CHRISTMAS  PUDDING

2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 lb. dates, chopped
Oil
Sugar

Roll cooking oil in two, 1 pound coffee tins, drain and sprinkle
inside with sugar.  In a large bowl, stir together the flour,
baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves.  Cream the
butter and sugar together with a mixer.  Add the eggs one at a
time, beating after each addition.  Add the dates and beat well. 
Blend in the dry ingredients.  Turn the batter into the prepared
coffee cans.  Place several layers of aluminum foil on the
tops and tie securely with string.  Place the cans on a rack in
a large kettle and add boiling water to a depth of 3/4 the height
of the cans.
Cover the kettle and gently boil the puddings for 3 hours,
replenishing the water as needed.  Turn out onto a rack to cool. 
They may be frozen,orstored for several weeks in the refrigerator.

--Sauce:--
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. hot water
1 egg, beaten
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp. butter
Red and green Maraschino cherries
Pineapple chunks
Raisins
Pecans
Sugar cubes
Lemon extract

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch.  Add the hot
water, beaten egg and salt.  Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until thickened.
Drop in the butter and stir until melted.  Add the fruit and
pecans.  Pour the sauce into a serving container. Drop the sugar
cubes briefly in lemon extract.  Place the pudding on a serving
platter and surround with the sugar cubes, placing several on
top of the pudding.  Light the cubes, and bring the flaming
pudding to the table.  Slice the pudding, spoon on the sauce,
and top with Cool Whip.

Frozen Pistachio Cheesecake



Ingredients



1 cup pistachio nuts

1 cup brown edge wafer cookie crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

2/3 cup whipping cream

12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Garnish: additional pistachio nuts

Preparation

Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add 1 cup pistachio nuts.

Process until chopped. Add wafer cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar,

and melted butter. Pulse 4 or 5 times or until blended.



Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 1 1/2" up sides of a lightly

greased 9" springform pan. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until

lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.



Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.

Remove from heat, and add chopped white chocolate. Let stand 2 to 3

minutes. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until smooth.



Beat cream cheese and softened butter at medium speed of an electric

mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar, and beat until light and

fluffy. Add melted white chocolate mixture and vanilla; beat 3 minutes

or until very smooth. Pour batter into prepared crust. Cover and

freeze until firm or up to 1 week.



Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Remove

sides of pan. Garnish cheesecake, if desired. Cut frozen cheesecake

with a sharp knife, dipping knife in hot water and wiping it dry

between each slice.

Yield



one 9" cheesecake

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 1996 Christmas with Southern Living 1996

Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake with Sugar Cookie Crust



Our test kitchen staff discovered that Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux

cookies make a great crumb crust.

Ingredients



2 1/4 cups Bordeaux cookie crumbs

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 (16-ounce) can whole-berry cranberry sauce

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, fresh cranberries, fresh mint

Preparation

Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter; stir well. Press crumb

mixture onto bottom and 1" up sides of a lightly greased 9" springform

pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Let crust cool completely on a wire

rack.



Position knife blade in food processor bowl. Add cranberry sauce and

spices; process until smooth. Set aside.



Beat cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth.

Add sugar and cornstarch; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating

just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.



Pour half of batter into cookie crust; spoon 1/2 cup cranberry mixture

over batter. Swirl gently with a knife. Top with remaining batter.

Spoon 1/2 cup cranberry mixture over cheesecake, and swirl gently with

a knife.



Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 225°. Bake 1

hour and 10 minutes.



Remove from oven, and immediately run a knife around sides of

cheesecake to loosen it from pan. Turn oven off; return cheesecake to

oven, and let cool in oven 1 hour. Remove from oven; let cool

completely in pan on a wire rack. Chill, uncovered, until ready to

serve. (Cheesecake will continue to firm up as it chills.)



Remove sides of pan. Garnish, if desired. Serve cheesecake with

remaining cranberry mixture, if desired.

Yield



one 9" cheesecake

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 1997 Christmas with Southern Living 1997

Crushed-Peppermint Cheesecake

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours, plus at least 4 hours to cool

and chill



Ingredients



12 ounces creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos,

broken into pieces

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup sour cream

4 eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy

Preparation

1. Place cookies in a heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with a

rolling pin. Pour into a buttered 9-inch round springform pan and pour

melted butter over crumbs; mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom

and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake in a 300° oven until crust is

slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).



2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream

cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one

at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour,

vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese

mixture into pan over baked crust.



3. Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when

pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan

rim. Place pan on a wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan.

Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Run a

knife around rim again, then release rim. If any liquid has pooled on

surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with a paper towel.



4. Decorate top of cake with crushed peppermint candy, pressing it in

gently with your hands.

Gingerbread Yule Log



3 eggs, separated

1/2 c molasses

1 T butter or margarine, melted

1/4 c sugar

1 c all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powdr

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp gr cinnamon

1/2 tsp gr ginger

1/2 tsp gr cloves

1/8 tsp salt



Spiced Cream Filling:

1-1/2 c whipping cream

1/3 c confectioners' sugar

1 tsp gr cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp gr cloves

Additional ground cinnamon



In a mixing bowl, beat yolks on high until thickened, about 3

minutes. Beat in molasses and butter.



In another bowl, beat whites until foamy; gradually add sugar,

beating until soft peaks form. Fold into yolk mixture. Combine dry

ingredients; gently fold into egg mixture until well mixed. Spread

in a greased and floured waxed paper-lined 15" x 10" baking pan.

Bake at 375º for 9-12 minutes or until cake springs back when

lightly touched.



Turn onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off

paper and roll cake up in towel, starting with a short side. Cool

on a wire rack.



Meanwhile, beat the first five filling ingredients in a mixing bowl

until soft peaks form. Unroll cake; spread with half the filling.

Roll up. Place on serving plate. Spread remaining filling over

cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon.



Makes 10 servings

Cheesecake Flan



Savoring the contrast between this incredibly rich baked custard and

its slightly burnt-tasting caramel sauce is a delicious experience.

Ingredients



3/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs

3 slices white bread, crusts removed

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8-ounce) carton mascarpone cheese (1 cup)

1 cup evaporated milk

2/3 cup water

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Sprinkle sugar in a heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring

constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar melts and turns light

brown. Remove from heat. Quickly pour hot caramel into a 9" round

cakepan, tilting to coat bottom; set pan aside. (Caramel syrup will

harden and crack.)



Combine eggs and remaining 7 ingredients in a large food processor or

blender. Process just until smooth, stopping once to scrape down

sides. Pour custard mixture over syrup in cakepan. Place cakepan in a

large shallow pan. Cover cakepan with aluminum foil. Add hot water to

shallow pan to depth of 1". Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until

knife inserted off center comes out clean. (Center should still be

slightly liquid; flan will finish cooking as it cools.)



Remove cakepan from water bath; cool flan completely on a wire rack.

Cover and chill several hours or overnight. Loosen edges of flan with

a spatula, and invert flan onto a rimmed serving plate, letting

caramel sauce drizzle over the top.



Note: We found that a large food processor worked best for blending

this flan. Otherwise we recommend using a blender.

Yield



1 (9") flan

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 2000 Christmas with Southern Living 2000

Black and White Cheesecake



Big chips of coconut spike the soft whipped cream that covers this

dark cheesecake.

Ingredients



1 1/2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

3/4 cup butter or margarine

8 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/3 cup cream of coconut

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (3-ounce) package coconut chips

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients; stir well. Press into bottom of a greased

9" springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted.

Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 300°.



Combine 3/4 cup butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan. Cook over

medium-low heat until melted, stirring often. Remove from heat, and

let cool.



Beat cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.

Add 1/2 cup sugar; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just

until blended after each addition. Stir in cooled chocolate mixture

and cream of coconut. Pour over crust in pan. Bake at 300° for 40

minutes or until cheesecake is barely set. Let cool to room

temperature in pan on a wire rack; cover and chill 8 hours.



Beat whipping cream at high speed until foamy; gradually add powdered

sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Add vanilla; beat just until

blended.



Carefully remove sides of springform pan. Place cheesecake on serving

plate. Frost top and sides with whipped cream mixture. Gently press

coconut onto sides, and sprinkle on top of frosted cheesecake. Chill

thoroughly.



Note: For coconut chips, we used Melissa's. You can find them near

packets of dried fruits in grocery stores; you can also buy these fat

coconut shavings in stores where nuts are sold in bulk. Or you can

substitute flaked coconut.

Yield



one 9" cheesecake

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 1997 Christmas with Southern Living 1997

Hot Fudge Cheesecake



This dessert develops a brownie-like top as it bakes. Serve any

leftover Hot Fudge Sauce over ice cream or pound cake.

Ingredients



1 cup crushed saltine crackers

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

3 tablespoons sugar

6 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

Hot Fudge Sauce

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir well. Firmly press onto bottom and 2

1/2" up sides of a lightly greased 7" springform pan. Bake at 350° for

8 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; let cool. Reduce oven temperature to

300°.



Combine chocolate squares and 3/4 cup butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook

over medium-low heat until mixture is melted and smooth, stirring

frequently. Remove from heat and let cool.



Beat cream cheese at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.

Add 3/4 cup sugar; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after

each addition. Stir in cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared crust.



Bake at 300° for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until almost set. Turn oven

off. Let cheesecake cool in oven 30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack;

let cool to room temperature.



Remove sides of pan. Serve cheesecake with Hot Fudge Sauce. Garnish,

if desired.

Yield



one 7" cheesecake

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 1995 Christmas with Southern Living 1995

Holiday Mincemeat Cheesecake



Ingredients



2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cinnamon-covered raisins (optional)

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1 (8-ounce) container sour cream

1 cup prepared mincemeat

Preparation

Stir together first 3 ingredients and, if desired, raisins. Press

mixture into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9-inch springform pan.



Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric

mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after

each addition. Add rind, juice, and sour cream, beating until blended.

Spoon mixture into crust.



Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until center is firm. Turn oven off. Let

cheesecake stand in oven, with oven door closed, 30 minutes.



Spread mincemeat over cheesecake. Chill 8 hours.

Yield



Makes 12 to 14 servings

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2000