to tastespotting.com, by the way? I highly recommend it! I've been known to find many a recipe that way.

Anyhoo, back to the story. Pomegranates are such a strange but lovely fruit: when you cut them open, you realize the edible portion is actually in the form of arils, connected to the fruit skin itself in clusters. They look similar to corn kernels, except are translucent with a deep ruby hue and a seed in the middle. A very photogenic fruit! The pomegranate fruit is very tart but sweet; think cranberries with a little bit of sweetness. Pomegranate is great in any number of things (or by itself); it was the gorgeous bright pink ice cream that fit the bill.

The ice cream is incredibly easy to make. The finished product very creamy and tangy and sweet sweet sweet. Perfect. The ice cream doesn't get too terribly firm (resulting from the lack of churning, I'd imagine), but I am already planning to make it again, except perhaps adding some goodies like chopped pistachios, or dark chocolate, or blueberries...

No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream

(adapted by Lynn, from Nigella Express)

Ingredients:

1 large pomegranate or 2 small ones

1 lime

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 c. heavy cream

Place about 3/4 of the pomegranate seeds into a sieve placed over a bowl. Reserve the rest of the seeds in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Using a spoon or your hand, crush the seeds down to release their juices.

Add the lime juice to the bowl through the sieve.

Add the powdered sugar and whisk to dissolve.

Whisk in the cream and keep whisking until soft peaks form in the dainty pink cream.

Spoon and smooth the ice cream into a rigid plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight (I recommend overnight). Scatter the reserved pomegranate seeds over the top when you serve it.

Baked Oatmeal

When I was a kid, my family always ate their oatmeal with lots of butter and salt. My college roommates and friends enjoyed it any number of ways: with milk, sugar, fruit, raisins. As an adult, though, I find myself rarely making oatmeal. I realize the health benefits, but no matter what I put on top, it was never really that exciting.

I got my latest Penzey's catalog in the mail, and lo and behold: it included an oatmeal recipe. I decided to give it a whirl this weekend (by the way, this is a total plug for Penzey's spices: they are awesome. I use them all the time. Give em a try sometime). What was interesting is that you mixed everything into it beforehand, and just baked it in the oven.

This baked oatmeal is similar to the stove-top version, obviously, but also so different: slightly firm, with an almost crusty top and soft interior. Hot and filling with lots of goodies packed inside. So perfect for a cold morning.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. quick cooking oats (or 2 3/4 c. old-fashioned oats)

2/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 c. raisins or other dried fruit (I used dried goji berries)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/3 c. skim milk

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 tsp. veggie oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Milk, yogurt, sugar, and/or fruit (optional; for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine milk, egg whites, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Pour into the baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 55-60 minutes or until center is set and firm to the touch. Cool slightly.

Serve topped with milk or sugar or yogurt and fruit, if desired. Store leftover oatmeal tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Eggnog Cheesecake with Caramel-Rum Sauce

Oh eggnog.

We have a love/hate relationship, me and eggnog. I hate actual eggnog, I think it's the thickness of the drink (or the thought of raw eggs) that turns me off. Just the thought of drinking it makes me want to gag; I can't stand the stuff. However: the smell and taste I enjoy, so if offered a slice of eggnog pound cake or ice cream or cookies, I can't resist. And that is how it was with was recipe: eggnog cheesecake? Sure! I'll give it a try.


I actually came across an eggnog cheesecake recipe here, but there are dozens more all over the Internet. Each seemed to have its own complaints (not enough eggnog, too much rum, crust was flavorless, etc.) so I took bits and pieces from several different recipes to come up with what you see below. It was rather good, too: creamy and filling as any good cheesecake should be, with the distinctive custard-y nutmeg flavor that eggnog is known for. The caramel-rum sauce is rich and thick and is just perfect as a topping drizzled over each slice.


Eggnog Cheesecake with Caramel-Rum Sauce





Ingredients:
1 c. ground gingersnaps
3 Tbsp. melted butter
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 c. white sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. eggnog
2 eggs
2 tsp. rum extract
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Sauce:
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. water
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. rum extract

Preheat oven to 325 F. In a medium bowl combine ground gingersnaps and butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. spring form pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a food processor combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and eggnog; process until smooth. Blend in eggs, rum extract, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into cooled crust.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 250 F and bake for 45 minutes, or until center of cake is barely firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and immediately loosen cake from rim. Let cake cool completely before removing the rim.

For the sauce:
In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Stir in brown sugar and the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add 1 tsp. rum extract. Allow to cool.