MONTREAL OREO COOKIE CHEESECAKE

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 ¼ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs 1 tsp Cinnamon
¼ Cup firmly packed Brown Sugar 1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted

Blend all ingredients in bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform pan, then press onto bottom and sides. Refrigerate crust until firm, about 30 minutes.


Oreo Filling:
2 lb Cream Cheese (room temperature) 1/3 Cup Whipping Cream
1 ¼ Cup Sugar 1 tsp Vanilla
2 TBSP All-Purpose Flour 1 ½ Cup Coarsley Chopped Oreo Cookies
4 Extra Large Eggs 2 Large Egg Yolks

Preheat oven to 425°F. Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on lowest speed until smooth. Beat in sugar and flour until well blended. Beat in eggs and yolks until mixture is smooth. Stir in cream and vanilla. Pour half of the batter onto prepared crust. Sprinkle with chopped Oreos. Pour remaining batter over the Oreos, smoothing with a spatula. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225°F and bake for 50 minutes, cover top loosely with foil if browning to quickly.

Sour Cream Top:
2 Cups Sour Cream ¼ C Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Blend sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread over cake. Bake 7 minutes. Refrigerate immediately. Cover cake with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Swiss Fudge Glaze:
1 C Whipping Cream 1 tsp Vanilla
8 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped 5 Oreo Cookies, halved crosswise

Scald cream in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Add chocolate and vanilla and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir until all chocolate is melted. Refrigerate glaze for 10 minutes. Set cake on platter and remove from springform. Pour glaze over top of cake. Smooth top and let the glaze drizzle down the sides of cake. Arrange Oreo cookie halves, cut side down, around outer edge of cake. Refrigerate until cakes is ready to serve. Makes 8-10 Servings.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN SCONES

My neighbor, Sheri, who just moved would bring these by on cold, snowy winter days. They would still be warm from the oven and were soooo yummy! Before leaving she gave me the recipe...

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup chopped white chocolate

1/4 cup chopped and toasted pecans (optional)

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh or canned pure pumpkin (if using canned pumpkin make sure there are no spices or sugar added)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Egg Wash:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk or cream

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling the tops of the scones (optional)

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

Step 3: Stir in the chopped white chocolate and pecans, if using.

Step 4: In a medium bowl mix together the buttermilk, pumpkin puree and vanilla and then add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Step 5:Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches round and about 11/2 inches thick. Cut this circle in half, then cut each half into 3 pie-shaped wedges (triangles).

Step 6:Place the scones on prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle a little Turbinado sugar on top, if desired.

Step 7:Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The white chocolate pumpkin scone recipe makes 6 scones. Top with clotted cream.

Mock Clotted Cream:

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

2 TBSP Conectioners Sugar

Mixed Berry and Chicken Salad

DRESSING:

1 shallot, quartered
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt white pepper
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1/3 cup blackberries
1/2 cup candied walnuts
1 1/2 cups canola oil

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb cooked chicken, strips (pre-packaged)
1 lb mixed baby greens
blue cheese
candied walnuts
raspberries
blackberries

Mix the salad dressing ingredients in a blender adding the canola oil slowly at the very end. Refrigerate for at least two hours to meld the ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture. Mix.

**This is supposedly the recipe for Nordstroms Cafe Mixed Berry Salad. It was given to me some time ago and we make to every year as soon as berries start showing up in the stores! It is delicious!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

• 1 pound raw medium shrimp - peeled & deveined
• 1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, mince or discard chiles
• pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• Salt to taste
• 12 white corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Marinate shrimp in the sauce from can of chiptles in adobo, pinch of cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy), lime juice and flour for at least 30 minutes
2. Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in 350° F oven for 15 minutes, or wrap them in a napkin and microwave for 3 minutes
3. Preheat a skillet on high, add shrimp, cook 3-4 minutes or until shrimp are done.
4. Divide the shrimp evenly among the torillas. Top with the Sour Cream Sauce, Avocado Tomatillo Salsa and a spritz of lime. Extra avocado and cilantro optional.
   

Sour Cream Sauce

• 1/2 cup cour cream
• 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, milk and cumin. Set aside

Avocado Tomatillo Salsa

• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
  
• 4 medium tomatillos (about 8 ounces9 husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 1 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and chop fine. Add the tomatillos, avocado and salt and pulse until pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro. Set aside.