Christinas Daddys Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the shortening, powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, and molasses. Mix on low speed, just until smooth, trying not to incorporate too much air.
• Add the flour mixture all at once, and mix on low to medium-low speed. As this begins to mix, add the 1/4 cup of cooled coffee. Watch closely as the dough begins to come together. If it looks and feels dry and crumbly, begin to add the remaining coffee, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. The dough should be firm, but evenly moist.
• Alternatively, this dough can be mixed by hand. If you choose to do this, add the flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, instead of all at once, to the sugar and shortening mixture. Add the coffee, a little at a time, along with the flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into 2 flattened rectangles. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place into an air-tight container or zip-top plastic bag. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before rolling and cutting. The dough keeps for 4 days, refrigerated.
• If dough has been chilled for longer than 1 to 2 hours, allow it to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment or foil, or very lightly grease.
• Working with 1 piece of the chilled dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 3/8-inch thick (small, decorative pieces may be rolled thinner; pieces that will need to provide support may be rolled thicker). Transfer to prepared baking sheets, then cut to desired shapes using templates that have been lightly floured. Cut out desired shapes (use templates and lightly flour them before placing on the dough and cutting). If cutting windows, doors, etc., start by cutting them first, then cut the overall shape. This prevents distortion of the pieces. Keep similar sized pieces on each sheet for even baking. If you have the refrigerator space, a brief chilling at this point (15 minutes) will help the dough hold its shape in the oven, but this step is optional.
• Lightly brush or spray the surface with water and bake 15 minutes for medium to large pieces (7 to 10 minutes for smaller pieces). Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. With a sharp knife, carefully re-cut the hot gingerbread (using your templates) if any spreading occurred. Remove all scraps from the tray.
• Return the baking sheet to the oven. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes more, even longer for very large or thick pieces, until dark brown, but not burned. You must bake gingerbread for houses much longer than you would bake cookies. It must be very dry throughout, and quite dark in color. The low oven temperature helps to keep the browning even, as opposed to dark around the edges. As oven temperatures will vary, check the pieces during the second baking frequently. If they are browning too quickly, lower the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Loosen the pieces from the tray with a thin spatula and continue to cool on the tray until firm. Remove the pieces from the tray and allow them to cool on a wire rack for several hours before assembling your house.

Steps:

• Bake cookies according to package directions. Immediately after removing from oven, insert a lollipop stick into 1 end of each cookie. Place on a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, divide icing into as many small bowls as you wish to color. Mix desired food coloring into each bowl.
• Ice the cookies in different colors and decorate with candy, and sprinkles.

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Stir well to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, and then butter the sides of the springform pan for the cheesecake mixture.
• For the filling: In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. Add in the sugar and beat it some more; scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing in between each addition, until thoroughly combined. Mix in the sour cream on slow speed while pouring the hazelnut liqueur into the bowl in a slow stream.
• Wrap the bottom of the springform pan with aluminum foil. Scrape the filling onto the chocolate crust in the pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in 3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil and put in a larger pan. Add enough hot water to the outer pan to come up halfway. Bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake should be set around the edges but still a little jiggly in the middle.
• Allow to set up overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge and open the springform pan. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with chocolate drizzles and hazelnuts dipped in chocolate.

Steps:

• To make the cake base: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 by 9-inch cake pan.
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and scrape into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and let cool completely.
• To make the towers: Generously grease the cans with shortening. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Divide the batter among the cans, filling them not more than halfway. Bake until a cake tester, wooden skewer or raw piece of spaghetti inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes for the smaller cans and 1 1/4 hours for the large can. Place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out of the cans and let cool completely.
• To prepare the frosting: Put 2 tubs of frosting in a mixing bowl and add blue food coloring until it reaches the desired shade. Set aside. Divide the remaining tub of frosting between 2 bowls and color 1 purple and 1 pink. Set aside.
• To assemble the cake: Place the square cake on a platter and cover with blue frosting. Use a serrated knife to trim the tower cakes so the tops are flat. Cover the towers with blue frosting. Set the large tower on the center of the base cake and then set 1 of the smaller towers on top of it, securing with 1 or 2 straws or skewers. Set 1 small tower on each side of the large one, securing them to the base cake with a straw or skewer (cut to fit as needed).
• Cover the sugar cones with purple icing and place open-side down on top of each tower. Use a spatula to smooth out the frosting on the cakes or cones.
• Fill the pastry bag with pink icing and pipe a border around the edges of the cake. Insert lollipops around the edge of the base cake to make a fence. Set the doll in front of the main tower and scatter the sprinkles over all.