To My Valued Readers..

My Posts may not be put up on a daily basis all the time anymore. As I am starting a new business venture, I may need to focus  a bit more of my time on it . At least for the short term. I will still be posting, but it may sometimes be only 3 or 4 times a week, give or take . i really ,truly value my subscribers and readers,and I appreciate your continued support. I will keep yoiu informed of my progress with words and pictures ,when I can.

Thanks very much to all of you!

Sincerely,
Kent at Kens Kreations

Need I say more....

Almond Cheesecake Bars

This recipe comes courtesy of Colleen's Recipes

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a very good photo of it, so let me describe it for you. It has a thin, cream cheese & nut cookie crust, then a layer of very thinly sliced apples, covered with a cheesecake filling, then more of the crust ingredients (with added nuts) sprinkled over the top before baking. It really is delicious."


CRUST AND TOPPING
1¼ cups flour + 2 tablespoons (divided)
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cream cheese
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ cup white sugar + 2 tablespoons (divided)
¼ cup brown sugar +2 tablespoons (divided)
¾ cup slivered almonds chopped 


FILLING
4 ounces cream cheese
½ cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch table salt
2 medium apples (see note) 1 pound
.
Heat oven to 350F and cut a 9" x 14" piece of parchment paper to line a 9" square baking pan (it will extend over the ends, like handles, so you can lift the baked bars out of the pan). Butter the parchment paper and sides of the pan.
.
MAKE THE CRUST AND TOPPING
Mix 1¼ cups of flour with salt (set the other 2 tablespoons aside). Beat the room temperature butter until smooth, beat in softened cream cheese and almond extract. Scrape down sides of bowl, when necessary and beat everything for about a minute. Add ¼ cup of the white sugar and ¼ cup of the brown sugar and beat till smooth. Add the flour-salt mixture and 1/3 cup of the chopped nuts. Beat only until the flour is absorbed and the mixture starts to come together in clumps. Set aside 2/3 cup of this dough and press the rest of the dough into the prepared pan, in a thin, even layer. Prick all over with fork. Bake in 350F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden.

.While crust bakes, add the 2 tablespoons of reserved four and the remaining 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar into the reserved dough. Mix it in with your fingers, then squeeze the dough all together in a ball.

.

Peel, core and slice two Braeburn, Gala or Rome apples into 1/8" slices, set aside.

.

MAKE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING

Beat the (room temperature) cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; add sugars and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and beat until well combined. Beat in lemon zest, lemon juice and salt.

.

ASSEMBLE

Spread the apple slices over the baked crust. Pour the cheesecake filling over the apples, spreading gently and evenly. Crumble the topping ingredients and scatter over the cheesecake filling (pieces can be as big as a cherry). Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Bake in preheated 350F for 45 to 50 minutes or until topping is light golden brown.

Remove from oven and keep in pan for 30 minutes (cool on wire rack). After 30 minutes, use the long ends of the parchment paper to lift the bars out onto a cutting board (don't remove paper yet). Let cool completely, then slide a long metal spatula under the bars, lifting, and sliding the paper out. Cut into squares.

OTE: I used pecans instead of almonds and I used two Braeburn apples sliced very thin.
.
NOTE: Next time I make this recipe (which will be soon) I am going to sprinkle the apples with a little cinnamon.

Abe's gingerbread men

One of Abraham Lincoln's favorite culinary tales is the one dubbed "The Gingerbread Story," one he actually mentioned in the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates.

Seems that back in his Indiana boyhood, young Abe's stepmama was in the kitchen cooking up some sorghum and ginger into gingerbread, a cherished treat. Young Abe, smelling the elixir, dashed into the cabin and scooped up three gingerbread boys. He hurried them out to a hickory tree, where he slid down to take the first bite.

As he was sinking his teeth into the legs of the first gingerboy, a neighbor farmboy came along. The boy, whom Abe deemed was even poorer than the Lincolns, asked if he too could have a gingerboy, so Abe obliged. The boy gobbled it down and asked for another. Abe obliged again, left with but one gingerboy — and a tale to tell forever.

The moral of the story has more to do with Abe's endless generosity than his fondness for the sweet and spicy cakes. But from the mouth of Lincoln himself, it's the rare morsel with gustatory leanings. And that's the honest truth.


Young Abe's gingerbread men

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 minutes
Makes: About 5 dozen

Note: The cookies can be iced after cooling. The recipe is adapted from "Lincoln's Table," by Donna F. McCreary.

Ingredients:
21/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses or sorghum
1 teaspoon each: cinnamon, ginger, cloves 2 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vinegar
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon milk

Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl with electric mixer. Beat in molasses, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Beat in eggs and vinegar; mix well.

Sift flour and baking soda; beat into egg mixture gradually. Beat in milk to form a soft dough. Wrap dough in plastic; refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough in batches on floured board. Cut with gingerbread-man cutters or other shapes. Raisins or dried fruit can be used to decorate. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.


Nutrition information
Per cookie: 94 calories, 39% of calories from fat, 4 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 25 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.

Cream cheese pound cake

Cream cheese pound cake

Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Makes: 16 servings

Note: This is adapted from "Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro's basic pound cake. The cake can be decorated as you like or served simply with citrus-glazed fruit.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Citrus-glazed fruit, see recipe, optional
Whipped cream, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in 1 3/4 cups of the sugar until smooth; beat in flour and vanilla on low speed until batter has a dry, crumbly appearance. Add yolks, one at a time, beating each until incorporated. Clean beaters.


Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and remaining 1/4 cup of the sugar in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into batter; repeat twice. Pour batter into buttered and floured 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes. Invert onto cake rack; cool completely. Decorate as desired, or serve with citrus-glazed fruit and whipped cream.

Citrus-glazed fruit: Mix 1 cup each sugar and water plus grated zest of one lemon in a small saucepan; cook over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Cut enough fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, kiwi fruit, for example) to make about 3 cups. Place fruit in bowl; pour glaze over fruit.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 329 calories, 46% of calories from fat, 17 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 122 mg cholesterol, 40 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 62 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.