WHITE CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE

Crust:
8 oz. package of crushed hazelnut cookies, about 1-½ cups
(If you can’t find them, you can use shortbread, vanilla wafers, or chocolate wafers.)
3 Tbl. of melted butter
1. Stir the cookie crumbs and butter together.
2. Spray the sides of a 10” spring form pan and press the cookie mixture on the bottom of the pan.

Filling:
1 pound of white chocolate
4- 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
½ cup of softened butter
4 Tbl. of Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur
1 Tbl. + 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
¼ tsp. of nutmeg
4 whole eggs at room temp
2 egg yolks at room temp.
9 oz. of milk chocolate candy bar with nuts, broken up into small pieces
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 2. Melt white chocolate over a very low heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at med speed, combine white chocolate, cream cheese, butter, Frangelico, vanilla and nutmeg. Mix very well.
4. Reduce speed to low and add eggs and yolks, one at a time. Don’t over beat, just until combined.
5. Stir in chopped candy bars.
6. Pour over crust and bake for 60-65 minutes until the center is set.
7. Cool and refrigerate for several hours.

One of the ways you can garnish this cake is to drizzle melted white chocolate over the top and then sprinkle with ground hazelnuts. Don’t waste this cake on people you only kinda like…save it for those you LOVE!

Bourbon Pecan Pie

I love to serve this pie between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s loaded with nuts and flavor and let’s face it a few calories…but if you’re going to indulge, this is the way to go!

Pecan Crust:
1 cup of flour
1/3 cup of ground pecans (do this in your food processor or blender)
¼ tsp of salt
6 tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons of brandy
1 tablespoon of cold water

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, pecans, and salt.
2. With your fingers crumble in butter, until the lumps are the size of very small peas.
3. Combine brandy and water and sprinkle over.
4. Toss with a fork until moistened.
5. Press crust into a 10” deep pie tin and refrigerate.

Filling:
1 ¼ cup of light corn syrup
1 cup of sugar
4 eggs
4 tablespoons of melted butter
 2 tablespoons of bourbon
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
¼ tsp. of salt
1 ¼ cups of pecan pieces, coarsely chopped
1 cup of pecan halves

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
3. Beat with and electric mixer or whisk just until blended.
4. Stir in the pecan pieces.
5. Pour into pie shell.
6. Lay the pecans halves decoratively on top of the filling.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes until set.

Don’t forget the vanilla ice cream with this one.

Brandy Alexander Pie

A hands-down favorite growing up. If you’ve a fan of Brandy Alexander’s (and who isn’t) this will be one of your favorite recipes!

Vanilla Wafer Crust:
2 cups of finely crushed vanilla wafers
8 tablespoons of melted butter (1 stick)
1. In a medium size mixing bowl combine cookie crumbs and melted butter.
2, Press into a 10” deep pie tin and chill for one hour.
3. Proceed with pie filling.

Pie Filling:
1 ½ envelopes of unflavored gelatin
¾ cup of cold water
1 cup of sugar, divided
Pinch of salt
4 eggs, separated
1/3 cup of brandy
1/3 cup of dark crème de cocoa
1 ½ cups of heavy whipped cream, whipped
Garnish:
1 cup of whipped cream, whipped with ¼ cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla
Chocolate curls
Sprigs of fresh mint

1. Boil 2” of water in the bottom of a double boiler.
2. In the top pan, pour ¾ cup of cold water.
3. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top.
4. Add ½ cup of sugar, salt and egg yolks. Stir until thoroughly blended.
5. Stir constantly for about 6-7 minutes until mixture thickens.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the crème de cocoa and brandy.
7. Chill, stirring occasionally until mixture starts to hold its shape
8. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ½ cup of sugar.
Continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
9. Gently fold into brandy mixture.
10. Fold whipped cream in next.
11. Pour into crust, mounding in the center.
12. Chill several hours until firm.
13. Garnish right before serving.

Irish Coffee

Now that you’ve got the perfect desserts for your celebrations, why not pair them with the ultimate after dinner drink: Irish coffee! I learned how to make this recipe from a friend in Dublin and let me tell you, WOWZA!!!

All you need to do is line up your Irish Coffee Cups (which are clear glass with silver handles, but in a pinch any heavy glass will do.) Put a teaspoon of sugar and a spoon in each (Kitchen Trivia: The spoon will conduct the heat and keep your glass from breaking), add a shot of Irish whiskey, and fill the cup 2/3 full with coffee. Gently spoon lightly whipped and sweetened cream on top. Don’t over-whip the cream or it will sink to the bottom ... You want the cream to ‘float on top’ so that when you take a sip, the coffee filters through the cream and cools slightly.

Here’s a great Irish toast for you drink to:
May your casket be made from a hundred year oak tree that will be planted tomorrow! –  Anonymous Irish sailor’s toast