DESSERT RECIPES: Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake . . . Carrot Cake

Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

CRUST:

1½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs (filling removed) or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)

1/3 cup margarine, melted

FILLING:

½ cup raspberry preserves

¼ cup water

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese (room temperature)

1¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream (room temperature)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 eggs (room temperature)

4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks

GARNISH:

2 ounces shaved white chocolate (optional)

Whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place large pan or oven-safe skillet filled with about ½ inch of water into oven while it preheats (water bath).

Combine raspberry preserves with ¼ cup water in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1½ minutes on high in microwave. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove raspberry seeds. Discard seeds. Allow strained preserves to cool. Put bowl in refrigerator.

Measure 1½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or crush 20 Oreo cookie wafers — with filling scraped out — in resealable plastic bag) into medium bowl. Mix in melted margarine.

Press crumb into 9-inch springform pan that has been lined on bottom and side with parchment paper. Use bottom of a drinking glass to press crumb mixture flat into bottom of pan and about 2/3 the way up the side.

Wrap large piece of foil around bottom of pan (to keep cheesecake in water bath and prevent it from leaking). Put crust in freezer until filling is done.

Use electric mixer to combine softened cream cheese with sugar, room temperature sour cream and vanilla. Mix on lowest setting until ingredients are smooth and creamy. Don’t beat too much air into mixture or it will fall and be grainy. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Whisk eggs in medium bowl and add them to cream cheese mixture. Blend mixture just enough to integrate eggs.

Remove crust from freezer. Sprinkle 4 ounces of white chocolate chunks onto bottom of crust. Pour half of cream cheese filling into crust. Drizzle raspberry preserves over entire surface of filling.

Use butter knife to swirl raspberry into cream cheese. Just a couple of passes is fine. Pour other half of the filling into crust.

Carefully place the cheesecake into water bath in oven. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until top of cheesecake turns light brown or tan color.

Remove cheesecake from oven to cool.

When cheesecake is cool, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

Before serving, sprinkle entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 ounces of shaved white chocolate.

To serve, slice cheesecake into 12 portions.

Apply a pile of fresh whipped cream to top of each slice and serve.

Yield: Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 668 calories, 47 grams fat (25 grams saturated), 196 milligrams cholesterol, 426 milligrams sodium, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 55 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams protein.

Carrot Cake

1½ cups shortening

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 10-ounce bags shredded carrots

2½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon each: baking powder, ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Process shortening and brown sugar in food processor; add eggs, juice and orange zest. Process until smooth; pulse in carrot shreds just to combine. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Stir into carrot mixture just until combined. Transfer batter into greased 10-cup Bundt pan or mold. Bake until inserted toothpick comes out clean (45 minutes). Cool in pan on wire rack, about 25 minutes before removing from pan.

Yield: Serves 12.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 417 calories, 25 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 35 milligrams cholesterol, 43 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 292 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.

Tags: dessert recipes, carrot cake, life, food, recipes, truffles