Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1/2 c Butter
• 1/2 c Shortening
• 2 c Sugar
• 5 Eggs (separated)
• 2 c Flour
• 1 ts Soda
• 1 c Buttermilk
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 1 cn Flaked coconut (3-1/2 oz.)
• 1 c Pecans (finely chopped)

Icing

• 8 oz Cream cheese (softened)
• 1/4 c Butter
• 1 lb Powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3 tb Water
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 1/3 c Pecans (finely chopped)

Preparation time
60 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and shortening; add sugar and beat until mixture is smooth. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Combine flour and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Add coconut and chopped pecans. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

Icing
Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and water, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and blend. Spread between layers and top and sides. Sprinkle top with pecans.

For more flavor and taste, coconut and pecans may be added between the layers.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 8 whole graham crackers, crushed
• 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• Chocolate curls (optional)

Preparation time
35 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix crackers, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Combine cream, espresso powder and vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, then eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour. Stir espresso mixture until powder dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter over crust. Bake cake until edges are puffed and beginning to crack and center is just set, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool on rack 30 minutes; chill cake uncovered until cold, about 6 hours. Cover; keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Cut around cake to loosen. Release pan sides. Top with curls, if desired.

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 c cracker crumb
• 1/4 c Margarine; melted

Filling

• 14 oz Caramel
• 5 oz milk
• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 ts Vanilla
• 2 Egg whites; whipped
• 1/2 c chocolate chips

Preparation time
15 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F (176 C). Prepare a 9″ pie pan with cooking spray and flour; set aside. To prepare crust, combine cracker crumbs and margarine in a small mixing bowl.

Press into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes; set aside.

In 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, melt caramel candy with milk over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Pour over crust.

To prepare remaining filling ingredients, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg whites, and chocolate chips. Pour over crust. Bake for 40 minutes.

Loosen cake from rim of pan. Cool.

Serves: 14-16

Ingredients

For crust

• 1 cup sugar cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

For filling

• 11/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese
• 2 cups whipping cream

For garnish

• fresh raspberries or strawberries
• lemon zest
• red raspberry and strawberry sauce

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation
Fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper.

Combine cookie crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Spread evenly into bottom of pan and refrigerate for about 15 minutes or until firm.

To make cheese cake combine sugar and cornstarch in a stainless steel saucepan.

In a small bowl, dissolve unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup of the lemon juice. Whisk remaining lemon juice and beaten eggs in sugar and cornstarch mixture.

Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture thickens to a medium-thick consistency. Remove from heat. Stir in gelatin and lemon zest.

Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool at room temperature. Whisk in mascarpone until smooth.

Beat whipping cream in a bowl until stiff. Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream. Spoon cream mixture into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Seal top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Run a small sharp knife along the edge of the inside cake pan rim to loosen cake. Remove sides of pan.

Transfer dessert from metal base to a serving plate.

To serve, garnish with fresh berries, lemon zest and a red berry sauce.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 can Condensed Milk
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon

Preparation time
20 minutes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine all ingrediedents except Brown Sugar and Cinnamon in a blender and process till smooth.

Cook Brown Sugar in a sauce pan untill it is melted. Pour the sugar into your baking pan and then fill with the egg mixture.

Put baking dish into a larger pan with hot water about 1 in up the sides of the baking dish. Bake in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the center is set.

Remove from oven and let cool then invert onto a plate. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and chill thourghly.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 egg, yolks only
• 80g/3oz caster sugar
• ¼ tub cream cheese
• 2 tbsp lime curd
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 150ml/5fl oz whole milk

Preparation time
30 minutes

Preparation

• Mix the egg yolks with the caster sugar and the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the lime, milk and cream and mix well until the sugar is fully dissolved.
• Churn in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes then place in a container in the freezer until needed.
• Serve with Steamed Lemon Sponge and Chocolate and Ginger Sauce.