Cabbage Rolls

This year, I planted cabbage for the first time. Now, I have four cabbage heads ready to harvest so I looked through Mom's recipe box for a new cabbage recipe. When I told MDS that we were having cabbage rolls, he gave me a skeptical look. Then I told him to think of the rolls as meatballs wrapped in cabbage. It worked. He really liked the cabbage rolls. This recipe will have to make it into our rotation.

When I made these rolls, I just used ground pork and no ground beef just because I had ground pork on hand and pork pairs well with cabbage. This recipe is a bit time consuming to make. I found peeling the cabbage leaves from the head of cabbage difficult to keep the leaves intact. For this reason, I made eight rolls rather than twelve. But despite the challenge of getting complete leaves, this recipe is worth the effort.

Cabbage Rolls 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 3/4 cup cooked rice
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 12 large cabbage leaves
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine meat, salt, pepper, rice, onion, and 1 can tomato sauce. Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water for four minutes to soften; drain. Place portions of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf. Roll up by folding ends over. Place seam side down in skillet. Mix remaining tomato sauce with brown sugar, and lemon juice. Pour sauce over rolls. Simmer covered for one and a half hours. Baste often. Enjoy!

Pan Con Tomate

In light summer, my garden produces so many tomatoes, I am always looking for new recipes to use them. Last December, my brother Chris took me to Jaleo for a delicious Spanish lunch. One of the dishes we tried was a Pan Con Tomate that I have re-created here.

This year, my garden has cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, and big bertha tomatoes. When I made this recipe, I used a big bertha and a roma to make the tomato pulp. Many types of tomatoes could work, so use what you have on hand. I also recommend using a better olive oil. When I made this recipe, I used a small French loaf. Other hearty breads, such as ciabatta, would work well.

Pan Con Tomate 

• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 loaf of bread
• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic

Slice the tomatoes in half. Place a grater over a bowl and grate off the pulp of the tomato into the bowl, discarding the skin. Slice the bread lengthwise, then into one to two inch slices. Brush olive oil onto each slice of bread and place on a baking sheet. Place under a broiler for two to three minutes. Remove from broiler and rub cut garlic clove on each  slice. Spoon tomato pulp onto each slice. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Golden Girls Birthday Cheesecake Squares

For Mom's 80th birthday, we had a fun celebration. Joe and Holly hosted, and so many cousins were able to attend. The weather cooperated so we were able to spend time outside while catching up with the extended family. Of course that was an amazing birthday cake that John and Laura brought. So I thought these cheesecake bites would be a nice compliment to the dessert table.

This recipe comes from the Golden Girls Cookbook. MDS and I recently completed our rewatch of the Golden Girls, so we have been testing out their cheesecakes. The recipe explains that it comes from one of Blanche's 40th birthday celebrations. I think an 80th birthday is an even better reason to celebrate. The original recipe called for making these 2x2 inch squares, but I made them smaller so that it would be just a small taste of cheesecake among the various desserts and birthday cake available. 

Golden Girls Birthday Cheesecake Squares 

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 Tbsp. butter, melted

Batter

• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Line a 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper. Press the crust into the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes and cool while making the batter. Lower the oven temperature to 325.

To make the batter, stir together the egg and yolk, sour cream, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Using a mixer,  beat the cream cheese, sugar, butter, corn starch, and salt until creamy and lump-free. Beat in the egg mixture until well-blended. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the sprinkles. Scrape the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sprinkles over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven with the door open for an hour. Chill the cake in the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy!

Chocolate Velvet Frosting

Another year, another birthday. Because MDS turned 39 again, I had to make a cake. In Mom's recipe box, I found this recipe for Chocolate Velvet Frosting intriguing. This frosting is so delicious and fudge-like. It paired well with a basic yellow cake, but would also be delicious on just about any cake. On a chocolate cake, it would make for an intense chocolate experience. This frosting is thick, creamy, and delicious.

When making the frosting, you may need to adjust the amount of milk and powdered sugar to the right consistency. The frosting should be spreadable, but set quite solid when refrigerated. Mom's method suggests melting the chocolate chips and butter over hot water, but I found the microwave method to be easy. 

Chocolate Velvet Frosting 

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 cup milk
•  1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave, stopping to store every 15 seconds or so, until the chips and butter are melted and smooth. Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix until well blended. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Frost your cake. Enjoy!

Elliot's Oat Chippers

These tasty cookies are easy to make and easier to eat. And because of all the oatmeal, they almost seem healthy. The recipe uses standard pantry ingredients. With the use of honey the cookies have a good flavor that nicely complements the chocolate chips.

Mom's recipe calls for half a cup of chocolate chips, but I doubled that to make these cookies more chocolatey. I also think seasonings such as cinnamon, could nicely complement these cookies. I am not sure why these cookies are named after someone called Elliot, but oat chippers is an accurate name.

Elliot's Oat Chippers 

• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Beat oil, eggs, salt, honey, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir flour and baking soda into mix until fully blended. Stir in oats and chips. Drop by spoonful onto a slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

This cheesecake was adapted from a recipe in the Golden Girls Cheesecake cookbook. The book mentions the episode involving the Sunshine Cadets, in which Rose steals back her favorite teddy bear from a kid. I'd have done the same as Rose. This cheesecake is a great way to celebrate the return of a teddy bear or to enjoy for any other reason.

This no-bake cheesecake is a great recipe to try in the summertime when you do not want to turn on the oven. The recipe in the book calls for pouring the filling directly into cupcake cups without any crust in order to make individual servings. I decided that a chocolate cookie crust would work well and would use of the rest of a package of chocolate sandwich cookies, so I used an eight-inch round pan. 

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake 

Crust

• 1 2/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter
• pinch salt

Filling

• 16 chocolate sandwich cookies
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• pinch salt

Make the crust by combining cookie crumbs, butter, and salt. Press into pan. Refrigerate while making the filling. Prepare the filling. Crush the sandwich cookies into rough crumbs. Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until peaks form. In another bowl, use the electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to stir in the cookie crumbs. Fold in the whipped cream until blended. Spoon the filling into the pie crust. Refrigerate at least four hours. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cheesecake

Lately, MDS and I have been rewatching The Golden Girls. The show holds up amazingly well and I find myself relating to it more and more. I especially like that the ladies turn to cheesecake when they talk over their problems. In searching for Golden Girls cheesecakes, I discovered The Golden Girls Cookbook, featuring cheesecakes and cocktails. On the very first episode, the ladies enjoy a chocolate cheesecake that Rose had purchased because she has a sweet tooth. I can relate. So I adapted this recipe from the cookbook. This chocolate cheesecake is so rich and delicious. While this cheesecake does take some time and effort to make, it is worth it.

The recipe calls for using chocolate cookie crust, but I could not find plain chocolate cookies in a store, so I improvised a chocolate cookie crust that was perfect. Also, the recipe calls for using a water bath, but instead, I just put a pan of water in the oven to help prevent the cheesecake from drying out, but did not use an actual water bath. 

Chocolate Crust 

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• dash of salt
• 3/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325.  Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Pour in melted butter and incorporate. Press dough into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake crust about 10 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

Chocolate Cheesecake

• prepared chocolate crust
• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese, sugar, corn starch, and salt until creamy and lump free. Beat in eggs, adding eggs one at a time. Mix in warm chocolate, sour cream, and vanilla, until just blended. Scape batter into pan and gently wriggle to even out batter. Place pan in the over and lower the oven temperature to 300. Bake for about one hour and fifteen minutes, until center is slightly jiggly. Turn oven off and leave door open for 30 minutes. Cool cake to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least four hours. Enjoy!