Recipe of the Week! Raspberry Cheesecake! {perham, mn catering}

Patiently waiting for the smooth, decadent, rich and wonderful treat, some may say that cheesecake is a labor of love... they might be right, but it's well worth the effort! This magical concoction screams yummy summer goodness with the addition of plump and juicy raspberries in a wonderful glaze dripping over the edges. I can taste it now....

Ingredients

For the crust:

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• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

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• 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

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• 1 cup red jelly (not jam), such as currant, raspberry, or strawberry
• 3 half-pints fresh raspberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss the raspberries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Measure your springform pan. The bottom of mine measures 9 inches, but it says 9 1/2. I put the springform pan on a sheet pan before putting it in the oven to catch any leaks.

Holiday Baking & Parties!

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh, it's that time of year where the thoughts of a hearty Thanksgiving meal are swirling in our heads... Most of us don't make a 12 course meal on a regular weeknight, so what a treat to look forward to the great and wonderful things that abound during the Holidays!

A lot of people in our families do things 'Pot Luck' style, encouraging different dishes to be brought to the table... For instance, in the Schmitz household... It's Grandma's scratch spinach ravioli's that get requested time and time again... Yum.

If you're hosting this year, you may be wondering what to serve, especially if you like to do things a little differently... What if you only have a small family that's gathering and you don't want to spend your time dealing with a messy kitchen {OR cleaning for that matter}... Yuck.

Call Paulette at Country Catering and Cakes to help you out with your Holiday masterpiece. Whether you just need some tasty breads and desserts or the whole nine yards with homemade dressing that is to die for, you won't be disappointed. Have problems making the perfect gravy? Just about anything you need is available.

Imaging having everything set up, ready to eat and then the entire mess taken away again so you can relax with your friends and family... That's MY idea of a good time!

Recipe of the Week! Almond Rhubarb Coffee Cake

It's that time of year again, when the rhubarb is plentiful. It's sometimes hard going through the motions with the same old recipes time after time, so it's nice to venture outside the bubble a little. Here is a coffee cake that would be wonderful with some raspberry tea in the afternoon! What a great snack...

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla together until smooth. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with milk. Beat until smooth. Stir in rhubarb and 1/2 cup almonds. Pour into prepared pans.
3. In a small bowl, combine white sugar and butter or margarine. Stir in 1/4 cup almonds. Sprinkle topping over batter.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake tests done.