Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake

Three ingredients and so damn good.

Makes 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

• 1 slice frozen strawberry cheesecake, broken into chunks
• ⅓ cup vanilla ice cream
• ⅓ cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Put everything into a blender and blend for a couple of minutes, until smooth
2. And this next part should be really, really obvious: put in a glass and drink...unless you want to add a little rum - then you would blend it again and then drink

WATCH ME MAKE THIS

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Finlandia Napoleons

Wait till you see how easy and crazy delicious these are. Made with #Finlandia Creamy Gourmet Cheese.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• Finlandia Sweet Lemon Creamy Gourmet Cheese*
• Raspberry jam
• Powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Roll out a defrosted sheet of puff pastry to make it approximately 30% larger, and poke all over with a fork 

3. Then cut into 2” x 3” rectangles, place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown,15-20 minutes - remove and let cool
4. Using Finlandia Sweet Lemon Creamy Gourmet Cheese spread a 1/8” inch layer on one rectangle, top with another rectangle, add another layer of cheese and finally a layer of raspberry jam – 
5. To serve, add a final dusting of powdered sugar.

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*Finlandia Butter can be found at Vons, Albertsons and Safeway. Finlandia Cheeses are also available, in Southern California at Costco and other fine retailers.

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FINLANDIA DESSERT WONTONS

Want a crazy good, 4 ingredient dessert?  Look no further than these Vanilla Bean & Apricot wontons.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Makes 24

INGREDIENTS

• 7 ounces Finlandia Vanilla Bean Creamy Gourmet Cheese
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 24 round won ton wrappers
• Powdered sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat ovento 400
2. Combine cheese & apricot jam in bowl – mix well
3. Put about 2 teaspoons of the mix in the center of each wrapper
4. Lightly moisten the edges of each wrapper with water, fold in half and seal tightly- place on baking sheet
5. Place in the freezer about 20minutes
6. Bake in a until they start to brown - about 15 minutes and let cool slightly, then dust lightly with powdered sugar, and serve alone or with ice cream. 

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*Finlandia Butter can be found at Vons, Albertsons and Safeway. Finlandia Cheeses are also available, in Southern California at Costco and other fine retailers.

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Cheryl’s Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Makes 16 2" squares or 32 1"x2" small bars

I don't go for many sweet things, but this is a favorite of mine, it's in the top 10.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
• 10-ounce bag Marshmallows
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

DIRECTIONS

1. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty.
3. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
4. As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.
5. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. You can use a piece of waxed or parchment paper sprayed with oil or spread with butter (even better, save the wrapper from the butter and use that!) to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.
6. Let cool completely and then cut into squares. Devour.

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Cannoli

I used to HATE cannoli's, until I made these. Light and delicious, they’re nothing like the overly-sweet versions you find elsewhere. And did I mention the raspberries? 

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

• 12 store bought cannoli shells
• 1  1/2 cup ricotta
• 2 tablespoons fine grain sugar
• 1 cup organic raspberries
• zest 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting
• Piping bag or ziplock bag

DIRECTIONS

1. In large bowl beat the ricotta and sugar, add zest, break raspberries up, mix well, chill mixture in fridge for 30 mins
2. Pipe the mixture into shells (use a piping bag or a ziplock bag and cut corner off
3. Serve, dusted with powdered sugar 

WATCH SAM MAKE THIS >>>

PUMPKIN CORNBREAD

Serves 6

Don't neglect any canned pumpkin puree leftovers. Make this stupidly awesome and easy sweet treat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

1. blend ingredients as per box instructions, add the pumpkin puree and mix thoroughly

2. pour mixture into greased 8x8 oven proof dish and cook as per instructions
3. slice it up and spread on the butter, enjoy

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Raspberry Napoleon

Serves 2

Traditionally, a Napoleon pastry is three layers of layers of cream pâtissière, whatever that is. The top is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white and brown strips. This is nothing like that...but then you already figured that right?

Ingredients

• One 10 ounce bag frozen raspberries, defrosted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• One small basket fresh raspberries
• Powdered sugar
• Whipping cream
• 1 sheet frozen pie dough, defrosted

Directions

1. Put defrosted raspberries in a blender with sugar and lemon juice, blend until smooth then set aside
2. Cut pie dough into six 2.5 x 4" pieces
3. Put dough slices in a medium hot non-stick pan and cook until light brown on each side, then remove from heat and let cool
4. To make Napoleon, put a piece of dough on a plate, and top with a thin layer of whipping cream, then a layer of raspberries then another light layer of cream
5. Repeat another layer on top - dough, cream, raspberries, cream and a final dough piece
6. Drizzle raspberry sauce over the top and dust with powdered sugar – serve.

Croissantinis

Serves 4

Flaky, delicious and small enough you won’t feel guilty eating them – unless you eat 12.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• cream cheese
• raspberry jelly
• butter

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. Cut parchment paper to fit baking sheet
3. Dust surface and rolling pin with flour, rollout pastry sheet until about 16'' square
4. Cut into 12 triangles and roll towards the point and bend into traditional shape
5. Lay on sheet and brush on egg wash, then bake for approx 10 minutes or until golden
6. Serve warm with butter, cream cheese and raspberry jelly

Grilled Pineapple

Serves 4

This is the easiest thing in the world to do with just a few basic ingredients, it has to be tried. And, you can keep the sauce in the fridge for a week.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1 can Pineapple rings (or fresh if you like)
• vanilla ice cream
• powdered sugar to garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat grill to medium high
2. In a small pot melt butter with sugar - add rum and let warm through and thicken slightly
3. Drain pineapple slices, dip in the sauce and place on grill cook until well marked, 2-3 minutes
4. Baste each slice then flip and cook on other side, baste again cooking until golden 
5. Plate, add a scoop of ice cream, a little more sauce and a dusting of powdered sugar

Hot Sweet Wings

Makes about 2 dozen wings

Make them on a moments notice by keeping a bag of wings in the freezer - you don't even need to defrost them. Just yank 'em out and throw them in the oven, it's a piece of cake.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings

• 1/2 cup honey

• 1/4 cup butter

• 6 ounces Louisiana-style hot sauce

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• good size pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat broiler

2. Place wings on a foil lined baking sheet and broil until done - about 10 minutes a side - more if frozen

3. While they're cooking, put remaining ingredients in a small pot and simmer for about 15 minutes

4. When wings are done, mix them in batches with the sauce in large bowl

5. Place wings in serving bowl with some of the sauce

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Yams with OJ

Serves 6

Isn't it time for a 'not creamy' porridge-like potato dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas? I think it is - and roasted is the way to go...in my opinion.

Ingredients

• 2 Yams, peeled and cut into a large dice
• 2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into a large dice
• Juice of 1 large orange
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon syrup (maple or pancake will do just fine)
• 2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon - your choice but I like Jack
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Place potatoes on large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper
2. Bake at 450 about 30 minutes, stirring about halfway
3. Mix orange juice, sugar, syrup and bourbon in a small bowl
4. Drizzle over potatoes, return to oven and cook for another 5 minutes
5. Remove to serving dish, grate fresh orange over the top and serve

Cinnamon-Pecan-Carmelly-Pull-Apart-Thing

Ridiculously simple morning treat? Yes. Warm, sweet and amazingly delicious? Yes. Impressive? Absolutely yes. Will you want it again? - Oh yes, yes! Low cal and low fat? You're kidding right?

Ingredients

• 3-10 oz packages refrigerator biscuits, quartered
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecan pieces
• 1/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Combine cinnamon and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl
3. Drop biscuit quarters in the bowl a few at a time and mix with your hands until evenly covered with cinnamon sugar
4. Meanwhile, combine remaining sugar and butter in a small pot over low heat until butter has melted - mix well
5. Scatter half the pecans and raisins in bottom of buttered bunt pan,and cover with half the coated biscuit quarters
6. Pour half the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and repeat again with pecans, raisins, biscuits and finally the rest of the butter
7. Bake in heated oven for about 40 minutes
8. Carefully turn upside down on a platter big enough to handle some dripping of the gooey carmelly stuff running down the sides
9. It's really hot so you might want to use a fork, but man oh man oh man...