Cherry Cheesecake Blintzes

If you are looking for a sweet and romantic way to start your Valentine’s Day (or any day for that matter) nothing is easier than these make ahead Cherry Cheesecake Blintzes. This is my mother’s recipe, and was but one of the dozen or more dishes that would line the buffet table at her annual Christmas brunch. Employing the use of ready-made crêpes from Melissa’s Produce, and pressing your cookie scoop into service, these go together in no time.

Cherry Cheesecake Blintzes

1 10-count pkg. Melissa’s Ready Made Crêpes

Filling:
1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
2 T. sugar
½ t. almond extract
¼ t. vanilla extract
2 T. butter, melted

Sauce:
1 15-oz. can pitted sweet cherries, drained, reserve ½ c. liquid
2 t. cornstarch
½ t. almond extract
Pinch of cinnamon

Spray a 1.5-qt. oven safe casserole dish with Pam; set aside.

In a small bowl combine all filling ingredients EXCEPT the butter; whisk until creamy. Spoon 2 tablespoons filling (I used a cookie scoop) in the center of each crêpe. For the two opposite edges of the crêpe to overlap filling, and then fold in the remaining sides, forming a square packet. Place each blintz, seam side down into prepared dish. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight (these can be refrigerated up to two days).

Heat oven to 400°F. Remove cover from blintzes and brush with melted butter. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until light golden brown. While blintzes are baking prepare sauce.

Sauce: In a medium saucepan combine cornstarch and reserved cherry liquid. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in cherries, almond extract and pinch of cinnamon. Heat thoroughly. Serve over blintzes and garnish as desired.

Serves 4 to 5

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Amaretto Cherries

This is just a quickie little blog post to introduce you to the wonders of Amaretto Cherries. If you have never soaked cherries in any type of alcohol before, you are in for a real treat. It’s a very simple process; essentially you replace the juice in which the cherries are packed with the alcoholic beverage of your choice. Amaretto is what is commonly used, with good reason, cherries pair beautifully with almonds. Give this a try, keep them in your fridge, and stay tuned for what’s to come. I have some wonderful recipes that make use of Amaretto Cherries.

Amaretto Cherries

1 6-oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained (SAVE JUICE!)

1 cup Amaretto liqueur

1 cup Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips, optional

Soak the drained cherries in Amaretto 6-8 hours or overnight. Drain the cherries, reserving (and refrigerating) Amaretto for other use. Dry cherries with paper towels if you plan to dip them in chocolate.

At this point the cherries can be used, as is, in the recipe of your choice. If you would like to dip them in chocolate, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt on high, in the microwave, at 15-second intervals, stirring between each. Dip cherries in melted chocolate, and place on wax paper to dry.

This post is linked to:

Dishing It & Digging It

Full Plate Thursday

Grace at Home

Friday at the Fire Station

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather

Weekend Inspiration Party
Share Your Style

Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party

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"Be Mine" Valentine's Day Cookies

Last December, when my dad gave me all of my mother's Christmas decorations, I found this heart-shaped cookie mold in amongst them. To my knowledge, my mother never used it. This comes as no surprise because I still have the pristine Santa cookie mold that I got around the same time (1985). I've been thinking a lot about my mother lately, for obvious reasons, so thought it was time to finally put it to use. I think it was largely fear of the unknown (read: fear of failure and a colossal kitchen mess) that kept me from attempting this with my own cookie mold years ago.

The mold is a product of Brown Bag Cookie Art, but no recipes or instructions were attached, so I went onto the Internet and found all of the information that I needed. How cute are these?!

Not only are they cute, but they are tasty as well, and surprisingly easy to do (I see Santa cookies in my distant future.) The key thing, I think, is to thoroughly spray the mold with PAM before each use, flour it, knock out the excess flour, and then press the dough in firmly. Once this has been done, and leveled off with a sharp knife, if necessary, press the dough back from the edges with your thumb around all sides. Then, turn cookie and mold on the side, and rap it firmly on the countertop or cutting board, turning the mold slowly as you do and, gradually, the imprinted dough will release.

With the re-rolled scraps of dough, I used my new set of bee cookie stamps to make the bee cookies that I found most appropriate coupled with the hearts.

Have any of you ever used cookie molds? If so, I'd love to know of your experiences. Here's the recipe that I used if you want to try it. 

Sugar Cookies

From Brown Bag Cookie Art

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, milk or cream, and vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt and add to the creamed mixture. Child dough for 30 minutes. Roll or press into mold.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

PRINT RECIPE

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

 This post is linked to:

Celebrate It Sunday

Silver Pennies Sunday
Merry Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

What’s for Dinner?

Inspiration Monday

Metamorphosis Monday 

Cooking & Crafting Monday

Make It Pretty Monday

Melt In Your Mouth 

Romantic Breakfasts

It's the sweetest of all days, and what better way to spend your morning than with your special someone and a special breakfast. Whether you're making it for yourself and your sweetie, or the whole family, these dishes are always welcome. Click on the links to get the recipes.

 Fluffy Meyer Lemon Yogurt Pancakes 

People have a lot of different ideas as to the perfect pancake.  I’m a light and fluffy gal myself, but Mr. O-P (from NJ) likes them thinner and with more body, but the cook gets her way and this morning these delicious pancakes graced the breakfast table.

Cream-filled Strawberries

If you've let time slip away and have nothing to serve, these strawberries are delicious, easy, and can turn any occasion into something special.

Bing Cherry Crepes 

If you are the cherry fan that I am, then you will love these crepes. They are easy to assemble, particularly when using Melissa's Ready Made Crepes (something I always keep in the freezer just for such an occasion).  The filling recipe is from Magpie’s Café in St. Charles, MO, and can be made the day ahead and stored in the fridge; the Bing Cherry Sauce is my own creation and the recipe can be found here. When it is time to serve, just fill and roll the crepe, and spoon the warmed jewel-toned sauce on top.

Chocolate Waffles with Fresh Strawberries

If your idea of breakfast does not include something chocolate-y, this may just change your mind. While it is indeed chocolate, it is the rich, dense, deliciousness of chocolate and not something that is cloyingly sweet. Based on an Alton Brown recipe, I lightened up the cocoa, added a pinch of espresso powder, and used mini chocolate chips to better spread the joy. Topped with fresh strawberries it is a decadent breakfast treat.

 

New York-Style Coffee Cake Muffins

One of my most viewed recipes is this one for New York-Style Crumb Cake, and with good reason, it is delicious.  So when I spotted this recipe for the same type of cake in muffin form, I had to try it.  The same delicious coffee cake in a small, portable form is absolute perfection!

Banana, Coconut and Ricotta Pancakes with Ginger Syrup

 I found a decadently delicious recipe that is full of complex tastes and will make you feel that you’re breakfasting on a tropical isle.  The beauty of this recipe is that it, like the ginger syrup, can be made ahead, so you won’t have to labor in the morning to put a fantastic meal on the table.

This post is linked to:

Create It Thursday

Full Plate Thursday

The Weekend Social

Foodie Friday