Recipes by their Ingredients

sliced almonds

  • Almond Joy Cheesecake

    Almond Joy Cheesecake
    Almond Joy Cheesecake
    (Serves 8-10)


    Circle round of parchment or wax paper that fits into bottom and not sides, if your trimming your own, cut using scissors to fit.

    Crust
    1½ cups graham crackers, crumbs
    1½ cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
    6½ cups sliced almonds, toasted
    ¼ cup fine sugar
    ½ cup unsalted butter, soft

    Filling
    32oz (4 8oz. packages) of cream cheese, room temp.
    1 cup sugar
    4 large eggs, room temp.
    1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
    1 tblsp coconut extract

    Glaze
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    ¾ cup whipping cream
    1½ vanilla extract


    NOTES:
     

    Crust
    Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
    Wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with a 2¾ inch high sides with foil.
    Finely grind cracker crumbs, coconut, almonds and sugar in a processor. Add butter and process until moist crumbs form.
    Insert a waxed paper circle or parchment paper to fit on the bottom to help separate the pan from the cake later.
    Press the mixture onto the bottom of the waxed paper circle and springform pan and 1 inch up the sides of the pan.
    Bake the crust until set and beginning to turn brown. (about 12 minutes) Cool and reduce oven to 325°F.

    Filling
    With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
    Mix in coconut extract
    Fold in almonds. Transfer the filling to the springform pan inside the cooled crust.
    Bake until the cake is puffed and no longer jiggles when shaken, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack (leave in the springform pan).

    Glaze
    Combine the chocolate chips, whipping cream and vanilla extract in a small sauce pan. Stir over medium low heat until smooth. Cool until the glaze begins to thicken, but can still be poured, about 30 minutes.
    Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, spread evenly and chill the entire cake, springform pan and all overnight.

    Run a small knife around the sides of the the springform pan to loosen it. Release the pan side and remove the cake.
    pull the bottom of the springform pan off by pulling on an edge of the wax or parchment paper and place on a serving plate to cut and serve.

  • Chocolate Espresso Banana Ice Cream with Toasted Almond, Marshmallow, Fudge, and Shortbread Pieces

    chocolate espresso banana ice cream with toasted almond marshmallow fudge and shortbread pieces

    Chocolate Espresso Banana Ice Cream with Toasted Almond, Marshmallow, Fudge, and Shortbread Pieces (Serves 6-8)


    Ice Cream Base
    2 oz unsweetened chocolate
    ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    1½ cups milk
    2 large eggs
    1 cup fine white sugar
    1 cup heavy whipping cream
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1 shot strong espresso

    3 Bananas, ripe
    3 tblsp Brown Sugar
    1 tblsp Sweet Butter (no salt)
    1 jar Chocolate Fudge
    ¼ cup Almond Slices
    ¼ cup Mini Marshmallows
    ¼ cup Short Bread Cookies


    NOTES:I use a very old ice cream maker, which spins a thin metal canister with ice and salt around it. The salt helps to super freezes the ice cream when added to the ice. For the fudge sauce I used: "Mrs. Richardsons's Hot Fudge Sauce", feel free to buy your favorite or make your own!

    Toast the sliced almonds in a pan over low heat until they turn slightly toasted, keep them moving every 15 seconds or so, about 5 minutes total. Set aside to cool.

    Peel the bananas and slice them ¼ inch thick. In a large skillet, over medium low heat, melt the butter, add in the banana slices and then add the brown sugar. Cook until the banana slices start to loose their shape and integrity, but not mush! Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

    Break up the short bread cookies into ¼ inch chunks, set aside.

    Have the jar of fudge at the ready, set aside.

    Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler (I used a small steel bowl in a small skillet with hot water on low heat), as the chocolate melts, start adding in the cocoa powder, a little at a time until it is blended well with the melted chocolate. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until it is well blended. Add the shot of espresso, mix well. Remove from heat and let cool.

    In a large bowl whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Now whisk in the sugar a little at a time until all the sugar is incorporated.
    Pour in the cream and vanilla and whisk to blend.

    Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate until cold. About 1-3 hours.

    Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.
    When the mixture in the machine is almost to the point you want your ice cream at, add the extras in, the banana mixture, fudge, marshmallows, toasted almond slices and short bread pieces. Let the machine run another 2-4 minutes and transfer to a freezer container or two, minus a taste tester teaspoon... err tablespoon worth!

    In my case, once I added the fudge, cookie pieces, marshmallows, almonds and bananas in the machine's drum, it wouldn't turn, so if this happens to you, just turn off the machine remove the blade/agitator and pour into your final freezer container and give it a brief hand mixing to your liking, like a swirl or in my case I made a zig-zag pattern.