Apple Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecake

Contributed by Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Via Bonnie Lowry

Yield: 10-12 Servings
Cook Time: 8-9 Hours

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 pound bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (reserve 2 tablespoons of fat)
1/2 onion, diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Demarle at Home in the Kitchen Sea Salt –Sel Gris (GTS00001), to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
16 ounces (2 large blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs
1/2 tablespoon Demarle at Home in the Kitchen Apple Pear Balsamic Vinegar (LOC00005)
1/8 cup whiskey
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon minced chives or Demarle at Home in the Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Chive Herb Blend (DHM00004)
Sliced fresh apples, toast wedges and/or assorted cocktail crackers

TOOLS:
Flexipan® Fluted Bundt Mold (FM000486)
Medium Perforated Baking Sheet (MA435310)
Demarle Difference Gourmet Fry Pan- 10” (DD902832)
Mixing Bowl (TA000120)
Demarle Difference Santoku Chef’s Knife (DD800001)
Heat Resistant Spatula (TA000108)
Magnetic Dazzling Trio (GRP00001)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and place oven rack in center position. Place the Bundt Mold on the Perforated Baking Sheet. Dust mold with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.**

In Fry Pan sauté onion in bacon fat until softened and translucent. Add apple and garlic and continue to sauté over medium heat an additional 2 to 3 minutes until apple begin to soften. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

In Mixing Bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, Balsamic Vinegar and whiskey, beating until smooth. Stir in apple mixture, bacon, blue cheese, remaining Parmesan cheese and chives or Chive Herb Blend by hand.

Pour batter into mold and bake overnight for 8-9 hours. It should be fairly firm and slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a rack at least one hour. Cover the top of the cooled cheesecake with plastic wrap.

Invert onto serving dish. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Reinvert and remove the plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
To serve as an appetizer, cut slices with a knife dipped in warm water and garnish with fresh apple slices, toast wedges, baguette and/or cocktail crackers of choice.

** Per Bonnie Lowry, to help Parmesan cheese stick to the sides of the Mold, coat with vegetable oil before dusting with Parmesan cheese.

Peanut/Almond Butter Cups

Have you ever made your own Peanut Butter Cups?  These were made in the Medium Tartlet Tray.

Holiday Gift Idea - Toffee "Plates"

Make Toffee or Peanut Brittle and then use this as the base for a "goodie plate."  I used the Star Mold for this plate, but the Tree Mold or any of the molds works great!

Chocolate Popcorn

This makes a great gift and treat to bring to your next party!

Pop 1/3 cup dry kernels in Large Round Mold and Octagonal Silpat in microwave.

Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup syrup (corn or maple)

1/4 cup cocoa

dash of demarle difference sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 F.  Bring chocolate sauce ingredients (except vanilla) to a boil in the Large Flared Sauté Pan.  Boil for two minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Mix in popcorn (and nuts if you wish and while I'm thinking about it, cranberries and coconut sound perfect too!).  Stir until well-coated.

Lay out popcorn mixture on Flexipat on Perforated Baking Sheet and bake for about 25 minutes.  Place on Floral Cooling Rack and let cool to room temp.  Break into small clumps and store in an airtight container.

*Note:  You could also use the Silpat  ~OR~  if you don't have the most wonderful products in the world yet, then go ahead and grease a pan of your choice, but just think of all the time and calories you're wasting!

MONEY SAVING IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

*Make something like fudge, rice crispy treat or peanut brittle in the large Tree Mold.

Let it set up and then peel out. Wrap in saran and tie a bow around it as a delicious gift.

*Or you can use your creation as an “edible plate”. Wrap it up in saran then put your other baking goodies on top. Wrap the whole thing in cellophane and top it with a bow.
Perfect gift for teachers, neighbors, school bus driver, co-workers or even family.

*Make your favorite dessert or even a quiche in the tray or mold for Christmas morning.

KELLOGG’S RICE KRISPIES TREATS (MICROWAVE)

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter

1 package (10 oz) regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini-marshmallows

4 dashes of green food coloring (not needed if using the special red and white Holiday Colored Rice Krispies)

6 cups Rice Krispies

· Using a glass bowl, heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. (Watch closely to make sure it doesn’t burn.) Stir until smooth. Add food coloring and stir again.

· Add Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal. Stir until well coated.

· Transfer to the Tree Mold and use the Silpat^® (or waxed paper) to press mixture evenly. Allow to cool completely. Unmold onto serving tray. Decorate with red hot cinnamon candies to resemble ornaments. Best if served the same day.

*Kids project-
Make the tree’s and then let your kids decorate them using rope licorice and candy to make garland and ornaments.

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

1 ½ cup Spanish peanuts

1 Tbsp butter

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Combine sugar and corn syrup in the Mold. Stir in peanuts. Microwave on high until light brown (8-10 minutes) stirring after each 3-minute interval. Stir in remaining ingredients until light and foamy. Cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and decorate with ribbon. A perfect gift for anyone!