BISCUITS FOR TWO

Mary, over at One Perfect Bite recently posted a recipe for "Biscuits for two". What a great idea for single people, for small families and empty-nesters alike.  I can't tell you how many biscuits I've thrown away because they got stale before we could eat them all, but not anymore!!  This recipe is excellent; thank you Mary!!

This quick and easy recipe

makes four delicious biscuits.

 

1 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2  teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup shortening (I used COLD butter)

1/2 cup 2% milk

 

Preheat oven to 450° (I baked mine at 400°) and grease a baking sheet.

 

Mix the dry ingredients together, then cut in the shortening (or cold butter) until it looks like coarse crumbs.

 

Add milk and stir just until everything is moistened. Turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead 8-10 times. Dough might seem a little sticky at first, but it will come together nicely after you knead it a few times.

 

Pat or roll dough to 1/2" thickness and cut with floured 2 1/2" biscuit cutter (the floured rim of a drinking glass will work too).

 

Bake 10-12 minutes (I baked mine a few minutes longer because I reduced the heat to 400°. 

 

I brushed mine with butter when they were hot out of the oven. Makes 4 biscuits.

APPLE PIE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO

This is a wonderful (and super easy) dessert to top off that romantic Valentine dinner for two (and you can make it all ahead of time!!).  It is a creamy cheesecake, topped with a warm apple pie filling and cold whipped cream........best of the best!!

Preheat your oven to 325°F, and line a mini-loaf pan (6"x3"x2") with foil, then lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

CRUST
1/4  cup graham cracker crumbs
2    teaspoons sugar
2    teaspoons melted butter
1    tablespoon chopped pecans
pinch of cinnamon

Mix well and press into the bottom of your prepared mini-loaf pan.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons flour
1 large egg white

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until very smooth; mix in the flour and egg white and beat just until smooth (takes just a second).

Spread the filling, evenly, over the crumb crust. Set the mini loaf pan inside an 8" or 9" cake pan and fill the bigger pan with some HOT water (hot water should be about 1" deep). Bake 28-33 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 33 minutes). The cheesecake should be just "set" and barely jiggle when you tap on the side of the loaf pan.

Remove from oven and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 or 3 hours (or overnight).

APPLE PIE TOPPING
This topping should be put on the cheesecake just before serving. You can serve it warm (which is how we like it) or cold.

2 large sweet apples (see note)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Melt butter and water in a medium saucepan and then add everything else. Saute on low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until apples are tender. Thicken the sauce with a slurry of 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

You can use this topping after it cools down a little, or if you want to serve it cold, just store it in the fridge.

When it's time to serve, grab the ends of the foil in the mini-loaf pan and lift the cheesecake out.  Cut the cheesecake in half and place on dessert dishes; top each one with a large serving of apple pie filling (warm or cold). Top with sweetened whipped cream.

Enjoy!!

 

 

NOTE: Use any good eating apple. If you use something really tart, like a Granny Smith apple, just add a little extra sugar.

MINI BUTTERSCOTCH CHEESECAKES

Whether you are a small family or "empty nesters" like us, this scaled down recipe for mini-butterscotch cheesecakes is a handy one.

I started scaling down full sized dessert recipes because we got tired of eating the same dessert several nights in a row. This recipe (depending on how big you make them) will give you 5 or 6 cupcake sized cheesecakes.

Preheat oven to 325°F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
Mix crust ingredients and divide evenly between 5-6 paper liners (press crumbs down to make flat crust inside paper liners).

CHEESECAKE BATTER:
1/2 cup butterscotch baking chips
4 ounces regular cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 eggs slightly beaten (room temperature)
1 teaspoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rum extract (see note)

Melt butterscotch baking chips (I use my microwave) just until they are melted and smooth, don't overheat. Set aside to cool down a little.

Beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth (1 minute or so?). Beat in the melted (and cooled) butterscotch chips and sugar until well mixed. Add the egg, flour and extracts and beat until smooth, but don't over beat.

Pour the batter over the crust and fill paper liners about 80% full, or almost to the top. When these cheesecakes are done baking, they will look domed, but as they cool, they will lose that "dome".

Bake for 25-30 minutes (my electric oven takes 30 minutes). Of course it will depend on how much you fill up the paper liners and how hot your oven runs. Just bake them until they are set.

Cool in the pan for half hour or so, then put them (still in the pan) in the fridge to chill for a few hours. Remove paper liners before serving.

NOTE: If you don't have rum extract, just double the vanilla.