However since I have approximately $1.32 in my wallet and a visit to The Cheesecake Factory costs the equivalent of our monthly electric bill (hey, SOMEBODY’S gotta pay for those faux art murals), I promised to make her one at home.  Fortunately, we have, and this is just as an estimate, 4,122,583 pieces of candy in the freezer left from Halloween. The real recipe follows but here’s the short and sweet version.  Oh, and be sure to read my blatant begging at the end of this post.

Let the crust cool for a few minutes while you…

Add 1 c. of sugar and mix it in.  THEN…..

Just give in and pour this chocolaty decadence on top of the cheesecake.

Now sprinkle come more of those cut up Snickers over the top.

SNICKERS CHEESECAKE

CHEESECAKE

20 chocolate graham crackers
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 Tablespoons water
1/4 c. sugar
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature

GANACHE
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.  In a food processor, crush the graham cracker crumbs.  Add the melted butter, water and sugar and process until well blended and mixture clumps.  If necessary, add a bit more water.  Pat into the bottom of an 8″ springform pan.  Bake for 6-7 minutes and let cool.

In a mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy then mix in the sour cream.   Add the eggs, one a time, mixing well after each.  Pour in the sugar and add the vanilla.  Mix until blended.  Fold in the chopped Snickers (you could also add mini chocolate chips and chopped peanuts if you wished).  Pour into the cooled crust and bake about 45-50 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean in the center (it will be slightly moist…don’t overcook it.)   Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and butter.  Whisk in the heavy cream.  Pour mixture over the cooled cheesecake and top with chopped Snickers, chocolate shavings and/or chopped peanuts.

And now, a naked attempt at begging.  I love this blog, I do. But it costs money and time to run, and I haven’t been breaking even lately.  Please leave a comment to let me know what you really think of FHC.  And if you want to do a good deed for a poor defenseless blogger, please help support me by submitting this post to your favorite social media site using the buttons below.  Thanks!

Francie

Yummy Chocolate Cookie Dough

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Try not to eat all the dough. Feel free to chill it if you want but you can work with it now.

Little Martha Stewart type note here - when I make this recipe for grown-up functions, I use cocoa powder instead of the sugar to flatten.  It makes a less sweet cookie.  Also, I leave off eyes and other body parts.  Most adults prefer to eat a cookie without eyes.

You could always put a popsicle stick under these and make lollipop cookies.  You know I love me some food on a stick.

And it couldn’t be easier.  Open a can of apple pie filling.  Grab a pack of wonton wrappers.

Make sure you really seal the edges or the filling will leak out.

Here you have a choice:  Bake ‘em or fry ‘em.  My vote is fry ‘em.  C’mon, it’s a dessert! But if you want to bake ‘em, you can spray them with cooking spray and toast ‘em for about 10 minutes in a 450 degree oven.  You’ll probably want to turn them once too.  But if you want to live a little, fry them for about 3-4 minutes in about 3″ of oil that’s 350 degrees.

Let them COOL for at least five minutes unless you regularly snack on molten lava.

If your name is Martha, make your own caramel sauce.  If you’re Sandra Lee, it’s on the shelf by the ice cream.

So, chickens, here is an EASY Halloween treat that you can do with your kids with only three (yes, I said THREE!) ingredients.  And in plenty of time before Halloween.  You’re welcome.

I found these skinnier pretzels. The thick pretzel logs would work fine though.

Ok, ok, parchment or wax paper is technically four things you need.

Yeah, I know we all buy a type of that gel stuff once a year and use only 1/100th of the tube.  So you could totally use chocolate chips, M&M’s, raisins or whatever you have in your cupboard here.  (What UP, Martha!)

Which we totally did.

The Amish were green before green was hip. They reuse, recycle and make do.  Simplicity is a way of life.  So with today’s economy, I’m reaching back into the recipes my Amish neighbors taught me.   From Shoofly pie to Soda Cracker Pudding,  Homemade Egg Noodles to Half Moon Pie, Amish recipes are simple, frugal and delish!

Today we’re going to learn how to make the Amish version of Snickerdoodles which are large, soft, puffy cookies dusted with cinnamon and sugar.

Oh, and when my Amish neighbors said they were baking, they were B-A-K-I-N-G! Not one pie, not two, but 5 or 6 pies at a time, 12 loaves of bread and 6-8 dozen cookies.  So if you’re wondering if the measurements in this recipes are correct, the answer is, as my friend Wanda Swartzentruber would say, “Ja!” (yep!). This recipe makes about 5-6 dozen cookies but it can easily be split in half.  I like to bake the whole batch because they freeze well, and my neighbor happens to love them.

AMISH SNICKEROODLES

• 1 cup shortening (traditionally, homemade lard is used but since I haven’t slaughtered a pig this summer, shortening will do)
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 5 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla (the vanilla isn’t traditional either but I like the taste with the cinnamon)
• Cinnamon and sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350° Farenheit.

In a mixer, cream the shortening and sugar together.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.   Add the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar together.  Add slowly to the mixture until well combined.

Mix about 2-3 Tablespoons each of sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl.  Roll into walnut sized balls and roll into the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Place on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.

The only problem with food on a stick is disposing of the stick. Until now.

A Pocky is a cookie, but technically a “candy covered biscuit stick.” I get them at the Asian market near our house, but I think World Market carries them too. I like to call them sticks you can eat.

You don’t want the chocolate too thick because it doesn’t coat well and might break your stick Pocky.

Assemble some bowls of yummy dipping stuff.

Voila.

Not pictured: Tropical Pocky**

**My daughters ate the Tropical Pocky (dipped in coconut) before I got my camera ready.

As always, I am grateful if you Digg or Stumble this post if you enjoyed it! Thanks!!!

See, I love blogging but food costs a lot of money these days so when my blog makes money to pay for that food, I’m happier than Bill Clinton at a Girls Gone Wild party. And the more hits I get, the more pennies I make. Yes, I have a point. Be patient.

So I’m looking over the graphs of how many hits I’ve gotten for various posts…the ones y’all are submitting to Digg and StumbleUpon, the ones where lots of people comment, and here’s the thing - the more gooey, sugary and fatty-licious the food, the more the hits go through the roof. (see Exhibit A below.)

Exhibit A

See what I mean? The more hits per post, the more generous my advertisers are with money to buy more food for this blog. You get my dilemma. I’d like to know what y’all think in the comments.

But while we’re here, here’s a little present from me to you. You’re welcome.

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream with Cinnamon Sugar Wontons

1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 can Dulce de Leche
4 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. honey roasted peanuts
Canola oil

Most people would just buy Dulce de Leche ice cream, but I like to control the ratio of caramely-goodness to ice cream.

Soften the ice cream. Mix in the Dulce de Leche with a spatula. Sprinkle in about 2 Tablespoons of the cinnamon. Mix in about 1/4 c. of the peanuts (I like to chop mine in the food processor first, but it’s your call.) Put the ice cream back into the freezer to harden.

Mix the sugar and remaining cinnamon and a pinch of salt. (Trust me on the salt. Just trust me.)

Heat the oil to about 325° Farenheit. Cut the wonton wrappers into triangles and drop into the oil, turning once with tongs to brown evenly. Watch ‘em because they brown quickly. Drain them about 1 minute then sprinkle well with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Serve it up with a scoop of the ice cream, a couple wontons and a sprinkle of the honey peanuts. Go into a closet and shut the door so no one will hear you moan while you eat.

Of course, the kids can’t (and I prefer not to) partake of that hallowed tradition, so we whip up a McDonald’s-like Shamrock Shake, the ubiquitous St. Patrick’s Day tradition of my youth. I remember going to see “The Goodbye Girl” in 1977 and having one of these at McDonald’s after. I don’t remember who my double date was, but I remember this shake. That’s how old I am it is. If you were born after 1970, you might not know McDonald’s Uncle O’Grimacey. Let me enlighten you young ones. See, back in the old days, this kind of creepy, garish, child-nightmare-inducing commercial was considered good advertising.

What? You don’t think a corporate fast food chain’s marketing ploy is Irish? Well, just shows what you know. Shamrock Shakes are still regularly sold by McDonald’s in one country….Ireland. See? See? If ya can’t trust the Irish for St. Patty’s traditions, well, who can ya trust?

Here’s my version…a treat, yes, but with more recognizable ingredients than MickeyD’s green-goo. The kids will love you for this. If you’d like, you can add a bit of creme de menthe for the adults.

Slainte.

MINT-CHOCOLATE SHAMROCK SHAKE

2 c. mint chocolate chip ice cream
1/2-3/4 c. milk (depending how thick you like your shakes)
Whipped cream

Do you really need instructions? Pour it into a blender and press “Blend.” Stick a bendy straw in and watch your kids’ faces light up.

More traditional Irish recipes:

Corned Beef @ The Grass is Green on Our Side
St. Patrick’s Day Soup @ Former Fat Guy
Irish Soda Bread @ Closet Cooking
Lamb Stew with Dill, Sweet Peas and Root Vegetables @ Culinary Types
Salmon Cakes @ The Blooming Chef

Outside, we just got dumped with about, say, 18″ of snow. Sigh. So I’m dreaming of spring…the season of singing birds, blooming daffodils and butt-whomping allergies. To help with my cabin fever and longing for sun, here is my ode to spring in Lemon Meltaways.

COOKIE PIECE (AKA FROSTING HOLDER):
1 1/2 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. cornstarch

LEMONYISH FROSTING:
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3 oz. cream cheese

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon juice. Combine the flour and cornstarch and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape dough into 2 logs and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours (just until firm.)

Unwrap and cut into 1/4″ slices. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350º for 8-12 minutes or until firm to touch. Remove to rack to cool. Careful, they’re tender little buggers until they cool off (kind of like my husband.)

Now, the best part. Combine the butter, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and cream cheese. Beat until smooth, licking beater every two seconds (be sure to turn off mixer first.) Scrape down frosting with a spatula. Keep this on the side for licking as you frost the cookies.

There you have it. Springtime without the sneezing.

Doughnuts. Donuts. No matter how you spell them, they’re a wheel of tastiness. I wish my car tires would be made of doughnuts. Then when I went down the street, everyone would smile at me because my car smelled so delicious. Except I couldn’t park because everyone would eat my tires. Squirrels wouldn’t get hurt if ran over them because my car tires would be fluffy and they could eat their way free.

These doughnuts, my entry into Culinary Concoctions by Peabody’s Doughnut Challenge, are a combo of some of my favorite flavors…pineapple and coconut. They remind me of our honeymoon in the Caribbean where my dear husband and I ate delicious tropical fruit on a patio overlooking the bay right before we went on a relaxing boat ride where I got so seasick I wanted to die and my husband pretended like he didn’t know me because I was moaning but then we landed and went snorkeling and my husband lost his wedding ring which I had inscribed “Today Tomorrow and Always” but I got mad and I cried it should have been inscribed “Today through Wednesday” because that’s all the time he had it and then I got sick. Aaaah…good memories.

Anyway, my dear hubby loves these flavors too so I made these ring-shaped Pina Colada Doughnuts to remember those great times.

PINA COLADA DOUGHNUTS

DOUGHNUTS:
1/2 c. white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 whole egg
1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. coconut milk (combine well before measuring)
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. rum extract
1/2 c. crushed pineapple, drained (save 1 Tbsp. juice)
3 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

GLAZE:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. pineapple juice
3 Tbsp. coconut milk

TOPPING:
1 c. coconut, toasted

Combine sugar and salt in a bowl. Stir in the egg. Add the coconut milk, oil, coconut extract and rum extract. Mix well. Sift together remaining ingredients and add to dough mixture 1 cup at a time until you have a soft but not sticky dough.

Roll onto floured (or powdered sugar) surface about 1″ thick. Cut out and fry in hot oil (about 375 degrees Farenheit) about 3-5 minutes. Flip halfway for even browning. Drain.

Make the glaze by stirring powdered sugar, coconut milk and pineapple juice together. Pour over warm doughnuts. Toast the coconut (either in the oven at 400 for about 5 minutes) or in a nonstick pan. Sprinkle over. Devour. Give your hubby a kiss for putting up with you for 15 years. (Oops… that’s about me…skip the last part…unless it applies.)