Turtle Cheesecake

 

 

  What can I say?  It’s pretty, its decadent, it’s delicious.  

 

Turtle Cheesecake

  

1 3/4 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, (you can use semi-sweet morsels if you want it less sweet)

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 tablespoons caramel syrup or ice cream topping

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate mini morsels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease 9-inch springform pan.

 

Combine crumbs and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of prepared pan.

 

BEAT cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, lime juice and vanilla extract; beat until combined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove 1 cup of filling and set aside. Melt chocolate chips about 1 minute, (just until melted) and mix completely into the 1-cup reserved filling to make your chocolate filling. Pour 1/2 of the white filling into crust, then the chocolate filling, then the last 1/2 of the white. Take knife and gently swirl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BAKE for 60-75 minutes or until edge is set and center moves slightly. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; run knife around edge of cheesecake. Cool completely. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drizzle chocolate syrup and caramel syrup over cheesecake. Sprinkle with pecans and mini morsels. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of pan. Slice to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home

Country Fried Steak and Eggs

Country Fried Steak and Eggs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have such wonderful memories of my Mom’s country breakfasts. But the one that stands out the most is her Country Fried Steak.   Paired with made-to-order eggs, crispy hash browns, and creamy milk gravy with lots of pepper. There isn't a better or more filling breakfast. Thin, tenderized cube steaks are coated in flour, milk, and eggs, and fried like chicken.  

    Country Fried Steak and Eggs

    4 cube steaks

    2 tablespoons salt, divided, plus more to taste

    2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour, divided

    1 egg

    1 ½ cups whole milk, divided

   Pinch of  teaspoon cayenne or more if you like a kick

    1 teaspoon onion powder

    1 teaspoon garlic powder

    1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste

    ½ cup canola oil, or more as needed

    2 tablespoons butter

Put cube steaks between 2 paper towels, and press out any moisture. Pat completely dry. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of salt, and set aside while you set up your breading station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add 1 cup of flour to a shallow bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and ½ cup of milk, and set aside. In a third bowl, whisk together another cup of flour, a pinch of cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and black pepper.

Heat ¼-inch of oil in a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Heat until a drop of flour sizzles.

 Once the oil is hot, pat the salted steaks completely dry again. Dip them in the flour and shake off the excess, then dip them quickly into the egg mixture, shaking any excess off. Finally, firmly press the steaks into the seasoned flour, coating each side completely, then lightly shaking off the excess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Put the coated steak into the hot oil, and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Do not disturb while frying. Once golden brown on both sides, remove from the skillet, and place on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, or a plate lined with paper towels. Allow to drain. Repeat with each steak, being careful not to crowd the pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To make the gravy, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour, and cook until light brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly pour in 1 cup of milk, whisking constantly, and bring to a simmer until thick. Season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper, and serve.

Serve with over easy eggs and hash browns.  YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.  

Double Chocolate Mousse

Mousse is such an easy and elegant dessert to make and everyone loves it. I decided to combine two of my favorites together to make a striking presentation. My friends loved it!

Double Chocolate Mousse

For the milk chocolate mousse

 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
4 egg yolks
5 egg whites (see note below)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Chopped nuts, to serve
Freshly whipped cream

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat, stirring until no lumps remain. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time until well combined. Set aside.

In a second large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and set aside to further cool.

In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Once chocolate mixture is cool, fold in whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

NOTE...  For those of you who are worried about using raw egg whites in your mousse:   You can whip a cup of heavy cream and fold that in your chocolate instead. But the secret is to FOLD it and not STIR it in. 

White Chocolate Mousse

1 cup of good quality white chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream (full cream)
1 egg white
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons cold water
4 tablespoons boiling water

Break the white chocolate into pieces and place into the blender but do not start the blender yet. In a small saucepan, heat the whipping cream until it just begins to boil, stirring occasionally. Pour it into the blender over the chopped chocolate and blend on medium high speed until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy...about 2-3 minutes. Add the pure vanilla and blend for another 20 seconds. Turn off the blender and let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes.

In a small bow, sprinkle gelatin over 4 tablespoons of cold water and mix well. Add the 4 tablespoons of boiling water and stir constantly until dissolved. Set gelatin mixture aside. Next, beat the egg white for 2-3 minutes. Add the slightly cooled chocolate cream mixture and dissolved gelatin to the beaten egg white and mix well. Chill mousse in the refrigerator until set and ready to serve.

When ready to serve, spoon dark chocolate mousse into a bowl and then lightly fold in white chocolate. Sprinkle with chocolate chips or curls.

  Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

Waldorf Salad

Tender chunks of chicken with granny smith apples, grapes, celery and walnuts to give it the perfect crunch.  Served on crisp buttery club crackers. So good this way but I made enough for later this week to serve on a nice soft buttery croissant or Kaiser roll. I love this salad and it's so easy to make.

Chicken Waldorf Salad

2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken breast, cubed

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly toss chicken with grape halves, apple, celery and walnuts in a salad bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, vanilla yogurt, and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss again to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.