Triple Creme Cheese With Armagnac Soaked Raisins Recipes

CREPES WITH CHEESE AND RAISINS

Steps:

• Prepare the crepes: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, eggs and melted butter. Stir until smooth. Add milk and mix well. Strain.
• Heat a 7-inch crepe pan or non-stick omelet pan and melt 1 teaspoon butter over moderate heat. Pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter. Cook the crepe until it is golden brown on the bottom; then flip it, using a spatula. Remove when golden brown on both sides. Continue until all the batter is used.
• In a food processor, combine sugar and lemon zest and process until lemon zest is minced. Add the cheese, butter, 1 egg, and a pinch of salt. Process until cheese is smooth. With the motor running, add the remaining eggs through the feed tube, one at a time. Add creme fraiche and process just to combine. Transfer to a bowl and stir in raisins and vanilla. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
• Make the glaze: Whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in heavy cream. Reserve.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter individual gratin dishes. Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in each crepe and roll to enclose. Arrange two or three crepes in each gratin dish.
• Pour glaze over crepes and bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Serve in gratin dishes directly from the oven. Top with apricot marmalade.

TRIPLE-CREME CHEESE WITH ARMAGNAC-SOAKED RAISINS

Steps:

• In a nonreactive container, combine raisins and Armagnac. Let stand for 24 hours; transfer to refrigerator if not using immediately.
• Let cheese come to room temperature. Just before serving, pour raisins and Armagnac over cheese. Serve with crackers.

NO-BAKE RAISIN CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Put all the raisins in a small bowl, and pour hot water over them. Set the bowl aside.
• Heat 1/4 cup white sugar with 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil the mixture until the bubbles rise to the surface in a random pattern. This indicates that the water has nearly evaporated, and that the sugar is beginning to cook. With a small spoon, drop a bit of the sugar into a bowl filled with ice water. If the sugar dissolves immediately, continue cooking the sugar mixture. Remove from heat when the sugar dropped into the water can be rolled between your fingers into a ball.
• Begin beating the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed. Pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl in a thin, steady stream. When all the sugar has been incorporated, decrease mixer speed to medium. Continue beating until the egg whites are glossy, have formed stiff peaks, and have cooled to room temperature--about 10 minutes. Increase the speed to high, and beat the meringue for 1 minute more.
• Puree the yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, vanilla extract, and 1/4 cup white sugar in a food processor or blender. Scrape the cheese mixture into a large bowl.
• Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk. Let it stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Heat the milk over a medium heat, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir the milk into the cheese mixture. Mix about 1/3 of the meringue into the cheese mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the rest of the meringue.
• Line an 8 inch cake pan with plastic wrap. Drain the raisins, and scatter them in the bottom of the pan. Then pour the cheesecake batter into the lined pan. Chill for 4 hours. To turn out the cheesecake, invert a serving plate on top of the pan. Turn both over together. Lift away the pan, peel off the plastic wrap, and slice for serving.

CREAM CHEESE AND RAISIN BLINTZES

Steps:

• for the crepes batter:.
• Mix flour, with egg and oil. Add cold water a little at a time, until a milky/watery consistency is made. You may need a little more water if the consistency is not achieved.
• Put a 1 1/2 tsp of oil in the frying pan, and heat on high. To test how hot the oil is put a teaspoon of the batter into the frying pan, if it sizzles it's ready, and you can start making the crepes.
• Make thin crepes on the frying pan by putting a little in the center and then spread the batter to the edges of the pan by moving the pan by the handle.
• Cook on one side of the crepe (you'll be cooking the other side when you are ready to make the blintzes with the filling).
• Repeat as until all the batter is used up. You'll need to add oil as necassary to the pan as well. each one side of the crepe should take one and a half minutes to prepare.
• When the one side is ready flip it over onto the plate with the ready made side is facing you (this is the side where you'll put the filling. This can be refrigerated for several hours.
• Blintze filling:.
• Mix all the ingredients together, except the oil. the milk helps to stretch the filling.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the filling on the cooked side of the crepes. Fold over so that part of the uncooked crepes is now facing you.
• Heat the oil in the frying pan the same way you did the first time around.
• When ready start cooking the uncooked sides of the crepes until ready. Do the same for all of the blintzes. Each Blintze should take about two minutes to prepare. Serve Blintzes hot.

CREAM CHEESE PIE WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 10-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Mix crumbs and melted butter in small bowl. Press crumb mixture evenly over bottom and up sides (but not onto rim) of prepared dish. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
• Blend cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and flour in processor until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually pour in milk and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add eggs; process until blended. Transfer batter to prepared crust. Mix remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over filling. Carefully place raisins atop filling (some may sink).
• Bake pie until set in center, about 1 hour. Transfer to rack and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, about 2 hours; cover and chill overnight.

TRIPLE SEC CREAM SCONES

Steps:

• Soak the raisins in liqueur for at least 15 minutes ahead of time. (add more triple sec if it doesn't cover the raisins).
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Combine dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it resembles course meal.
• Drain the liqueur from the raisins.
• Mix the eggs, cream, and raisins.
• Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until a dough forms.
• Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead LIGHTLY for one minute (don't overwork the dough).
• Pat the dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden.