cheesecake

the goods:

crust:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
12 graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

filling:
2 and 1/2 pounds (5 bars) cream cheese, room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream



Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine.



Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.



Set a kettle of water to boil. Make filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.



Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform.



Bake until just set in center, about 1 and 1/2 hours. If it starts to brown on top or crack, turn down your oven to 300 degrees. Remove pan from water; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight before serving.



Place a paper towel and an upside-down plate on top of cheesecake to absorb any moisture it accumulates while it chills.

peanut butter - chocolate chunk cookies

the goods:

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined.



Stir in chocolate chunks.



Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto a baking sheet.



Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

skillet brownies

the goods:

1 and 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.



In a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet, bring butter and cream to a simmer over medium. Add chocolate; reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.



Add chocolate mixture to sugar and egg mixture, whisking until blended (reserve skillet). Fold in flour mixture. Pour batter into skillet.



Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Serve from skillet warm with vanilla ice cream!

warm berries and dumplings

the goods:

1 pound frozen mixed berries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons sugar plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium skillet, cook berries, lemon juice, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup water over medium until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.



Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar; add melted butter and buttermilk, and stir until a moist dough forms.



Dividing evenly, spoon 6 dollops of dough over fruit. Combine cinnamon and 1 teaspoon sugar and sprinkle over dough.



Cover pan tightly with foil, and cook over medium-low until dumplings are set and tops are dry to the touch, about 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to make sure fruit isn't burning.



Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.

banana bread

the goods:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas, coarsely mashed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan
In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minutes. Add the bananas and eggs and beat until smooth. Add the buttermilk and beat just until combined.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt to the banana mixture and beat just until combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.



Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the loaf is dark golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Let rest in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into thick slices and serve with butter.

carrot bread with cream cheese frosting

the goods:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup packed grated carrots (from about 2 carrots)
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5x9 inch loaf pan.



In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.



Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.



Beat in carrots. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined.



Transfer batter to prepared pan; bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.



Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.



Using mixer, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy.



Frost top of cooled loaf.



Enjoy!



And smile at the thought of getting your veggies this way instead of steamed ;) (thanks Martha!)

angle food cake with raspberry topping

the goods:

1 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

10 ounces frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour and salt in a sieve set over a bowl; sift into bowl, and set aside.

With a mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Continue to beat, gradually adding sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla, beat to combine.



In four batches, add flour mixture to egg-white mixture. While turning the bowl, use a rubber spatula to GENTLY fold flour into the batter.



Gently spoon batter into an ungreased angel-food cake pan with a removable bottom; smooth top. Cut a knife or small spatula through batter to release air bubbles.



Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Invert pan; let cool in pan 1 hour. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and around the tube to release cake, and unmold. Use knife to release cake from bottom of pan, and remove.



Slice cake with a serrated knife.



For raspberry sauce, simmer raspberries with 1/2 cup sugar for 10 minutes. For homemade whipped cream, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.