Sarah's Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Sarah made this for our New Year's Eve party and it was so temptingly delicious we fought over it the next day. (She used a prepared graham cracker crust which cut the preparation time in half. Note: this filling will fill two prepared crusts). She also said she would have put more of the fudge in to make it more chocolaty. :)

Crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
1 cup sugar
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 (10 oz) white chocolate chips, melted
1 cup chocolate fudge ice cream topping, warmed

Sauce:
2 (10 oz) packages frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Heat oven to 325, stir together all crust ingredients and press on bottom of springform pan. Bake 10 minutes, cool.
Combine 1 cup sugar and cream cheese in mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy (3-4 min). Add eggs one at a time and beat, stir in melted white chocolate chips.
Pour half of cream cheese mixture into prepared crust, spoon 1/2 cup of fudge over cream cheese, swirl with knife. Top with remaining cream cheese. Spoon remaining fudge over cream cheese mixture and swirl with knife. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes. (Let cheesecake remain in oven for 30 minutes until center is set). Cool, remove from pan, refrigerate 8 hours.
Press raspberries through strainer , discard seeds. Stir with cornstarch in saucepan and cook until comes to a full boil until slightly thickened. Refrigerate until serving time.

Potato Soup, Spicy and Broccoli

4 lbs. Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cans of Chicken Broth, low sodium

Boil the Potatoes in the broth until tender, DO NOT DRAIN!!!

8 oz of Pepper Jack Cheese, grated
(for not as spicy: 4 oz of Pepper Jack and 4 oz Monterey Jack)

Add to the potatoes and let melt.

1 can Cream of Celery
1 can Cream of Onion
1 c. sour cream
1 pint 1/2 and 1/2 (can use fat free)

Stir in until hot, Serve immediately. If you have leftovers and used just pepper jack, it will be very spicy the next day but is still good.

or...add the following after the potatoes are cooked and not drained...

8 oz of Monterey Jack cheese

1 can Cream of Celery
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 c. sour cream
1 pint 1/2 and 1/2 (can use fat free)

then...chop up a bunch of broccoli and add to the soup. Cook for about 5 more minutes until the broccoli is about half cooked and still slightly crunchy.

super yummy with sourdough bread!
Stir in until hot, Serve immediately. If you have leftovers and used just pepper jack, it will be very spicy the next day but is still good.

Penne with Salsa Verde, Mozzarella, and Cherry Tomatoes

¼ cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley w-thick stems removed

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

1 ½ tablespoons drained capers

½ teaspoon anchovy paste (which I never use)

6 tablespoons olive oil

¾ teaspoon red-wine vinegar

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

¾ pound penne rigate (or any other kind you like)

¾ pound fresh mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch cubes

2 cups cherry (or grape) tomatoes, cut into quarters

1. In a blender or food processor, puree the parsley, the smashed garlic, the capers, and the anchovy paste with the olive oil, the wine vinegar, and the salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne rigate until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain.
3. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the parsley mixture, mozzarella, and tomatoes.

Mom's Chocolate Christmas Cookies

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries (about 48)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi sweet chocolate pieces
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

Drain cherries and reserve juice. Stir together flour, cocoa, soda, powder and salt. In a large mixer bowl beat butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture and blend well.

Shape dough into 1" balls. Place about 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press down center of each with your thumb. Place a cherry in each cookie.

In small saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, swirling to completely cover cherry.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove to racks and cool. Makes about 48.

basic wheat bread (for the kitchen-aid)

1/2 c milk
3 T milk
2 t salt
2 t butter
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
5-6 c flour

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in a small saucepan. Heat over low until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 c flour. Mix for one minute on speed 2.

Add remaining flour, 1/2 c at a time until dough sticks to dough hook and cleans the side of the bowl (about 2 minutes at speed 2).

Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let frise for about 1 hour, or until dough has doubled.

Punch bowl down and either divide in half and shape into two loves or roll out into rolls.

Make for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

freshly ground whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

2 c butter
3 1/2 c sugar
2 T molasses
4 eggs
2 T hot water
2 t vanilla
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t kitchen specialties dough enhancer
5 c whole wheat flour
6-9 c oats

Add any and or all of the following: semi sweet chocolate chips, walnuts, dates, coconut, raisins, craisins, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, etc.

Combine and blend butter, sugar, molasses, eggs, hot water, and vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients (minus the oats) together. Combine the two mixtures. Mix in the oats and optional chips/nuts.

Spread the dough evenly onto two or three cookie sheets. Preheat oven, bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Cut into bars when cooled.

BYU Mint Brownies

Sugar-n-Spice, Cougareat Food Court

MAKES ONE 9-BY-13 PAN OF BROWNIES.
PREP AND COOK: 90 min. COOL: 1 hr.

1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts
12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. margarine
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.