Happy Neufchatel Day

You didn't know? Just kidding, of course but I was whipping out appetizers and desserts and it seemed I went through about 6 kilo of Neufchatel. Lucky girl, I am. The Neufchatel being made at Golden Ears CheeseWorks is superb for baking.
I was also asked to use and review a product made by C-Dubs Get Naked Rubs. I loved the freshness and flavor of the BBQ Rub I chose for the appetizer. I was perplexed with what to make as I have seen the grape/basil leaf/gouda mix on a toothpick but I knew that children would accompany their parents to the open house at Fuller Watson this evening so decided to make something more 'kid-friendly'. At the same time I needed it to fit the venue of the gorgeously re-modeled store.

Pretzaco Cheese Balls

 Aren't they cute?
Appetizer
I rolled mini Neufchatel Cheese balls flavored generously with C-Dubs BBQ Rub (www.cdubsrub.com) in crushed Spicy Nacho Doritos and stuck them with a pretzel. So simple, so delicious. No mess, no fuss and certainly "kid-friendly". Moms not worried about choking hazards is a good thing. I think they would be wonderful with a glass of wine or a cold beer for the adults.

Since there would be over 100 people milling about at the open house, I needed a simple dessert that would showcase the cheese. Neufchatel to the rescue. For those of you used to putting cheesecake together with regular creme cheese, please take note. Neuchatel is luscious, creamy and rich and once you try it you will be hooked. Normally I make cheesecake in 6inch tall springform pans or a standard 10 inch but for samplers I used 2 9x13 inch pans lined with parchment.
Cheesecake for 1 9x13 pan
Crust:
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
1 kilo Neufchatel
1 c sugar
3 T all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 c heavy whipping cream (I use creme fraiche)
1 T lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
For the crust mix all together and spread over bottom of 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper. (If using a springform pan, grease sides and bottom and bring the crumbs up about an inch on the sides)
Refrigerate while you make the filling.
For the filling place Neufchatel, sugar, flour in mixing bowl and beat until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Scrape the sides of the bowl well, add the creme, lemon zest, vanilla and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the fridge and pour in the filling. Place cheesecake in the 350 degree oven.
Bake 15 minutes and then turn the oven down to 250 degrees. Cook approximately 60 minutes more (60-90 minutes for a 6inch tall springform or 10 inch round) until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the centre. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Let cool completely and then put in fridge overnight. If possible cool at least several hours before cutting.
For the samples I kept it plain but normally would have used a blueberry sauce which compliments the lemon so beautifully. We have a 'lime peppa chocolate sauce' at work that swirls on cheesecake and is such a unique flavor burst! Of course you can eat this 'plain' ( an understatement) or with your favorite topping (strawberry, caramel, crushed belgian chocolate bars, toasted nuts...)

Neufchatel Cheesecake Samplers ready to party

To go along with the theme I also made 150 mini quiche and 2 litre containers of Feta Dip. Recipes to follow....I need a little break. I'm all mini'd out! :)
Be sure to visit http://goldenearscheeseworks.com for some of the finest cheeses made locally and a whole host of interesting products.

Golden Ears Cheeseworks by day

Busy Baking
I've had a busy 6 months baking 3 days a week at Golden Ears Cheeseworks / http://goldenearscheeseworks.com. The wonderful thing is I have been fortunate enough to use the most wonderful(they should win an award!!) neufchatel, gouda, cheddar, feta, creme fraiche, milk, unsalted butter and the list goes on. How could my cheese buns, cakes, cookies, dips, soups not turn out? I have been blessed.
I was able to formulate my recipes using their products. We have been serving up poutine the past month and it has been well received. Festival Du Bois was this past weekend and we provided over 250 pounds of curds to be used with their poutine. Should that bring a few new customers out our way....I think so.

I will be leaving my big demo kitchen to be back home baking very soon and honestly, I will miss everyone and everything about Cheeseworks. It is not everyday that you find work that is satisfying. But I know my baking will continue, my blogging will become less erratic, spring is in the air and gardening is on the horizon again. Stay tuned.

Soup Saturday...at least for lunch

It's the end of the week and it's raining. I feel caught somewhere between monsoon season and drizzles. Let's call it April! 
I had made us a pot of chicken noodle soup the other day and put leftovers in the fridge. It seems all my friends that called during the week were complaining of scratchy throats and headaches. Not taking chances, the soup is out today for lunch and this time I'm adding some ginger and chili garlic sauce to it!

While I was in the fridge (not literally but it gave you pause, right?), I remembered that I had an old standby, Boiled Raisin Cake, waiting for me. You know I love my sweets, so after sharing my peanut butter cup with dh, I brought out the cake to thaw for dinner. 

The pizza dough I made yesterday (from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking Cookbook always) is waiting in the fridge for later this evening. I love the weekend because there is simply no stress, no fuss. 
Back to the cake, it may have been a hardship during the war to think of recipes that didn't have eggs or milk and butter and sometimes even sugar. This cake has stood the test of time. It is moist and rich with the flavor of spices and I personally want to thank the war brides who did whatever was humanly possible to bring healthy meals to their table during WWII. Cheers.
Boiled Raisin Cake
350 degree oven. Bake 1 hour, test.
2 c raisins
1/3 c shortening (I used butter but remember this is the 40's!)
1 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg, cloves, ginger
1 c hot water
2 c flour
dash salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 c orange juice, zest of orange
1 tsp vanilla
Put raisins, shortening, sugar, spices and hot water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 6 minutes uncovered and cool.
Add dry ingredients, orange juice, zest and vanilla to raisin mixture, mix well (runny batter)
Use small tube pan or loaf pan, greased.
Enjoy the weekend whether you have sun or rain, look for the rainbow!

Olive Oil Cake after a great weekend away ♥

Everyone deserves a little reward or two. Before leaving for the Women's Retreat on Friday afternoon, I baked a lovely Orange Olive Oil Cake based on an Anna Olsen and Bon Appetite recipe. Does Anna ever disappoint? I loved the moist and very flavorful cake and wolfed down a couple of still warm slices before wrapping it up for dh to enjoy whilst I was enjoying myself in the company of women. 
Our destination was in the forest at a camp for disabled children and their families. It was a wonderful place, and looking at the drawings and pictures of very smiley faced campers, I would say every child who is fortunate enough to attend this facility comes out refreshed and rewarded. The bedding was super soft and the rooms were pleasant enough, but it was the camaraderie and the fresh outdoors that were the best! We participated in an interpretive obstacle course which had most of us howling with laughter! I know I was only 6 inches off the ground but when you're blindfolded, perception is reality.
The rain stopped ☂long enough for us to wander to the lake and stop to talk to the animals at the petting zoo. Gisele and Billy were born 4 days earlier to a frisky goat, chickens wandered about doing their little dance and the burro and horses were content. Well, I take that back. The burro proved to be a stubborn a** when the ranch hand tried to pull him away from the grassy area. 
But, lest I regress more, I came home to overripe bananas and decided to carry on with the olive oil cakeathon. Today I baked a very simple cake and topped one with milk choc chunks and toasted pecan pieces strewn with abandon over the top and left the other plain, only because my guilt overtook me. I added a little shot of amaretto to it instead of vanilla. Love the almond anything! See how pretty the dessert fork is, a gift from my late mother-in-law.

This cake is the easiest recipe and if your home is like mine, we always have bananas that get too ripe, too quickly.
Set the oven to 350, I use 2 pie plates but you can use a 9x13 greased.
2 1/4 c flour
1 2/3 c sugar ( I use 1/2 white 1/2 brown sugars)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder, baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 c evoo
2/3 c buttermilk
3 eggs
3 large bananas, mashed (1 1/4 c or more)
shot of bourbon, amaretto or vanilla
and 2/3 toasted walnuts, pecans optional
Blend all together for 3 minutes in a large mixing bowl. Bake in greased containers 45-50 minutes. If you use the cake for lunches it is very moist and doesn't need icing but, if you are having company or it is for a special dinner, then a cream cheese icing is wonderful on it. Keep in fridge, if iced. It just doesn't get any easier than this! 
Since the cake has that 'comfort food' feel to it, I decided to make meat loaf, acorn squash, fried potatoes and broccoli for dinner. 'Sufficiently suffunctified' as my dad would say, bless his heart. Where did that expression come from?
I planted the second raised bed with lima beans, green beans, purple beans, golf ball carrots, mixed lettuce, beets and filled containers with purple onions, cherry tomatoes, turnip and leeks. The third raised bed now has summer and winter squash and peas. 
Hope I'm not too early for everything, but I was in the mood for planting. 
Today has been a good day, I hope yours was as well. ;)