Mixed Berry Cheesecake The Barefoot Contessa

August 31st, 2010

The second Barefoot Blogger recipe for the month of August is this beautiful mixed berry cheesecake.  The recipe was chosen by Nathalie of Snowbell Jewelry and it is so impressive, even if I didn’t make it in it’s original form.  Our extended family is not arriving for the Labor Day Holiday until the end of the week so I was making this for just the two of us.  The two of us do not need a dessert that contains 2 1/2 pounds of cream cheese.  So instead of making the cheesecake in a springform pan, I reduced the recipe and made five individual cheesecakes.

The cheesecake was delicious, with a special freshness from the lemon zest.  The berries give it a “WOW” factor and are glazed with jelly to make them shimmer.  I will definitely be making this again.

So many of The Barefoot Contessa recipes are winners.  It has occured to me that many of the dishes I will be serving over the holiday have come from Ina’s cookbooks.  My daughter-in-law is celebrating a birthday so I am making Ina’s Strawberry Country Cake.  For breakfast one morning I will be making her Potato Basil Frittata.  And as side dishes with our cookouts, I will be making her Panzanella Salad and Sagaponack Corn Pudding.  This cheesecake would be perfect for your Labor Day celebration.  Enjoy.

MIXED BERRY CHEESECAKE

 Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

1 cup red jelly (not jam) such as currant, raspberry, or strawberry
1/2 pint sliced strawberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
1/2 pint fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss berries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Southern Peach Cobbler

August 15th, 2010

“The cobbler is simple.  It’s homey, nothin’ fancy.  It cuts across socio-ecomonic lines and is eaten in red and blue states alike.  It’s history is one of immigrant innovative spirit.  A Peach cobbler is as American as Apple Pie.”  Kim O’Donnel – The Washington Post.
Our English ancestors brought us the fruit pies which they had baked in brick ovens for centuries.  When they arrived in America, they were forced by the primitive conditions to do most of their cooking over open fires. They put their sliced fruits in heavy cast iron pans and placed them in the coals to cook.  They added a topping of biscuit dough to them and placed a heavy lid on top so that the biscuit dough could rise and brown.  Thus the cobbler was born.
In the South, peaches were plentiful.  I can imagine the early settlers made cobblers because of the availability of the fruit and the frugality inherent in their makeup.  Nothing went to waste in the humble homes of our ancestors.  If biscuits were made for breakfast, any leftover dough could be used for a sweet cobbler.
Today in the South, most of the Meat and 3 style restaurants and the Barbecue restaurants feature peach cobbler on the menu.  It is a tradition and one that I have come to love.  I love cobblers, crisps, crumbles,  grunts,  pandowdies, buckles, brown betties and sonkers
But my favorite by far is peach cobbler and this recipe from All Recipes is the best.  The peaches are flavored with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  The biscuit topping is rich with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.  Served warm with a scoop of ice cream, this is the flavor of late summer and perfect eaten while on the porch in the evening watching the fireflies and listening to the cicadas. 
SOUTHERN PEACH COBBLER
8 Fresh Georgia peaches – peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons conrstarch
For the biscuit topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water
For Topping:
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, both sugars, baking powder, and salt.  Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in water until just combined.
Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.  Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes. 
I am linking this recipe to the Two for Tuesdays blog hop carnival.  Go to Girlichef’s blog to view all of the links to blogger’s who are cooking up “Real” food;  food that is not processed and the kind of food that your Grandmother might have made.

Printable recipe

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

July 2nd, 2010

The 4th of July always brings back memories of our early years on the lake. We bought our cottage when our son Michael was six years old. The tradition had always been to light firecrackers from the top of the boathouse and launch them into the lake. Then as the sun began to set we would all board the boat and head to the end of the lake for the fireworks display. One year the kids got a little carried away with their aim with the firecrackers and we awoke the next morning to find all of the floats on the lower deck as flat as pancakes.
The kids will not be here this year to light firecrackers but we will still watch the fireworks display from the boat. But before the boat excursion we will eat well. On the menu this year is a smoked pork butt, not your Mother’s baked beans, potato salad, deviled eggs, and coleslaw; all very traditional. But dessert will be a little different.
We have had a lot of zucchini from the garden so I have been wanting to make a chocolate zucchini cake. I have lost the recipe that I used to make, but found this recipe on Epicurious and it is a winner. It is easy to make and comes out very moist. You could even frost it if you would like. I plan on serving it with coffee ice cream and a chocolate ganache drizzled over the top. Happy 4th of July to one and all!
CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE
2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice in 1/2 cup milk)
2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)
1 6-ounce package (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredinets alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan.

Dinner with Friends on the Lake

June 14th, 2010

The table on the porch was set and ready to go. We watched the weather report. Storms were popping up all over the mountains. This was an important dinner because my blogging friend Penny and her hubby Mr. Comforts of Home were expected. We had a cooler packed with a French Rose wine and appetizers to be enjoyed on the boat. All looked well when they arrived.

Penny and Penny ready to go for a boat ride.


The sun was shining and the lake was awash with boat traffic which made for a choppy ride.

We enjoyed our cocktails and appetizers. Penny and Mr. Comforts of Home were delightful and we really enjoy their company.


David loves to give people a tour of the lake and even though the skies became threatening suddenly, he had just one more thing to show us.


Even though we sped back to the cottage, we all got drenched. But you know what? It was fun. The rain did not last long, we dried off and David fired up the grill and soon dinner was ready.

The menu was Grilled Garlic Lime Pork Tenderloin with Red Onion Marmalade. Click here for the recipe. We also had my garden Southwestern Squash Casserole which I just recently posted, coleslaw, and Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. The sweet potato recipe came from Bobby Flay and has been a favorite of mine for a long time.
SWEET POTATO SALAD WITH WARM BACON DRESSING
6 slices bacon, medium dice
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cooked and cut into 1-inch dice, kept warm
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Heat pan over high heat. Add bacon and cook until just crisp. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Remove pan from heat, add vinegar, olive oil, sugar and reserved bacon. Place the potatoes in a large bowl, pour the dressing over and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the green onions and parsley. Serve at room temperature.


Because it has been so hot and steamy lately, I decided to make a frozen dessert. What could be better than a Toasted Almond Mocha Ice Cream Tart redolent with coffee ice cream, Amaretto, chocolate and almonds. I love desserts that you can fix ahead of time. The recipe appeared in a 1992 issue of Gourmet.
TOASTED ALMOND MOCHA ICE CREAM TART
For the crust:
1 1/4 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 25 wafers)
1 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted lightly, cooled, and ground fine
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
1/1/2 cups sliced blanched almonds, toasted lightly and cooled
3 1/2 tablespoons Amaretto
2 pints coffee ice cream, softened
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted lightly and cooled
1 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine or grated
Make the crust: In a bowl stir together witha fork the wafer crumbs, the almonds, and the butter until the mixture is combined well, pat the mixture onto the bottom and sides of an oiled 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable rim, and freeze the crust for 30 minutes, or until it is firm.
Make the filling: In a food processor blend the almonds, scraping down the side occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until they form a nut butter, and with the motor running add the Amaretto. Add the ice cream and the chocolate and pulse the motor 6 to 8 times, or until the filling is smooth and combined well.
Transfer the filling to the crust, spreading it evenly. Garnish the top of the tart with the almonds and the chocolate and freeze the tart, uncovered, for 1 hour. Cover the tart with plastic wrap and freeze it overnight.


Penny brought me the most beautiful linen dish towels. She knows me well and these will look beautiful in my kitchen. They also brought us a fine bottle of French wine. Nothing could be finer than spending time with friends. Visit Penny’s blog for more pictures of our visit.

Printable recipe Sweet Potato Salad

Apricot and Almond Tart

June 2nd, 2010


There is a food blogger that I admire very much. Tartelette, aka Helen, is a French expatriat living in Charleston, SC. She was a head pastry chef in a French restaurant and now makes her home here with her husband. She concentrates mostly on desserts. Her photography is professional, beautiful and dreamy. She recently posted a recipe for this apricot tart. I have had a rectangular tart pan in my baking drawer for a long time. I have been waiting for the right recipe to christen it. This was the one I was waiting for.

The recipe is deceptively simple. The crust that Helen used was a gluten free mixture, but she offers an easy flour based alternative. If you do not like to make your own crust, feel free to substitute a store bought crust. The filling is quickly whisked together. I added a small amount of almond and vanilla extracts. The apricots are merely sliced in half, pitted, and nestled into the almond filling. It is not an overly sweet dessert and is best served warm. The following recipe is my adaptation. You can go to Tartelette’s blog for her version. It is a truly satisfying dessert, made even more special by the memories it stirred of her Grandparents.

APRICOT AND ALMOND TART

For the Crust:
5 tablespoons softened butter
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup cold water

In a mixer, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time until they are incorporated. Add the flour and salt and beat briefly to incorporate. Add enough water to make a pliable dough and mix gently in. Dump dough unto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently into a compact disc. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll it into a shape to fit your pan. Line the dough with parchment paper or foil and add rice or dried beans to weigh it down. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool slightly if using immediately or you can store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill it.

For the filling:
1 stick butter, softened
1/3 cup honey (or 1/6 cup honey and 1/6 cup sugar)
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ground almonds
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream

8 to 10 apricots, halved and pitted

Add softened butter and honey to a large bowl. Whisk until honey is incorporated. Add the extracts, ground almonds and eggs and beat until batter is combined. Add the heavy cream and gently stir it into the batter. Pour the batter into the cooled tart pan. Nestle the halved apricots into the batter. Place the tart pan into a 350 degree F. oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the tart with powdered sugar and/or honey. Serve warm.

© Penny Klett, Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. All rights reserved.