Pineapple Cheesecake Recipe

Pineapple Cheesecake Recipe

1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 X ½ lb package cream cheese
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup sugar
2-3 drops of vanilla extract
1 X ½ lb can pineapple chunks, drained and chopped

Topping:
2/3 cup sour cream
Canned or candied pineapple
Candied cherries

Mix the biscuit (cracker) crumbs with the butter and press over the bottom of a greased loose-bottomed 18 cm/7 inch square cake pan. Chill.

Beat together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla , then fold in the pineapple. Pour over the crumb base.

Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190*C/375*F, Gas mark 5) for 1 hour. Cool. Spread the soured cream over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with the pineapple and cherries.

English Muffins Recipe

English Muffins Recipe

½ teaspoon sugar
6 tablespoons lukewarm water
2 packages active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup lukewarm milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Makes 12
Dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until frothy.

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the yeast liquid, milk, egg and butter and mix to a softish dough. Knead until the dough s smooth and elastic, then leave to rise in warm place until doubled in size.

Knead the dough lightly to knock out any air bubbles. Roll out to about 1 cm/ ½ inch thick and cut out 12 rounds with an 8.5 cm/3 ½ inch plain cutter.

Put the rounds on greased and floured baking sheets and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in size.
Bake in a preheated very hot oven (240*C/450*F, Gas mark 8) for 5 minutes. Turn the muffins over and bake for a further 5 to 6 minutes. To serve, toast on both sides, pull apart, butter and put together again.

Cheese Loaf Recipe

Cheese Loaf Recipe

1 teaspoon sugar
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup grated cheddar cheese


Dissolve the sugar in a little of the water. Sprinkle the yeast on top and leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until frothy.

Put the flour, salt, mustard and cheese in a bowl and mix well. Add the yeast liquid and remaining water and mix to a soft dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, then leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Knead the dough lightly to knock out any air bubbles, then shape it into a loaf. Put it into a greased 500 g/1 lb (4 ½ X 2 ½ X 1 ½ inch) loaf pan. Leave to rise in a warm place until the dough rises to the top of the pan.
Bake in a preheated hot oven (220*C/425*F, Gas mark 7) for 10 minutes then reduce the temperature to moderately hot (190*C/375*F, Gas mark 5) and continue baking for 35 minutes.

Nougatines Recipe

Nougatines Recipe

1 X 8 inch whisked sponge cake
½ quantity coffee flavored Buttercream
Toasted silver almonds
Praline
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons water
2 cups chopped unbalanced almonds

Makes about 8
Cut the cake into wedges and trim the corners to give a smooth outer edge.
For the praline, dissolve the sugar in the water, then bring to the boil and boil until the syrup turn s golden brown. Stir in the almonds and cool slightly, then spread about two-thirds of the praline over the flat sides of the cake wedges. Pour the rest of the praline onto an oiled board and cool until set. Crush with a rolling pin to a fine powder.
Beat the crushed praline into the buttercream and use to cover the exposed cake. Coat with the toasted almonds.

Sachertorte Recipe

Sachertorte Recipe

10 square (10 oz) semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon coffee flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 tablespoons butter
2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 eggs, separated
¼ cup ground almonds
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted 3 times
Apricot jam
3 tablespoons warm black coffee

Put 175 g/6 oz (6 squares) of the chocolate, the coffee essence (flavoring) and vanilla in a saucepan and melt gently. Cool

Cream the butter with 90 g/3 ½ oz(1 cup less 2 tablespoons) of the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, almonds and melted chocolate mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually beat in 75 g/3 oz ( ¾ cup) of the remaining sugar. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture alternately with the flour.

Spoon into a greased and floured 20 cm/8 inch round deep cake pan. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (180*C/350*F, Gas mark 4) for one hour or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cut the cake into 2 layers and sandwich them back together again with apricot jam. Melt a little more jam and brush this all over the top and sides of the cake. Melt the remaining chocolate with the coffee. Remove from the heat. Gradually stir in the remaining sugar to make a thickish icing. Spread the icing over the top and sides of the cake and leave until set before cutting.

Baklava Recipe

Baklava Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter
About 1 cup of water
1 ½ tablespoons vinegar
Filling:
Melted butter
2 cups finely chopped almonds, walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar

Syrup:
5 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
Juice of one lemon

Sift the flour and salt in to a bowl. Cut the butter into small nut-sized pieces and add the flour. Mix the water with the vinegar and add to the bowl. Mix to stiff, lumpy dough.
Roll out the dough to an oblong. Fold it in three and press the edges together to seal. Turn so the raw edges are to the sides. Roll out again into an oblong. Repeat the folding, rolling out and turning twice, then chill for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into four portions and roll out each to an 18cm/7 inch square. Place one dough square in the bottom of a greased 18cm/7 inch square cake pan. Brush the melted butter and sprinkle with one-third of the nuts and brown sugar. Continue making layers this way, ending with the last dough square. Brush with one more melted butter and cut into squares or diamonds.

Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (190*c/375*c, Gas mark 5) for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp.Meanwhile, put the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil until syrupy. Spoon the hot syrup over the baklava and cool.

Orange Cup Cakes Recipe

Orange Cup Cakes Recipe

2 cups self-rising flour
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
½ cup sugar
Finely grated rind of 1 small orange or lemon
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 5 tablespoons milk

Makes 16-18
Place the fluted paper cake cases in 16 to 18 bun tins (cup cake pans).
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then mix in the sugar and the orange or lemon rind. Add the egg, vanilla and milk and mix to a softish batter, adding more milk if necessary.
Divide the batter between the paper cases