Chocolate Truffle Torte

9 inch springform pan lined with parchment paper

1 lb imported bittersweet chocolate, chopped

½ cup butter

1/3 cup Amaretto, Grand Marnier, rum or brandy

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup crumbled Amaretti cookies (about 20 cookies)

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tbsp Amaretto, Grand Marnier, rum or brandy

1.       In a bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering (not boiling) water, melt chocolate with butter. Remove bowl from saucepan.  Cool to room temperature. Stir in Amaretto.

2.       In a bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture. Sprinkle amaretti crumbs over bottom of prepared pan.  Pour in chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

3.       Remove springform side. Slide torte, crumb-side down, onto serving platter. In a bowl, beat whipping cream with confectioner’s sugar, if desired, until stiff peaks form. Beat in Amaretto. Pipe rosettes around base of torte, if desired, or simply serve a dollop of whipped cream on each plate.

* The Best Freezer Cookbook; 100 Freezer-Friendly Recipes, Plus Tips and Techniques by Jan Main

Old Fashioned Cheesecake

1 - 8 ounce cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
2 eggs
graham crack crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Mix until well blended. Add eggs, once at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Place crust on baking sheet. Pour in filling. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.

Topping:  Combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Carefully spread over pie. Continue baking 10 minutes; cool. Chill 3 hours. Top with fruit.

*The Best Freezer Cookbook; 100 Freezer-Friendly Recipes, Plus Tips and Techniques by Jan Main

Turbinado Cheese Cake

2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Turbinado sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Graham cracker pie crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, Turbinado sugar, eggs, vanilla and lemon juice together until smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool in refrigerator for 6 hours before serving.

Goat Cheese

Raspberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (10 inch) unbaked pastry shell
• 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
• 1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Directions

1. Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
2. In a blender, combine cottage cheese and milk; cover and process until smooth. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cottage cheese mixture, flour and vanilla. Beat in eggs just until blended. Pour into pastry shell (pie will be full). Sprinkle with 1/2 cup raspberries; gently press into filling with the back of a spoon.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until the center is almost set (cover edges loosely with foil if browning too quickly). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Top with whipped cream and remaining raspberries. Store in the refrigerator.

Raspberry Pie II

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
• 2 1/2 cups raspberries
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg white

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry, and brush with egg white. Arrange berries in crust. Combine sugar and cornstarch; sprinkle mixture over the berries. Dot with butter. Cover with upper crust, and seal the edges.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C), and continue baking for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 201 | Total Fat: 9.1g | Cholesterol: 4mg

Maggie's Fresh Raspberry Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup raspberry flavored gelatin mix
• 2 1/2 cups raspberries
• 1 cup whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Line an unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
3. Bake the pastry shell in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.
4. Place the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the raspberry flavored gelatin mix. Refrigerate the filling until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes.
5. Arrange the raspberries evenly in the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Pour the raspberry gelatin mixture over the berries. Chill the pie in the refrigerator until set, 4 to 6 hours. Garnish with whipped cream to serve.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 283 | Total Fat: 9.3g | Cholesterol: 6mg