Chef Noah » Desserts

Lindy’s Famous Cheesecake

Chef Noah — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:43:19 +0000

Lindy’s Restaurant in New York City was famous for its cheesecake from the early 1930s to the 1950s, when owner Leo Lindermann died. Although Leo was supposedly the only person who knew the secret recipe, Lindy’s is still open and still serves cheesecake. This recipe isn’t likely to be the exact original, but it does make a similarly rich and impressively tall cheesecake, sized for a crowd. For purists, serve the chilled cheesecake just as it is. For those who like their cheesecake with fruit, just before serving, glaze the top by pouring on a bit of melted jelly or spoon cut or pureed fresh fruit over the top of the whole cake or on individual servings.

Lindy’s Famous Cheesecake

I will bet my farm and best Tennessee mule that you will agree with me and say that this is the best cheesecake you ever had. It is to die for. In 1946, I was served this dessert at the famous Lindy’s Restaurant in New York City.

5 packages (8-oz size) cream cheese 2-1/2 pounds), at room temperature

1-3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Assemble spring-form pan (9-inches) with Graham Cracker crust.

2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

3. Make Filling: In large bowl of electric mixer, combine cheese with sugar, flour, lemon peel, orange peel, and vanilla.

4. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat only until mixture is well combined. Add cream, beating until well combined.

5. Pour filling into spring-form pan over Graham Cracker crust.

6. Bake 10 minutes.

7. Reduce oven temperature to 250degrees. Bake 1 hour longer.

8. Cool in pan, on wire rack. Then refrigerate.

9. To serve: Remove side of spring-form pan. Serve cheesecake plain or topped with strawberries or anything of your desire.

Make 16 to 20 servings.

Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chef Noah — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:29:18 +0000

VANILLA CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups butter, softened

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 package (12 ox.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks, cool completely.

Makes 5 dozen.

Grandma’s Chocolate Cake

Chef Noah — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:13:57 +0000

GRANDMA’S CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups hot water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat over to 350 degrees with rack in the center. Spray two 8×2-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray.

Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to dry ingredients and whisk just until combined – a few lumps are OK. Divide batter between pans, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool cakes on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert them onto the rack. Leave cakes upside down to cool completely.

GLOSSY CHOCOLATE ICING

1 stick unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

1-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mixture will be thick and grainy. Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and instant coffee until smooth. Gradually add cream mixture to chocolate until blended and smooth. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 6-8 minutes. Do not boil.

Off heat, add vanilla. Cool icing at room temperature until spreadable, 2-3 hours (Icing me be chilled until completely cold, then warmed gently in microwave until spreadable. Heat at high power in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each interval.)

Raisin Pie

Chef Noah — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:05:19 +0000

WHAT ARE RAISINS? Raisins are simply dried sweet grapes, of course. Until medieval times, raisins were the second in choice as a sweetener, honeybeing the top choice. At one time in ancient Rome, raisins were considered so valuable that two jars could buy a slave. In the 13th century, Damascus had quite a reputation for their sweet raisins.The majority of the world’s supply of raisins comes from California, dried from Thompson seedless (95 percent), muscadine, or Black Corinth (Zante) grapes. In 1873, California suffered a devastating drought which literally dried the grapes on the vine. Looking to recoup some of the grape crop, an enterprising marketer in San Francisco sold the dried and shriveled grapes as “Peruvian Delicacies,” and the California raisin industry was off and running.

Most raisins are dried naturally by the sun right in the vineyards, although some are mechanically dehydrated. Once sun-dried, a process taking two to four weeks, they are then graded, cleaned, and packed. Some raisins are kept golden in color by the use of sulfur dioxide (sulfites).

RAISIN PIE

3 cups raisins

Boiling water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Whipping cream, for garnish

1.) Roll out one crust and line an 8-inch pie plate with it. Roll out the second crust and set aside.

2.) Place the raisins in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes. Drain and return raisins to the bowl.

3.) Add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and vanilla to the raisins. Stir until thoroughly combined and set aside until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

4.) Dump the raisins into the prepared pie plate. Dot with the butter and season with the nutmeg. Top the raisins with the second pie crust, crimp the edges, and trim the excess dough. Pierce the top crust all over with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5.) While the pie is chilling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

6.) Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake until golden, 30 to 40 minutes more. If the pie crust begins to darken too much, cover the edge with a collar of aluminum foil.

7.) Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm toped with whipping cream.

History of Florida’s Key Lime

Chef Noah — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:54:26 +0000

History of Florida’s Key Lime

Key limes are the pink flamingos of Florida food, and they are a celebrated part of local color. Key West, Florida, is famous for its fabulous key lime pie, one of America’s best-loved regional dishes. Every restaurant in the Florida Keys, and especially in the city of Key West, serves this wonderful pie. There seems to be a key lime pie for every palate, with numerous versions made throughout the region. This pie is considered the official pie of the Florida Keys.

Aficionados of key lime pies argue endlessly about the proper way to make one. Graham-cracker or pastry crust? Meringue on top or whipped cream, or neither? Cooked or uncooked filling? The one thing that they do agrees on is that under no circumstances should you ever add green food coloring. The filling of authentic key lime pie is a light yellow.

As to who made the first key lime pie, no one really knows for sure as it has never been documented. The most likely story is that William Curry (1821-1896), a ship salvager and Florida’s first self-made millionaire (commonly referred to as rich Bill), had a cook that was simply know as Aunt Sally. It was Aunt Sally who created the pie in the late 1800s. Some historians think that Aunt Sally didn’t create the Key Lime Pie, but probably perfected a delicacy that was the creation of area fishermen. William Curry built a lavish mansion for his family in 1855 that still is being used today as the Curry Mansion Inn.

It was not until the 1930s that the first recipes were written down. Until then everyone just knew how to make the pie. No fresh milk, no refrigeration, and no ice was available in the Keys until the arrival of tank trucks with the opening of the Overseas Highway in 1930. Because of this lack of milk, local cooks had to rely on canned sweetened condensed milk, which was invented in 1856 by Gail Borden. Key lime may be the star ingredient of the key lime pie, but it is the sweetened condensed milk that makes it so smooth and delicious.

The key lime tree, which is native to Malaysia, probably first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s with the Spanish. Key limes look like confused lemons, as they are smaller than a golf ball with yellow-green skin that is sometimes splotched with brown. They are also know as Mexican or West Indian limes. When a hurricane in 1926 wiped out the key lime plantations in South Florida, growers replanted with Persian limes, which are easier to pick and to transport. Today the key lime is almost a phantom and any remaining trees are only found in back yards and their fruit never leave the Florida Keys. Key limes are also grown for commercial use in the Miami area.

In 1965, Florida State Representative Bernie Papy, Jr. introduced legislation calling for a $100 fine to be levied against anyone advertising key lime pie that is not made with key limes. The bill did not pass

In 1994, the State Legislature officially recognized Key lime pie as an important symbol of Florida. The road to becoming the official state pie, was not an easy one. Since the 1980s, North Florida lawmakers have debated that a pie made of pecans, grown in Florida, would better reflect the stateâ€™s history. House Bill 453 and Senate Bill 676 of the Florida Legislature’s Regular 2006 Session made the Key Lime Pie the official Florida state pie as of July 1, 2006.
Source: Bahama Currys

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ORIGINAL FLORIDA KEY LIME PIE RECIPE – FLORIDA’S OFFICIAL STATE PIE…
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
4 oz. Florida Key West Key Lime Juice
9 inch graham cracker pie crust

Mix milk and egg yolks completely with electric mixer. Slowly add key lime juice and mix thoroughly. Pour into 9-inch prepared graham cracker pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Turn oven off and crack door. If making meringue, place meringue on hot key lime pie, sealing edges to crust, then toast to a golden brown. Keep a close eye on it. It’ll start to toast real fast. Turn oven off and crack door after browning meringue. If using whipped topping, bake for 10 minutes. Let pie cool before placing in refrigerator. If using whipped topping, place on pie prior to serving and garnish as desired.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Chef Noah — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:52:43 +0000

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 (6-ounce) packages white chocolate squares or white baking bars, chopped
3/4 cup chopped peanuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Line 8-inch square pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Butter foil; set aside.

2. In large saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter over medium heat until just bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate until smooth. Immediately stir in peanuts and vanilla.

3. Pour into prepared pan; spread evenly. Cool. Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm. Use foil to life out of pan. Sprinkle with additional chopped peanuts if desired. Cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 64 pieces (about 2-1/4 pounds.)

Cream Cheese Pie

Chef Noah — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:05:47 +0000

This is a pie recipe that I am happy to share with you. It’s one of my best. I made it decades ago for my three young children; Stephen, Bruce and Linda. They liked it as well as I did. This pie is easy to make.

CREAM CHEESE PIE

Mix together:
1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust
1 pkg. (8-oz) regular cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip until stiff:
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar

Fold cream cheese mixture into whip cream mixture. Put in pie crust and chill.

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

Chef Noah — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:09:58 +0000

OLD FASHIONED VANILLA ICE CREAM

7 cups milk
5 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups half and half
2-3/4 cups heavy cream
2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1-1/2 tablespoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the sugar, corn starch, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Slowly poor in the milk while stirring constantly.

Very slowly add the beaten eggs and continue to stir.

Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens slightly.

Slowly add vanilla, half and half and heavy cream.

Pour into a large glass bowl and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until mixture has chilled. Remove from refrigerator.