Brownie Shortbread Cookie Crust for Cheesecakes

Posted by Lori:

Each year for Thanksgiving on my husband's side of the family, I make a cheesecake.  While I've hardly met a cheesecake I didn't like, there are definitely some that are much better than others.  This year's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake is definitely a keeper.  I'll share it with you in four different recipes - four different days. 

Today, for the first day, I'll share the crust.  You could use any crust, but I prefer non-graham-cracker-type crusts.  This one was perfect in taste and texture.  It would be good with a lot of cheesecake fillings.  It's from a Junior's Cheesecakes cookbook.

Brownie Shortbread Cookie Crust for Cheesecakes
Makes one 9-inch crust

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 extra large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way p the sides.  Mix the flour and salt together.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high until creamy.  Blend in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the melted chocolate.  Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour just until it disappears and a dough forms. 

Push the dough over the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula.  Flour your hands, then smooth out the dough evenly to the edge of the pan with your fingertips, working in a circular motion.  Don't press up the sides.

Bake the crust just until it's set and forms a light brown crust on top (don't overbake), about 15 minutes.  Leave the crust in the pan and transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.

I'll post the filling in a few days.
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Hot Chocolate

Posted by Donna:


Our grandchildren from Lubbock were here last week for Thanksgiving. Usually when they're visiting at Thanksgiving or Christmas, we have hot chocolate and watch a movie. Last night was the night we had our hot chocolate. I've always just used the Nestle's instant mix; but, I decided to do it the old fashioned way. I don't think I've done it this way since my girls were little. It may not be as quick, but it is so good. Usually, when I do the instant hot chocolate, the girls never drink all of theirs, but last night there wasn't a drop left in their mugs. That pretty well told me they liked their hot chocolate!!!!!

Hot Chocolate

1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla


Mix cocoa, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Stir constantly until mixture boils.(Use medium heat.) After the mixture comes to a boil, continue to stir and boil for about a minute. Add the milk and vanilla. Heat, but do not boil. Pour into mugs and add marshmallows, if desired. Yum--What a treat on a cold night!!!!

The good thing about this is that it can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator.

Blake, our grandson, said he was going to start doing his hot chocolate this way because it was so good, but also because he said it would save money not buying the instant mixes. Whether it saves money or not, it's pretty hard to beat anything homemade. Pin It Now!

Your Special Bank Account

Posted by Donna:

An elderly lady friend gave this to me a couple of years ago. She keeps this in her Bible to always remind her of the happiness and blessings in her life. I decided to keep the article in my Bible as well. I read it quite often just to remind me of the importance of keeping a positive attitude. I thought this would be a fitting time to share with you.

Your Special Bank Account

"A 92 year old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coiffed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. "I love it," he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait."
"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged...it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!"



I hope you enjoyed reading this article. What a lesson for us each and every day.


Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving! Pin It Now!

Craisin-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted by Lori:
This is actually Kimberly's recipe, but I'm posting it since it's one of my favorite cookies.  It's a great cookie any time, but seems like it's a Christmasy cookie, with the dried cranberries.

Craisin-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter-flavored Crisco
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounce bag of Craisins (dried cranberries)
1 package white chocolate chips (I only use 1 cup of these.  I don't care for too many of them.)
1 cup pecans

In large mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and Crisco.  Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, soda and salt, mixing well.  Stir in chips and pecans.  Drop by spoonful or cookie scoop onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes.  Makes 2 - 3 dozen.


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Funfetti Birthday Cake Dip

Posted by Lori:

I've been seeing this recipe a lot on the web and can't wait to try it!  It's such a cute recipe, too!  I've seen it served with animal crackers and vanilla wafers.  Sounds yummy!

Funfetti Birthday Cake Dip
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sprinkles

Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool.  Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cake mix together for  two minutes with an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and slowly beat in the cooled butter and beat for another two minutes. Stir in the sprinkles. Pour into a serving bowl and refrigerate.  Garnish with additional sprinkles, if desired. Serve with animal crackers or vanilla wafers or your choice of dippers!

After being refrigerated it gets hard, so let it soften about 15 minutes before serving.
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Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin

We have lots and lots of pumpkin recipes on our blog.  If you're looking for pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes with caramel sauce, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin desserts, or any other pumpkin recipe (except for a traditional pumpkin pie!), just type in "pumpkin" at the search box at the right on the blog home page.  Many pages of pumpkin desserts and treats will pop up.

Happy Thursday and happy baking!
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Refrigerator Magnets

Posted by Donna:

We had a "Grandparents Shower" for a couple of our members at church Sunday. They're anxiously awaiting the birth of their first grandchild, which happens to be a girl and is due December 23rd. That's quite a Christmas gift!!! As a hostess gift, the soon-to-be-grandmother made each of us a set of six magnets.

I was anxious to share this idea. I have a "thing" for cute magnets; so, these found an instant place on my refrigerator.


Supplies:

Clear stones---found at Hobby Lobby
Scrapbooking paper
Large magnet
Glue


Lori, (soon-to-be-grandmother) chose several different fonts and ran the words off on different designs of scrapbook paper.She then glued the cut-out paper to the bottom of the clear rocks and added the magnet. How simple is that!!!! (The words are a little hard to see in the picture. The words she used were: peace, faith, joy, love, patience, and kindness.)

Lori put each set in an organza bag; then made a tag to attach to it--the tag was also out of scrapbook paper. Not only did she have each hostess a set of magnets, she also made individual ones for each guest to have. She had these on a really cute free standing magnetic board. Only Lori would think of this!!!! She's one of those people who has talent and wonderful ideas oozing out of her!!!!

I hope this gives you an idea for your gift idea file. Pin It Now!