EatInEatOut Winter 2015 | Page 53

BLACKBERRY CHEESECAKE SQUARES FOR THE CRUST: 2 cups finely ground social tea or shortbread cookies 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted FOR THE BLACKBERRY COMPOTE: 1-1/2 cup blackberries 2 Tbsps granulated sugar FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING: 2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract or bean paste To make compote: In a saucepan over medium heat, place blackberries and sugar in pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft - about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a food processor and blitz to a puree. Once cooled, you can either use a fine sieve or cheesecloth to remove any seeds or you can just leave them in. My grandmother always left them in when she used any blackberries or raspberries in her recipes, so I do the same. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9” x 13” baking dish with parchment paper. To make crust: In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground. Transfer to small mixing bowl and add melted butter. Mix until crust comes together. Press into bottom of pan, bake for 6 minutes. Remove. To make filling: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract (or paste) together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until combined. Pour cheese mixture over crust and smooth over with an offset spatula. Finally, dollop blackberry compote randomly all over. Using a skewer, pull through to create swirl on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate at least 3-4 hours before cutting. VIETNAMESE BANANA CAKE WITH CARAMEL RUM SAUCE BANANA CAKE: 7 large eggs, at room temperature 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup coconut milk 1/2 tsp Vietnamese or regular cinnamon 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup unsalted butter, melted 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 5 medium ripe bananas, 1” slices CARAMEL RUM SAUCE: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 Tbsps good quality rum 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and flour a 9” spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside. In a bowl, combine sliced bananas and granulated sugar, mixing well to coat. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sweetened condensed milk, coconut milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and butter. Whisk in flour until incorporated. Carefully fold in bananas. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. To make caramel rum sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add sugar and boil for several minutes. Whisk until sugar has dissolved, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add heavy cream, using caution as it will bubble up. Add in vanilla extract, rum and salt. Whisk to incorporate. Serve warm. Cake itself can be enjoyed warm or cold. WWW.EATINEATOUT.CA 53