Margarita Cheesecake
Margarita Cheesecake
Serves 10
4 ounces salted pretzels
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for baking pan
3 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec
1 tablespoon tequila
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in center. Make the crust: Butter a 9 1/2 inch springform pan; set aside. In a food processor, pulse pretzels to fine crumbs. Add sugar and butter; process until combined.
Press evenly into bottom and slightly up sides (about 1 inch) of the springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Prepare filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl to eliminate any lumps, about 1 minute. Add sour cream, sugar, Grand Marnier, tequila, and lime zest; beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition.
Pour into cooled crust (filling will come up higher than crust). Line outside of pan with aluminum foil (to prevent water from seeping in). Place in a roasting pan. Pour hot water to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until set and slightly firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Remove from water bath, and let cool on a wire rack; refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. Run a hot knife around edge of pan to release.
Chocolate Fondue
Chocolate Fondue
Yields 10 servings
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, reserve 1/4 cup
4 bittersweet chocolate bars, chopped, 3 1/2 ounces each
A nip of Grand Marnier
1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds, optional
1-2 store-bought pound cakes, cut into cubes
1 package shortbread cookie sticks
1 package pretzel rods
1 pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
3 pints stem-on strawberries or regular strawberries if stem on is hard to find
Heat 1/2 cup cream in a heavy, non-reactive saucepot over moderate heat until cream comes to a low boil. Remove from the heat and add chocolate. Let the chocolate stand in hot cream 3-5 minutes to soften, then whisk together. Stir in Grand Marnier and chopped nuts, if using. Transfer to a fondue pot or set the mixing bowl on a rack above a small lit candle. If fondue becomes too thick, stir in reserved cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency. Serve with the pound cake, pretzels, shortbread cookies, pineapple and strawberries.
Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cheddar Mustard Sauce
Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Cheddar Mustard Sauce
from Rachael Ray
Yields 4 servings
4 quart-size plastic food storage bags
4 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 5-ounce bag of salted pretzels, any shape
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3/4 pound, about 2 1/2 cups, sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
2 heaping tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, a generous handful, chopped
1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large sour dill pickle, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preheat a large non-stick skillet with a 1/4-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle a little water into four medium food storage baggies. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag and seal it up, pushing out excess air. Use the bottom of a heavy pot or pan and pound each breast until flat, just shy of busting out of the bag. Repeat with the other 3 chicken breasts.
Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish, add the thyme and some salt and pepper. Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water. One at a time, coat each chicken breast in the egg and then the ground pretzels.
Add the pretzel-coated chicken breast to the hot oil. Cook in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear and breading is evenly browned.
While the chicken is frying, in a medium saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook flour and butter for 1 minute and then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese and mustard with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper, and remove cheese sauce from the heat.
Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken breast to a serving plate, drizzle with the mustard cheddar sauce, then sprinkle with a little parsley, finely chopped onion and sour dill pickle. Serve lemon wedges alongside.
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