Desserts | Simple By Cindy

Grandma Julia’s Cream Cheese Cake

Jan. 21
2019

I share my love of cooking with my sister-in-law, Shelley, and her two girls, Leslie and Lara (that’s who the bridal shower in my last post was for). I have been cooking for the holidays with them for so many years now, so it has become a shared passion for all of us. As I told you before, my cooking has evolved since the first time Shelley told me I would be the one to make Thanksgiving one year, many moons ago. One of the reasons I started this blog was so that my nieces would have it all the recipes written down in one place.

Shelley has always been a great cook. She inherited that talent from her mother, Julia, as she was growing up. Not only was Julia an amazing cook, but she was an even better baker. It would be hard for me to remember Julia’s baking, but luckily Shelley has all of her mom’s recipes and can flawlessly replicate each one. Shelley takes after her mother, she is an amazing cook, but her baking is impeccable.

You know how some people do not want to share their most coveted recipes? Shelly is not like that at all. She has given me so many recipes to blog and loves to share them. I feel very grateful that she is letting me share this one with you today. This is one recipe I do remember Julia making. When I was young, I always hated cheesecake, until I tasted Julia’s of course.

This cheesecake is crazy good. It is so smooth and creamy, with just a hint of vanilla. Every bite is even better than the last. The graham cracker crust is always perfect for cheesecake. You should definitely make this decadent dessert, but before you do here are some baking tips

—Bring the ingredients to room temperature before mixing them.

—Do not overbeat the filling, it will let air in the batter which will cause cracking.

—Generously grease the sides of the pan.

Now that you have all my helpful hints, let’s get baking!

This recipe is courtesy of Grandma Julia and Shelley and will serve 8 people who will always come back begging for more.

Ingredients for Grandma Julia’s Cheese Cake

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tablespoon shortening to grease springform pan

For the filling:

2 pounds cream cheese (4×8 0z.) packages, room temperature
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 pint (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brush shortening all around a springform pan.

Place graham crackers in pan and swirl pan so graham crackers adhere thinly to the sides.

Pat down crumbs gently into bottom of pan.

Place aluminum foil all around the bottom and bottom edges of the pan.

Separate eggs.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Place in the refrigerator.

Beat egg yolks and sugar until they are creamy and smooth.

Add cream cheese in small amounts at a time.

Add flour, heavy cream and vanilla.

Fold in egg whites until well incorporated.

Pour batter into springform pan.

Place pan in another pan filled with water halfway up the sides.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Now, the key is to learn to make it with no cracks, like Shelley does, but hey who’s perfect? It tasted heavenly!

It’s that simple!

Seven Layer Bars

Dec. 31
2018

Many of us make resolutions for the new year. Many of us also make them and never follow through. Even if we don’t follow through, the resolutions are always on our minds.

Maybe if we make a resolution about something we are passionate about, then we are more likely to carry it out. I set cooking goals for myself all the time. Not unobtainable ones, just small ones! If you are passionate about cooking I have some thoughts for you for this new year.

Ordering in: try to be prepared for your meals so you order less take-out. I recommend buying fresh meat from a butcher so you can freeze it and take it out when you need it. I will take out a steak from the freezer the night before I am going to cook it and place it in the refrigerator. Then, I quickly sauté or roast a vegetable with it. That’s it! Dinner is done and it is fresh and healthy.

Cookbooks: go through your cookbook collection and pick out some new, interesting recipes you want to make in the new year. Make a copy of it and take it with you so you have the ingredients on hand the next time you are at the grocery store.

Spices: be honest, how old are they? Are you keeping them in a dark, dry cabinet? The shelf life for spices is about eight months. If it is New Years, and you haven’t used it since this time last year, then it is time to throw it out and get a new one. Try to remember to put the date on them when you buy them. (I am guilty of not doing this too!)

Chicken: teach yourself how to roast one. It just needs a few spices. Throw some salt and pepper on it and some lemons or oranges and herbs in the cavity. Roast it at 350°F for about 1 1/2 hours. Then you have some free time to prepare a side or relax and read a book. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Now that you have made some resolutions, here is an easy, sinfully delicious recipe to make in the New Year. I tasted one at a Christmas party and knew I had to try to make them. It has a buttery graham cracker crust that is covered in layers of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and chopped nuts. It is then filled with a coating of sweetened condensed milk that is topped off with coconut. You can substitute any kind of chips such as peanut butter or semisweet, to make it perfect for you. It has become my all-time favorite bar, and I will be making it often. So should you! Perfect to bring to any New Year celebration, these bars will be the hit of the party!

I want to wish all of you a very happy and healthy New Year, and thank you all for support and wonderful comments. I have been lucky I have such kind followers like you.

This recipe will make about 12 bars that will captivate each lucky person who dives in.

Ingredients for Seven Layer Bars:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups shredded sweet coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place butter in a bowl in microwave oven until melted (about 1 minute).

Pour butter into 13 x 9-inch baking pan and swirl it around to coat bottom and sides with butter.

Spread graham cracker crumbs evenly over bottom of pan.

Spread milk chocolate chips over graham cracker crumbs.

Layer butterscotch chips over milk chocolate chips.

Sprinkle in chopped pecans.

Pour condensed milk over mixture.

Spread coconut over condensed milk.

Bake until edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Let cool before cutting into squares.

It’s that simple!

Italian Christmas Cookies

Dec. 20
2018

When I was a child, I always wanted to celebrate Christmas and Chanukah. I loved the beautiful holiday lights on all the homes in my neighborhood. I would be invited by my friends, to help decorate their tree and went to midnight mass with them. I always kind of celebrated both holidays.

I still celebrate both holidays. Every year, I make Christmas dinner for all my friends and local family. My husband invites some of his work colleagues and we all gather to enjoy the holiday spirit. It is a chance to bring together people that mean the most to me. It focuses on being with the friends I love, and to let them know how important they are to me.

It is also a great excuse for my husband, to have a bourbon tasting with the guys. He is the bartender for the cocktail hour and he loves every minute of it. We really enjoy entertaining people at our home and making them feel welcome.

I know cookies are a very important part of Christmas, which is why I chose this recipe. Maybe you don’t need another, but just in case, I thought these cookies are really special. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry anyway, and these are pretty easy to make. FYI – I substituted fresh lemon juice for the water when I made the icing. They come out soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. Topped off with a lemony-vanilla icing, this may soon become your go-to sugar cookie for Christmas.

This recipe is courtesy of CakesCottage and will make about 25 to 30 cookies that will make all your guests feel merry and bright.

Ingredients for Italian Christmas Cookies:

For the cookies:

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

For the icing:

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
6 teaspoons water

To make the cookies:

In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder, set aside.

In the mixing bowl of a standing blender, cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well.

Mix in the vanilla.

Add in the flour mixture.

Take out of bowl, and knead until dough is firm and not sticky, adding more flour if necessary.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 365°F.

You could just roll the dough into 1-inch balls or you can do the following:

Cut off small amount of dough and roll on floured surface into 6-inch strips.

Take one end of cookie and turn it up.

Twirl the rest of the cookie dough around the tip.

Place on cookies sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (the bottom should be slightly browned, but the tops should remain light).

Remove cookies to wire rack and cool completely before glazing.

To make the icing:

Combine the icing ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. (you want it more thick than thin, but still runny).

Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze, then return to the wire rack, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides of the cookie.

Top with sprinkles, while glaze is wet.

It’s that simple.

Tehina Shortbread Cookies

Dec. 6
2018

I am always reading cooking magazines and blogs looking for some inspiration. This holiday season will have many of us doing a lot of cooking. When you are the host (or hostess) you are planning menus, decorations and music. Holidays are stressful enough without the added stress of wanting everyone to enjoy themselves. Luckily, good planning can get you through them.

Here are a few tips that I think will help you in the kitchen.

Set up your kitchen by gathering the bowls, tools, and machines you will be using, (i.e. food processor, blender, KitchenAid) and set a trashcan right below you, or set a bowl up on the counter to throw garbage in.
Wear clothes that you won’t be heartsick if you ruin them and wear an apron if you have one.
Always read and re-read your recipes before starting them.
Use gloves for cooking. This will prevent your hands from smelling like garlic (which you can never get rid of) or onions.
Be sure to ignore the cooking time on the recipe. Always cook meat and poultry at least 10 degrees below the time it gives you. Take it out of the oven and set a thermometer in it to check how much more it has cooked. If it reads five degrees higher, your set to go.
Indulge in a very good knife. It will cut your cooking time by a lot (pun intended).
Taste as you go and season your food as needed.
Pat food dry with a paper towel before cooking. This ensures your food will be crispy and golden.
Slice your food on the grain. Look for long strings running across it. Slice perpendicular to it. It will make your meat more tender.
Keep a second thermometer in your oven to ensure proper heating temperature (your oven may not be calibrated correctly).
Resist the urge to turn your food as it cooks. It will not be able to sear, or you will lose the breading. If it is sticking to the pan when you try to turn it, it is not ready to turn.
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE! Now you’ve earned that glass of wine.

This recipe will keep things simple as well. There are very few ingredients in it and it whips up in no time. If you like tahini, you will love this recipe. Basically, this is a shortbread cookie with tahini in it. I love anything with tahini in it, dressings, salads, or dips. Tahini is a paste, similar to peanut butter, but it is made from ground sesame seeds, and it is an acquired taste. These cookies are really delicious and highlight the taste of tahini perfectly. There is no reason not to make these cookies. Just do it!

This recipe is courtesy of Zahav, and will make about 30 cookies that will turn your friends into tahini fanatics in no time!

Ingredients for Tahini Shortbread Cookies:

1 3/4 sticks (7 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup tahini
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch Kosher salt

Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed or in a large bowl with a hand mixer and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the tahini and continue to mix until well incorporated.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.

Transfer to the tahini mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (The dough keeps well in the freezer for a few months.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared sheets.

Bake until the cookies are set, about 15 minutes.

Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week.

It’s that simple!

Peanut Butter Sandies

Nov. 12
2018

I have been baking a lot this fall. It probably has to do with the weather. When it is rainy and cold out, I love to cook and bake. Just the smell of delicious food makes me instantly feel better. Plus, staying active, whether I am organizing, cooking or cleaning keeps me sane. I just am not good at resting, unless it is to watch a great movie or TV show.

Recently after minor surgery, my husband was turning down the covers on my bed. I asked him why he was doing it and he said it was for me to rest. This was very considerate and kind of him and I thanked him and told him I had no need to rest. I felt fine, and walked right into the kitchen to bake these cookies.

There are a lot of boring yet delicious peanut butter cookie recipes out there. Most of them have white sugar, brown sugar and flour in them. So does this one! But look carefully, there is something different about this recipe. They are made not with the usual salt, but with a coarse salt with generous bold flakes. Each bite of these amazing cookies surprises you with a nutty, sweet and tart flavor that is incredible. Dome shaped and best served warm, they are crispy outside and tender inside. I challenge you to eat just one. Put this one on your “absolutely must try” list and thank me later.

FYI – I just lightly dipped the bottoms of the cookie in Maldon salt flakes. This was suggested by the author of this recipe, and I didn’t want any of the salt to fall off if I had out them on top.

This recipe is courtesy of Julia Moskin and City Bakery, and will make 2-3 dozen cookies that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Sandies:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups peanut butter, creamy or chunky
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Flakey salt like Maldon for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the lower and upper thirds.

Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugars, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes.

Scrape down the edges of the bowl, add the peanut butter and eggs, and mix on medium-high speed until well combined.

Add the flour and mix on low speed until no streaks of flour remain.

Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. (They won’t spread).

Sprinkle the top with flaky salt (or the bottoms).

Bake until golden about 10 to 11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets back to front and top to bottom halfway through the baking.

Transfer the cookies onto a rack to let cool.

Serve warm, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

These are the best the day they are made, but after that they can be rewarmed at 350°F for about 5 minutes.

You can also freeze extra scooped cookies for later and bake them without defrosting – they will take 1 to 2 minutes longer to bake.

It’s that simple!