Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake

Just wonderful. Takes some time but so worth it. This was the first cheesecake I ever attempted and I was so pleased with the way it turned out. It was seriously the best dessert I have ever made.


Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake

makes 14 servings
PREP: 30 mins
COOK: 1 hr
READY IN 11 hrs
Ingredients:

• 2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Combine 2 cups cookie crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; firmly press mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 5 minutes; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually mix in 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup whipping cream, flour, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Top with 1 1/2 cups cookie pieces; pour in remaining batter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly on cheesecake. Continue baking for 7 minutes. Turn oven off and leave in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Combine 1 cup whipping cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan; stir over low heat until chocolate melts, and then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour mixture over cheesecake while still warm. Refrigerate until serving time. Should be at least 8 hours for refrigerator time, remove about 1/2 hour to 1 hour before serving, remove ring from springform pan, decorate to choice and get out your fork!

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everybody wants this recipe when I take them in for a carry-in. To make them award winning, my daughter, Tegan, made them for a cookie baking contest and won a red ribbon! You can use any flavor pudding you like for this recipe,,

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 6 dozen
PREP: 15 mins
COOK: 12 mins
READY IN: 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

Delicious, light and fluffy! These taste of Fall, and the crystallized ginger gives then a lovely little zing. Even people who don't like pumpkin love these cupcakes. These disappear as fast as I can set them out!

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes
PREP: 20 mins
COOK: 20 mins
READY IN: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

Instructions:

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and crystallized ginger in a bowl; set aside.

Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Planked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

These tender chicken morsels would be delish on their own, but with the addition of bacon to wrap them…ohhhh goodness that is some amazing chicken. A liberal coating of your favourite barbecue sauce brings this tender meal together.

Planked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 regular cedar plank, soaked in water
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp. Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning
• 8 slices thick-sliced bacon
• 2 tbsp. Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
• ½ cup Ted Reader’s World Famous Crazy Canuck Sticky Chicken and Rib BBQ Sauce (or your favorite gourmet-style BBQ sauce)

Instructions:

1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Evenly coat chicken thighs with Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning. Tightly roll the thighs up like jelly rolls, starting at the narrow end of each thigh.
2. Take one slice of bacon and spread it out onto a flat work surface. Place one chicken thigh at one end on the bacon and wrap the bacon tightly around the chicken thigh. Repeat with remaining thighs. Evenly space bacon-wrapped chicken thighs on plank. Place plank on grill and close lid.
3. Plank bake chicken for 15 to 30 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure that the plank is not on fire. Meanwhile, combine the Jack Daniel’s with the barbecue sauce. Baste bacon-wrapped chicken thighs liberally and evenly with Jack Daniel’s-flavored barbecue sauce for 10 to 15 minutes more so that the meat gets sticky and cooks through. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

This simple recipe takes very little prep time and not much cook time for the reward.