Fruity Cheesecake

For the graham crust:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2-1/2 tbsp. sugar
4 to 5 tbsp. melted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
3. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and 4 tbsp butter. Mix. If the crumbs seem dry, add the last tablespoon of butter.
4. Press onto the bottom of the springform pan evenly
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes till firm and golden.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.


For the fruit layer:
3 medium-sized apples/pears/any fruit, sliced/cubed
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter
1-1/2 tbsp. sugar
2-1/2 tbsp. heavy cream
a pinch of nutmeg

1. Toss the apples with the lemon juice.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet.
3. Add the fruits and cook for 2 minutes, over medium heat, until the fruits begin to soften.
4. Sprinkle with sugar and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the fruits soften further and begin to turn golden.
5. Add the cream and the nutmeg and lower the heat slightly.
6. Cook until the cream has been absorbed by the fruits, about 10 minutes.
7. Transfer the apples to a plate and let cool completely.


For the cheesecake:
3 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)
1 tbsp. cornstarch or flour
4 large eggs

1. Beat the cream cheese for a minute or two until it's smooth.
2. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until smooth, about 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon and ginger and beat for another minute.
4. Add the sour cream and cornstarch/flour and beat until blended
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.


Assembling the cheesecake:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F/176C.
2. Layer fruits over the cooled crust.
3. Pour the cheesecake filling over the fruits.
4. Place the pan in a large, shallow roasting pan and add hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
5. Carefully place the pan in the oven.
6. Bake for 70-80 minutes till filling appears set, but still a tiny bit wobbly in the middle.
7. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, peel off the aluminum foil layer and place on a rack to cool completely.
8. Once cool, place in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients
6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2.75oz/78g unsalted butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp lemon extract/grated zest
3 1/2 cups (16 oz) all-purpose flour/unbleached bread flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups milk/buttermilk, at room temperature
Cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar + 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or other spices eg cardamom, ginger, allspice)

Making the Dough:
1. Cream sugar, salt, and butter on medium-high speed
2. Whip in the egg and lemon extract/zest until smooth.
3. Add flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed (or stir by hand) until the dough forms a ball.
4. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes (or knead by hand for 12 to 15 minutes), or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky.
** May have to add a little flour or water while mixing to achieve this texture.
5. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Form the Buns:
1. Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter.
2. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long, lightly dusting the top with flour to keep it from sticking to the pin.
** Don´t roll out the dough too thin, or the finished buns will be tough and chewy
3. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log
4. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 pieces each about 1 3/4 inches thick
5. Line pans with baking parchment and place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren´t touching but are close to one another.

Proof the Buns:
1. Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. Y
2. Alternatively, retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

Bake the Buns:
1. Preheat the oven to 175°C with the oven rack in the middle shelf
2. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then streak white fondant glaze across the tops, while the buns are warm but not too hot.
4. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait for at least 20 minutes before serving.

White fondant glaze for cinnamon buns:
1. Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon or orange extract and 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Add the milk slowly and only as much as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste.
3. When the buns are still warm, streak the glaze over them by dipping the tines of a fork or a whisk into the glaze and waving the fork or whisk over the tops.

World Peace Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
155g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp fleur de sel / 1/4 tsp fine sea salt/table salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chip/ a generous 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation
1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
2. Beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.
3. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes.
4. Pour in the dry ingredients and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time.
** drape a kitchen towel over the mixer to shield from flying flour
5. If there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel.
6. Continuing at low speed, mix just until the flour disappears into the dough
** work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added
7. Add chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
8. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half.
9. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
10. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours.

Getting Ready to Bake
1. Preheat the oven to 160C.
2. Slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.)
3. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
4. Bake for 12 minutes
** they won’t look done/firm
5. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Storage
1. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
** If frozen, no need to defrost, just slice the logs and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.
2. Packed airtight, cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.