Baked Grapefruit with Basil

I'm still in a summer kind of mood even thought it has snowed here. This is a nice dessert or just something sweet to eat.

Ingredients-

1 Grapefriut supreme per person
1 Tbl Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Sugar
1 Large leaf of Basil cut into strips

Directions-
1. Turn oven to 350 degrees.
2. Supreme the grapefruit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbmlgZhls-8 here is a vidio how to do it.
3. In a small mixing bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkel how ever much of the mixture over the grapefruit add basil.
Put into oven for 10-12 minutes let it cool...enjoy.

Cheesecake with Candied Lemon

Cheesecakes are fun, they can be almost whatever you want them to be. Flavors and combinations are all up to you. Here is the most basic cheesecake recipe.

Ingredients-
2 Lb Cream Cheese
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tbl Vanilla(I used orange extract but what you put here is up to you)
4 Eggs
Crust-
1 1/2 Cups Graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbl Cinnamon(Cinnamon is the name for perhaps a dozen species of trees)
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
Candied Lemon-
1 Lemon sliced thin 1/8-1/4 inch
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 9 inch Springform Pan

Directions-
1. Heat oven to 325 Degrees.
2. Combine all crust ingredients in medium mixing bowl and mix. Butter the inside of your springform pan, press graham cracker mix into the bottom of pan( i used a glass to press it down).
3. In a electric mixer add cream cheese and sugar, mix until it is smooth add vanilla. Continue to mix add eggs one at a time. pour into pan and put into center of oven cook for 50-55 minutes. Loosen from pan and let cool one hour before removing rim. Let chill in fridge for 4 hours.
4. In a large saute pan add water and sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil add lemon slices in a single layer and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook lemons for 15 minutes flipping them over after 7 minutes, when done put on parchment or wax paper and let cool...enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Cherry Mascarpone Frosting

One of my favorite times in the kitchen is side by side with my 8-year old son. Like many "fiercely independent" kids he wanted to make the cake and eat it too! I measured everything out and he mixed and frosted it himself. The frosting is a cherry mascarpone frosting(from my cupcake post) so good with chocolate (the coffee is the secret ingredient that brings out the richness). I also have to give him props as he is the photographer on this post also! We had a happy little dude….and my wife liked it too!

Ingredients-
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk (you can use any type of milk that you have, but buttermilk gives the cake the richness that a good chocolate cake has)
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
2 Large Eggs
1 Tbl Almond Extract
1 Cup Coffee Fresh Brewed

Directions-

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour 1 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch round pans.
2. Sift all dry ingredients into bowl of an electric mixer.
3. In separate bowl mix buttermilk, veg. oil, eggs and almond extract.
4. On low speed in mixer mix dry ingredients with whisk attachment for one minute add wet ingredients mix for 1 minute add coffee and mix until just combined.
5. Pour into pan and put into oven for 30-35 minutes or until done.
6. Remove from pan and frost with what ever you want(this frosting is the cherry mascarpone frosting from my cupcake post enjoy.

Cupcakes with Cherry Marscapone Frosting

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So who doesn't have a jar of maraschino cherries in the fridge? We did for eight months. Ok, so there where only 6 cherries left in it. Why not go out and buy another jar because that makes all kinds of sense. This way I can use up one and maybe the second one as well, wait isn't having a new jar left over in the fridge how I got here?

Ingredients-

18 oz Box of White Cake Mix.( yes I know boxed cake mix? It was on sale for a dollar a box)
1 1/2 Cups Water

1 Large egg White.

1 Tbl Almond Extract

1 tsp Vanilla.

2 Tbl Butter melted.

Frosting-

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream.

8oz Marscapone

10oz Maraschino Cherries, cherries mashed and juice saved

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar.

Directions-

Frosting-

1. Add cream, marscapone and mix until cheese is smooth. Add Cherry juice about 1/2 cup and mix for 1 minute more.

2. While mixing add powdered sugar and mix 2-3 minutes. I like a smooth frosting, if you like a thicker frosting mix it longer but watch it because you don't want it to turn into cement.
3. Mash up the cherries in a bowl and fold it into frosting.

Cupcakes-

1. Heat oven to 325 Degrees.

2. Mix Cake mix, water, eggs, almond extract, vanilla and melted butter, for two min. in an electric mixer or hand mixer.

3. Line muffin tin with muffin liners, fill about 3/4 full with batter. Cook for 15-18 min. or until done.

4. When done let cupcakes cool completely, take off paper and cut the top off of the cupcake( or leave it on and frost the top do it how you like)

5. Spoon in frosting and put the tops back on and lightly cover with powdered sugar… enjoy!

White Chocolate and Strawberry Bread Pudding

We went to a friend's house for a Super Bowl party(that is why it's a paper plate…but it is also known as the poor man's pudding dating back to the 11th century so I suppose that it is fitting)  a nice easy dessert would be bread pudding . You can put just about anything you like into it. My favorite is butterscotch chips. Luckily the bread pudding turned out a winner unlike the Broncos!

Ingredients-
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Whole Milk
1 5oz Sweetened and Condensed Milk
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Egg Yolks
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1lb Strawberries
1 11oz bag White Chocolate Chips(White chocolate is not chocolate in the strict sense as it does not contain cocoa solids)
1 Loaf French Bread(or any bread you like)


Directions-
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, yolks, brown sugar and salt.
2. Add cream, milk and sweetened condensed milk and whisk.
3. Cut bread into 1/2 inch size pieces.
4. Cut strawberries into quarters.
5. In a 9X13inch pan add bread and white chocolate and strawberries.
6. Pour in batter, cover with foil and cook at 325 degrees
7. Cook for 45 min. bread pudding should not jiggle and be firm, center should not have any liquid
8. When done(it may take longer then 45 min. it is done when it is done so be patient) cut bread Pudding into 3X8 pieces.