Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:

2 (8oz.) pkg. Pillsbury crescent rolls

2 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

1 C. sugar

1 t. vanilla

¼ C. butter (melted)

1 T. cinnamon

¼ C. sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Spray 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Press a can of the crescent rolls to the bottom of the dish, making sure to reach edges and keep together.
4. Bake the first layer of crescent roll dough just until done (5-8 minutes). 
5. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
6. Spread mixture over crescent rolls.
7. Roll the remaining crescent roll dough over the top and stretch to the edges and seal.
8. Brush across the entire top of the crescent roll dough with the melted butter.
9. Combine the 1 tablespoon cinnamon with ¼ cup sugar.
10. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Let cool and chill for several hours before serving.
13. Slice into triangles or squares, drizzle with a little honey if you like and serve.

Kolache

Ingredients:

1 C. butter

4½ C. sifted flour

1 pkg. yeast

¼ C. warm water

3 T. sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

½ t. salt

1 C. evaporated milk

1 T. lemon juice

1 can (12 oz.) pastry filling (almond, poppy seed or fruit flavor), can also use peanut butter.

Confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Cut butter info flour in a large mixing bowl until mixture resembles course meal.
2. Crumble or sprinkle yeast into warn water in a medium size mixing bowl. 
3. Let stand 5 minutes to dissolve.
4. Add sugar, eggs, salt, evaporated milk and lemon juice to yeast mixture.  
5. Stir to mix well.
6. Add to flour mixture, stirring to blend.
7. Cover tightly and chill overnight in refrigerator.
8. Work with half of dough at a time when shaping pastries.
9. Preheat oven to 350° F.
10. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness.
11. Cut into 3-inch squares.
12. Place 1 teaspoon filling on each square.
13. Overlap two opposite corners of each square, pinching to seal.  
14. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
15. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
16. When slightly cool, sift confectioners' sugar over top to dust lightly.

Yield:  about 2½ dozen pastries.

Christmas Trees

Ingredients:

1 C. butter, softened
½ C. sugar
1 egg yolk
3 t. vanilla
3 C. flour
½ t. baking powder
1 egg white
1 T. sugar

Directions:

1. Mix butter, sugar, and egg yolk together thoroughly.
2. Stir in vanilla.
3. Sift flour and baking powder together.
4. Stir in butter mixture.
5. Chill dough.
6. Roll out chilled dough ¼-inch thick and cut with Christmas tree shaped cookie cutter.
7. Combine egg white and sugar, beat well.
8. Brush tips of cookies with this mixture.
9. Decorate with green sugar.
10. Bake 375° F for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly brown.

Makes 6 dozen.

Note:  This makes a crisp sugar cookie meant for rolling out and using with cookie cutters.

Jennifer's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

1½ C. powdered sugar, sifted

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

2½ C. flour

1 T. baking soda

1 t. cream of tarter

¼ t. salt

Directions:

1. Cream butter and then add sugar a little bit at a time.  Mixture will get very fluffy.
2. Add egg and beat well.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Chill.
6. Preheat oven to 400° F.
7. Roll to ⅛-inch thickness and cut out.
8. Bake 6 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen round cookies.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

 Ingredients:

Cake:

2 C. sugar

1 C. canola oil

4 large eggs

2 C flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

2 C. shredded carrots

1 C. pecan chips plus 1 cup for decorations around the bottom of the cake

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:

2-8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 C. unsalted sweet cream butter, softened

12 C. powdered sugar

2 t. Pure vanilla extract

1 T. ground cinnamon

5 T. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Carrot Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray and set aside.
3. Using a standing mixer, mix until combined the sugar, oil and eggs.
4. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until combined.
5. Fold in the shredded carrots and 1 cup pecan chips.
6. Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Remove cake from pans onto a cutting board.
9. Using a cake slicer, remove the rounded top from the cake.
10. Cut the cake in half so that you have two rounds.
11. Repeat step with other cake round. You should end up with 4 cake rounds

Frosting Directions:

1. Using a standing mixer, cream together the cream cheese, and butter until combined.
2. Gradually beat in 6 cups of powdered sugar until combined and smooth.
3. Mix in the vanilla extract.
4. Gradually beat in the remaining 6 cups of powdered sugar and the 5 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream until thick and smooth

Building the Cake:

1. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate.
2. Spread about 1 cup of frosting evenly on top of the cake layer.
3. Place another layer of cake onto the top of the first layer of frosting.
4. Spread another cup of frosting onto the second cake layer.
5. Place the third layer of cake onto the top of the second layer of frosting.
6. Scoop another 1 cup of frosting onto the third cake layer and spread evenly.
7. Place the last cake layer onto the third layer of frosting.
8. Frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
9. Sprinkle the remaining pecan chips around the edge of the bottom of the cake
10. Place cake into fridge for an hour before cutting and enjoying.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 medium onion, finely diced 

2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce or marinara sauce 

Dash of sugar, or more to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1½ lbs. fettuccine 

1 C. heavy cream 

Grated Parmesan or Romano, as needed

Chopped fresh basil, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for a minute or two. 
3. Pour in the tomato sauce, add sugar, salt and pepper to taste and stir. 
4. Cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. 
6. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
7. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cream. 
8. Add cheese to taste, then check the seasoning. 
9. Stir in the pasta and thin with a little pasta water if needed. 
10. Add the chopped basil and serve immediately. 

Limoncello

Ingredients:

10 organic lemons, washed and dried
1 750-ml bottle vodka (100-proof preferred, or 80-proof)
2 to 4 cups sugar, to taste
3 C. water
2 C. sugar 

Directions:

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels from all the lemons. Try to remove only the outer yellow skin and as little of the pith as possible. Trim away any large pieces of pith with a paring knife, but don't worry about trimming every last scrap.
2. Transfer the lemon peels to a 1-quart jar and cover with vodka. Screw on the lid.
3. Let the vodka and lemon peels infuse somewhere out of the way and out of direct sunlight for at least 4 days or as long as a month. The longer you let the vodka infuse, the more lemony your limoncello.
4. Line a strainer with a large coffee filter and set it over a 4-cup measuring cup. Strain the infused vodka through the filter. You may need to stir the vodka in the strainer if the flow stops.
5. Prepare a sugar syrup of at least 3 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar — bring the water to a simmer and stir in the sugar to dissolve; allow to cool. 
6. Pour the sugar syrup into the infused vodka. 
7. Stir gently to mix. 
8. Taste the limoncello, and add additional sugar syrup gradually until you reach a flavor you like — up to 4 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar. More water will dilute the alcohol base, making a less alcoholic, milder, and smoother-sipping liqueur. More sugar will make a sweeter limoncello.
9. Insert the funnel in the neck of one of the bottles and fill with limoncello. Repeat with remaining bottles.
10. Chill the limoncello in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours before drinking. Limoncello can be kept in the fridge for up to a month or the freezer for up to a year (and often much longer!).