Cookbook giveaway #1 in a series of 4:

Who doesn’t like a giveaway? As food bloggers we sometime receive books from publishers asking us to review them. I decided to accept 4 books recently and would like to pass them on to you who read my blog. This giveaway is intended as a thank you for keeping up with my food and travel writing, for joining my weekly mailing list, RSS feed and following me on social media. There will be 4 giveaways, 2 today and 2 next Friday November 21. Watch the blog for details.

The giveaways begin with this post and will end on November 30. Let me know which book you are interested in (you can enter in all 4 giveaways) and I will randomly draw a winner for each of the books and mail it to you on December 1st. Scroll to the bottom of the post for easy giveaway entry rules.

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THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE

By George Geary

Many cook stay away from baking cheesecakes believing they are difficult to make. Well, not any longer. George Geary, a cooking and baking instructor at more than 100 cooking schools across North America, a food journalist and author of 5 cookbooks compiled a cheesecake book that will take the fear of baking out of even the most novices of bakers.

Geary discusses baking tools, decorating tools and ingredients as well as describes cake-making techniques from how to blend the ingredients to oven temperature and how to get the cake out of the pan. Nothing is unimportant or overlooked in this simple yet comprehensive guide to cheesecake baking.

The collection of cheesecakes in this book ranges from the basic and light to the decadently rich but a common thread is the simplicity of the recipes, the availability of the  ingredients and the clear instruction. You will find here blue ribbon cheesecake that had won him numerous awards, a New York style cheesecake right out of a Manhattan deli and caramel pecan cheesecake that can be your next showstopper at dinner (recipe below). He offers a chapter about savoury cheesecakes that you can serve with a salad or as an appetizer, such mini blue cakes or goat cheese and walnut cheesecake. I would venture to say that anyone can bake a wonderful cheesecake following Geary’s simple step by step instruction in this book.

Anyone who loves to bake or would to learn about baking would appreciate this book in their kitchen.

He is a sample recipe from the The Cheesecake Bible by George Geary 2014 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. The book is available where books are sold.

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

A childhood fondness for turtle candies, with crunchy pecans wrapped in rich caramel, inspired this decadent cheesecake.

Ingredients:

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•  Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)

• 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springform pan with 3-inch (7.5 cm) sides, greased

Crust

11⁄4 cups     chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs                                     300 mL
1⁄4 cup         pecans, toasted and ground                                                  50 mL
1⁄4 cup         unsalted butter, melted                                                          50 mL

Filling

1 cup            soft caramels                                                                       250 mL
2 tbsp          evaporated milk or whipping (35%) cream                            25 mL
6 oz              bittersweet chocolate chunks                                              175 g
2                   packages (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1 cup            sour cream                                                                          250 mL
1⁄2 cup         granulated sugar                                                                 125 mL
3                   eggs
1 tsp            vanilla extract                                                                          5 mL
1 cup            pecans, toasted and chopped                                            250 mL

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Directions:

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1.  Crust: In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, ground pecans and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.

2.  Filling: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt caramels in evaporated milk, stirring frequently, until smooth. Reserve about 3 tbsp (45 mL); cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining caramel mixture over frozen crust, spreading evenly and leaving a 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) border uncovered. Sprinkle chocolate chunks over caramel. Set aside.

3. In a mixer bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar on medium-high speed until very smooth, for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Fold in chopped pecans by hand.

4.  Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Bake in preheated oven until top is light brown and center has a slight jiggle to it, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating or serving.

5.  Decoration: Reheat reserved caramel mixture in the microwave (or in a small saucepan over low heat) until melted. Drizzle over cake.

Tip: It’s best not to spread the melted caramel mixture right to the edge of the pan. If you do, it might stick and make it difficult to remove the cake from the pan.

Serves 10 to 12

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To enter the giveaway all you need to do is ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

 

• Leave a comment on this post,  OR…

 

• Leave a comment on any post on the blog and say you wish to participate in the book giveaway (I personally vet all comments so I’ll see yours),  Or…

 

• Like my page on my Facebook page and leave a comment there mentioning the Giveaway, Or…

 

• Retweet the post with a link on your twitter, Or…

 

• Follow me on Instagram and leave a comment on the Giveaway post.

 

And, you are welcome to share this with your friends on your social media.

Contest rules:

• The Giveaway ends on November 30.
• The giveaway is open to all readers but will only be shipped to a mailing address in Canada and the US at this time.

• You will need to provide me with a current mailing address in Canada or the US once I announce the winners.

 

I hope you join in the giveaway and look forward to hearing from you.

• You will need to provide me with a current mailing address in Canada or the US once I announce the winners.

 

Dina

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