Desserts:


Appetizers:


Entrés:


Sauces:

Banana Bread

1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift all dry ingredients together and then blend well with butter. Add eggs and bananas and beat at high speed for two minutes. Fold in sour cream, vanilla, and nuts and bake in greased pan for one hour.

Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP granulated sugar
3 TBSP butter (melted)

Filling:
4 8 oz. cream cheese blocks
1 cup granulated sugar
3 TBSP all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 TBSP vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450˚.

Mix all ingredients for crust together and firmly press to the bottom of a spring-form pan. Set aside. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and flour in mixing bowl. Mix at medium speed until well blended.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Pour filling over crust. Bake at 450˚ for 10 minutes. Place a separate pan of water in oven to reduce cracking of cheesecake surface.

Reduce oven temperature to 250˚ and continue baking for 1 hour. Allow cheesecake to rest overnight before serving.

Tres Leches

Tiramisu

5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
8 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 12 oz. packages of lady fingers
1 cup coffee liquor (1/4 cup rum, 3/4 cup espresso)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Start boiling water for double boiler. Put chocolate chips in food processor and pulse until chocolate become bits. Do not chop until chocolate is powdered! Combine egg yolks and sugar in top of double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture reaches 160˚, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Transfer to mixing bowl. Whip yolks until thick and lemony colored. Add mascarpone and beat until combined. In separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold into yolk mixture and refrigerate. Dip lady fingers in liquor and line bottom of large glass bowl. Spoon cream filling over lady fingers. Sprinkle chocolate bits over cream. Repeat until out of ingredients. Optional garnishes: Cocoa powder, chocolate curls, whipped cream rosettes. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350˚. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until thick and creamy. Stir in all other ingredients. Bake in sugar coated loaf pan for 1 hour or until done.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

Austrailian Nutmeg Cake

2 cups dark brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour
8 TBSP butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
1 egg, beated
1-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine brown sugar, baking powder and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Spread half the mixture in a greased 9" cake pan. Dissolve baking soda in milk, add egg and nutmeg. Pour into reserved crumbs mixture and mix well. Pour this into cake pan on top of dry crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven. Do not over-bake. Powdered sugar and fresh ground nutmeg may be sprinkled on top.

Austrian Vanilla Kipferln

1 cup all purpose flour
7 TBSP unsalted butter
2/3 cup ground almond
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300˚. Sift the flour on to the work-top and cut in the cold butter. Blend together until the mixture yields a fine crumb texture. Fork in the almonds and sugar. Knead into a smooth pastry. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces and roll in your hand into a cylindrical rope shape with tapered ends. Curve dough gently into a crescent shape. Transfer to a buttered and floured baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and roll in powdered sugar. Allow to cool before serving.

Crêpe

3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp orange liquer or rum
1-1/2 cup all purpose flour
5 Tbsp melted butter

Mix all ingredients in blender for approximately thirty seconds. Scrape the batter from the sides of the blender and then mix for an additional minute. Refrigerate batter for two hours before pouring crepes. To pour crepes, spread a thin layer of batter over a lightly greased pan.

Almond Tarte

Crème Brûlée

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 TBSP molasses
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate (melted)
1 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 375˚.

Cream butter, sugar, and molasses together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add melted chocolate and mix until well blended.Combine flour with baking soda. Alternate add flour and boiling water to mixture. Mix well.

Pour into greased and lined loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes then reduce heat to 350˚ and bake for another 30 minutes.