Beef Stuffed Zucchini

Beef Stuffed Zucchini

Metric Ingredient Imperial 1 kg zucchini 2 lb 150 ml beef broth 2/3 cup 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 5 ml dried basil 1 tsp 250 ml extra-lean ground beef 1/2 lb 10 ml cornstarch 2 tsp 1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped 1 75 ml mozzarella cheese, grated 1/3 cup

Halve zucchini lengthwise. In a large skillet; bring 1/3 cup (75 ml) broth, garlic and basil to a boil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini halves, skin side up. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove zucchini; cool. Use a spoon to scoop out flesh leaving a shell. Chop flesh. In a small bowl; combine remaining broth with cornstarch. Brown and crumble beef in skillet. Add chopped zucchini and cornstarch mixture. Cook until thickened. Add tomato to beef mixture. Place zucchini halves on foil-lined baking sheet. Fill with zucchini mixture and sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is melted about 2 to 3 minutes.Serves 4

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

 

 

1
    Can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce

 

1/2
    Cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa

 

1
    Large deli rotisserie chicken cubed (4 cups cooked chicken)

 

1/2
    Cup sour cream

 

1/2
    Cup sliced green onions (8 medium)

 

2
    Tablespoons Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)

 

8
    Corn tortillas (6 inch)cut in half

 

2
    Cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)

 

2
    Cups tortilla chips

 

1
    Cup chopped tomato (1 large)

 

2
    Tablespoons sliced ripe olives

 

    Fresh cilantro if desired

 

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    1 Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9­-inch (3-­quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In small bowl mix enchilada sauce and salsa reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture. In large bowl mix remaining enchilada sauce mixture the chicken sour cream1/4 cup of the green onions and the taco seasoning mix.
    2 Spoon reserved 1/4 cup reserved enchilada sauce in bottom of baking dish. Arrange 8 tortilla pieces over sauce overlapping as necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over tortillas sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil.
    3 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until hot. Layer tortilla chips tomato olives remaining 1/4 cup green onions and remaining 2/3 cup cheese over top of casserole. Bake uncovered 5 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

OMG! Banana Pudding Cake

OMG. Banana Pudding Cake.
Thanks to ANTOINETTE FRANKIN, here is the recipe!
Banana Pudding Cake

2 sticks butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs + 2 egg whites
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
One 1.34oz box banana pudding mix
1 cup milk

Filling: Whisk together the following ingredients and refrigerate until assembling cake (~10minutes).

One 1.34oz box vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup Cool Whip (or whipped cream)

To brush on layers: Mix together the following:

1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp milk

You’ll also need:

2-3 medium ripe bananas
3-4 cups Cool Whip for frosting

Step 1: Make the cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prep three 8″ round pans by lining the bottom only with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in eggs and egg whites, one at a time. Beat in vanilla until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and pudding mix. Add into wet ingredients in three separate additions, mixing until just combined. Don’t over mix!
Stir in milk until combined. Divide batter and pour into pans. Bake 22-25 minutes or until cake is golden and begins to pull away from sides of pans.
Allow cake to cool 15 minutes in pan. Loosen and remove from pan. Allow to cool another 1-2 hours on a wire rack.

Step 2: Begin layering

Level each cake. Place first layer on cake plate. Brush with a little milk mixture.

Line banana slices on top of cake. Spread 1/3-1/2 of the filling mix on top of bananas.

Place next cake layer on top of filling. Repeat with milk mix, filling, and final layer.

Step 3: Frost

This is the fun part. Frost with Cool Whip and decorate as you wish. I crushed some mini Nilla wafers and spread on top. Then used the wafers along the sides.

Whew! Sounds super complicated, but it was simple to make. You may also want to put some Nilla wafers in between the layers. You know, if you’re feeling extra fancy and decadent.

Very important!!: Store this cake in the fridge!! Lots of perishable ingredients. You've been warned, so I’m off the hook if you don’t refrigerate and get sick.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

☆.•♥•Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake Recipe!.•♥•☆

This is HEAVEN in a Cheesecake form :)

Brownie Crust1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chip
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling
2 lbs cream cheese, softened
5 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
Decoration
6 peanut butter cups, cut carefully in half
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter cup
Directions:

1
Heat oven to 350°F Grease 9-inch springform pan with butter.
2
Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.
3
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see below).
4
Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325°.
5
Cheesecake Filling:.(makes extra).
6
Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.
7
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8
Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.
9
Stir in vanilla.
10
Pour filling into prepared crust.
11
IF SOME BATTER IS LEFT OVER, EITHER STORE OR PUT IN SMALLER SPRINGFORM PAN.
12
Double-wrap springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping inches.
13
Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.
14
Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
15
Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
16
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.
17
Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.
18
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating.
19
Decoration- (makes a lot extra-try using it on individual slices after cutting).
20
Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.
21
Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.
22
Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.
23
Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake

 

 

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Chocolate Raspberry Torte
AmericasTestKitchen.com

Yield: Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 12 to 16

Summary: 

Sacher torte, the classic Viennese dessert with layers of chocolate cake sandwiching apricot jam and enrobed in a creamy-rich chocolate glaze, always sounds more promising than it typically is in reality. We set out to create a rich, deeply chocolaty dessert using Sacher torte as the inspiration, giving it our own spin by pairing the chocolate with raspberries. For a rich, fudgy base, we started by baking a flourless chocolate cake in two 9-inch pans, so we could sandwich the two cakes together rather than deal with halving a single delicate cake. But when we tried to pick up the second layer and, later, eat it, the dense cake tore and fell apart. Adding ground nuts gave it the structure it needed, plus a good boost of flavor. The winning approach for our filling was to combine jam with lightly mashed fresh berries for a tangy-sweet mixture that clung to the cake. For the glaze, we kept things simple, melting bittersweet chocolate with heavy cream to create a rich-tasting, glossy ganache that poured smoothly over the cake. And to up the glamour quotient, we dotted fresh raspberries around the top perimeter of the torte and pressed sliced toasted almonds along its sides.

Ingredients:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 3/4 cups (about 7 ounces) sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (1 1/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar, (5 1/4 ounces) 
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, plus 16 individual berries for garnishing cake
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:

1. FOR THE CAKE Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in vanilla and espresso powder.

2. Process 3/4 cup almonds in food processor until coarsely chopped, six to eight 1-second pulses; set aside to garnish cake. Process remaining cup almonds until very finely ground, about 45 seconds. Add flour and salt and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds. Transfer almond-flour mixture to medium bowl. Process eggs in now-empty food processor until lightened in color and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. With processor running, slowly add sugar until thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Using whisk, gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture until some streaks of egg remain. Sprinkle half almond-flour mixture over chocolate-egg mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Sprinkle in remaining almond-flour mixture and gently whisk until just combined.

3. Divide batter between cake pans and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake until center is firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto cardboard rounds cut same size as diameter of cake and remove parchment paper. Using wire rack, reinvert 1 cake so top side faces up; slide back onto cardboard round.

4. TO ASSEMBLE TORTE Place ½ cup raspberries in medium bowl and coarsely mash with fork. Stir in raspberry jam until just combined. Spread raspberry mixture onto cake layer that is top side up. Top with second cake layer, leaving it bottom side up. Transfer assembled cake, still on cardboard round, to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.

5. FOR THE GLAZE Melt chocolate and cream in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and gently whisk until very smooth. Pour glaze onto center of assembled cake. Use offset spatula to spread glaze evenly over top of cake, letting it flow down sides. Spread glaze along sides of cake to coat evenly.

6. Using fine-mesh strainer, sift reserved almonds to remove any fine bits. Holding bottom of cake on cardboard round with 1 hand, gently press sifted almonds onto cake sides with other hand. Arrange raspberries around circumference. Refrigerate cake, still on rack, until glaze is set, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Transfer cake to serving platter, slice, and serve. 

Notes:

TO ASSEMBLE TORTE

INVERT
Run paring knife around sides of cake and invert layers onto cardboard rounds.

REINVERT ONE
Using wire rack, reinvert one cake so top faces up; slide back onto cardboard round.

TOP WITH FILLING
Spread raspberry filling over cake layer with its top side facing up.

TOP WITH CAKE
Top with second cake, leaving bottom facing up.

GLAZE
Use offset spatula to evenly spread ganache over top and sides.

Four Layer Pecan Pie

Four Layer Pecan Pie

1 refrigerator rolled pie crust
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar, divided
4 egg
1 c. corn syrup
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, pressing crust firmly onto plate.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 c. sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1 egg. Beat at low speed until smooth; set aside.
In another medium bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add remaining sugar, the corn syrup and remaining vanilla; mix well.
Spread cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Sprinkle with pecans and slowly pour corn syrup mixture over pecans.
Bake for 40 to 45 min. or until center is set. Let cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

If necessary, cover edge of pie crust with foil to prevent excessive browning after 25 minutes.

If you like, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.