Chocolate Cream Pie

Today I invited Mom, Molly and the boys to dinner.  I wanted them to meet the new addition to our family - Mai.  Mai is a foreign exchange student that will be staying with us for the next few months.

Mai was born in Vietnam, but lives in Prague, Czech Republic.  She is a very sweet girl.  Mai's favorite food is spaghetti - wow!  She is in the right house!  For dessert, we decided on chocolate cream pie.

Here are the ingredients:

Crust -

1 package of chocolate graham crackers
1/2 stick butter, cold


Filling -

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon cocoa
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping -

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar

In your food processor, mix the graham crackers.  When they are ground to a fine crumb, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time.  Mix until the ingredients stay together when pressed.

Press into a well greased pie plate.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

While the pie crust is baking, start the filling.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter, 1/2 cup cream, chocolate chips, and cocoa together.  When that is melted, add the vanilla.

In a larger saucepan whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cream and half and half.  Heat until just ready to boil.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Take a little of the cream mixture and temper the eggs.  This means that you are warming the eggs up before adding the yolks to the saucepan.  To temper the eggs, take a little of the cream mixture and pour it into the yolks, whisking constantly.  Then, add to the cream mixture.

Pour the chocolate into the cream mixture.

Heat until boiling, then remove from heat.  It should start to resemble a pudding consistency.  It will continue to thicken as it cools.  When it is warm, not hot, pour into the pie plate.  Place in the refrigerator and let it chill.

When the pie is cool, make the topping.  Put the heavy cream into your mixer.  Add the powdered sugar.  Mix until the ingredients resemble the consistency of whipped cream.  Put on top of the pie.  Add shaved chocolate for decorations.

The boys gave their approval!

This pie was definitely worth it!  It was yummy with a double m!  Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

The best cheesecake I ever had was from Tony's restaurant, here in St. Louis, MO.  It was a light, fluffy ricotta cheesecake, with a hint of lemon.  Cheesecake is my downfall..............ok, one of many!

Here are the ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold
1 1/4 cup flour
Pinch of salt
2-4 tablespoons of ice cold water

In your food processor, chop the nuts.  Add the flour, sugar and salt.  Cut the butter up into cubes and add.  Pulse until the mixture is crumb-like.  Add the water (make sure it is cold) 1 tablespoon at a time.  Add enough until a dough forms.

Press into the bottom of a cheesecake pan.  Cook for 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven until golden brown.

For the filling:

2 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
15 oz. ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon curd or lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream

In your mixer, cream together cream cheese and sugar.  Add the ricotta cheese and eggs, one of a time.  Add lemon curd, vanilla and heavy cream.

Add the cheesecake filling to the cheesecake pan.

If your cheesecake pan is small enough to put inside another pan,  wrap the outside in foil so water can't get in.  Put the pan inside the larger one and fill it with water, creating a water bath.  This will help the cheesecake cook with steam so that cracks will not be created.

My cheesecake pan was too large to fit inside another pan.  Instead, I filled another bowl full of water and put it below the cheesecake pan in the oven.

Cook at 325 for 1 hour-1 hour and 20 minutes.  Take out of the oven when the middle of the cheesecake is set and the sides begin to brown.

Let the cheesecake cool completely.

Ingredients for the lemon curd:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons lemon zest

Make sure you get fresh lemon juice!

Mix all ingredients together and cook until slightly boiling.  Whisk constantly.  Remove from heat and let it cool.

Cook the curd until slightly boiling.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Top the cheesecake with a layer of lemon curd and whipped cream.

Don't forget to save your extra lemon curd!  It freezes well!

Enjoy!  This recipe is listed on Chic and Crafty Party
 

Vanilla Layer Cake With Lemon Curd Filling

Cake, lemon, whipped cream.............all things I love.  Ok, if you know me, you already know that there isn't much I don't love!  Ever since I made my sister Karrie's lemon bars, I have been fascinated with lemon curd.  Check out her great lemon bars:

 I'm the cute one holding the Raggedy Ann doll, Karrie is in the middle, and little Tonette is the baby.

 Lemon Bars 

Here are the ingredients for the cake:

2 sticks butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk or cream

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs, vanilla, salt and baking powder.  Add the flour, one cup at a time, alternating with the milk.


Divide the cake batter in 4-5 separate cake pans.  They will be little layers, but that is ok because this cake is like a pound cake.  You will need many layers of lemon curd to get the right balance.

Bake each layer at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let the layers cool.

To make whipped cream, add 2 cups of heavy cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Whip in the mixer.  Taste - add more sugar if you want it more sweet.

Ingredients for the lemon curd:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons lemon zest

Make sure you get the juice from fresh lemons

Mix all ingredients together and cook until slightly boiling.  Whisk constantly.  Remove from heat and let it cool.

When the cake layers and lemon curd are cool, it is time to assemble the cake.

When I made this cake I only did three layers.  I've updated the recipe 

to add more layers so that there is more lemon curd!  YUMMY!

At this point it is time to put the final layer on:  whipped cream!  

This cake is really great!  Enjoy!