Gina, Here are a couple of other options for you. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Praline Cheesecake ================== (Toronto Star Newspaper: 1981) 1-1/4 cup crushed graham crackers 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans toasted 1/4 cup butter melted 3 - 8 oz packages cream cheese 1 cup packed brown sugar 2/3 cup evaporated milk NOte: I used coffee cream 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup pecan halves toasted. Caramel Sauce topping 1 cup corn syrup - dark 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 Tablespoon Brown sugar 1 Tablespoon vanilla . Combine graham crackers, sugar, pecans and stir in melted butter. Press mixture over the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9" inch spring pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar, evaporated milk, flour and vanilla. Add egss and beat until just blended. pour into crust. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until set. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Loosen sides and remove rim. Cool completely. Arrange toasted pecans on top of cake decoratively. Make Topping by combining corn syrup, cornstarch and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla. To serve cake, Pour sauce over top and serve remaining sauce in a pitcher at the table. NOTE: I baked the cake in a Baine Marie. I wrapped foil around the outside of the springform pan to prevent any water from seeping in to the cake. Nnte: I use my regular caramel sauce instead of the one mentioned above: Caramel Sauce 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cream pinch of salt 2 teaspoons vanilla Mix all the ingredients together and simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes. Serve over Bread and butter pudding, apple pie and icecream, warm gingerbread, etc.. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table White Chocolate Cheesecake ========================== Adapted from http://www.dianasdesserts.com Dulce de Leche Cheesecake recipe Crust 1 1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs 2 tablespoons sugar 6 tablespoons melted butter Mix together and pat into bottom of a spring form pan lined with Buttered parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool Filling: 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese (24 oz. total) 1 cup superfine granulated sugar 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 eggs 1/3 cup heavy cream 6 ounces melted quality white chocolate Reset oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Melt white chocolate with heavy cream. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth.Add the melted chocolate cream mixture. Stir until smooth. Pour plain batter over crust. Wrap foil around the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Place in a shallow pan and pour in hot water. (Bain Marie) 7. Bake in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until center is almost set.Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 or 5 hours. DRizzle with white chocolate and or Dulce de Leche.

Wow, lots of really good options here. So I may as well add another! LOL Actually this is in my "to try" file. i haven't made it but plan to.....soon. Start making the day before, they have to chill overnight. COCONUT CREME BRULEE 1/2 cup plus 6 teaspoons sugar 6 large egg yolks 1 large egg 2 cups whipping cream 2/3 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk* 2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut Preheat oven to 350°F. Place six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins in large roasting pan. Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks and whole egg in large bowl to blend. Combine cream, coconut milk and coconut in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk into yolk mixture. Pour custard into cups, dividing equally. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are just set in center, about 35 minutes. Remove from water. Cool; chill overnight. Preheat broiler. Arrange custard cups on baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar evenly over each. Broil until sugar browns, rotating baking sheet for even browning and watching closely, about 2 minutes. Chill custards at least 1 hour before serving. (Can be broiled, then chilled up to 6 hours ahead.) *Available at Indian, Southeast Asian and Latin American markets and many supermarkets. Makes 6 servings. Bon Appétit January 2000 Linda

There's a flag at our front door that says "Lucky To Be IRISH", and we have hosted some really fine St. Patrick's Day Hoolies (parties) over the years. Lots of great food to prepare over a couple weeks of marathon baking... The first two recipes are desserts I made from a class I took years ago on Irish Cookery: BROONIE (Irish Gingerbread) 2 c. flour 1-1/2 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon 1 t. ground ginger 3/4 t. salt 1/2 c. butter, softened 1/2 c. sugar 1 egg 2 egg yolks 1 c. molasses 1/2 c. quick-cooking oatmeal 1 c. hot water Measure flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Sift together onto waxed paper. In mixing bowl, combine butter with sugar until well blended. Add the egg plus the two additional egg yolks. Beat mixture until fluffy. Stir in molasses. Add sifted dry ingredients, oatmeal and hot water (1/4 at a time) to egg and molasses mixture, stirring after each addition. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13" baking pan. Bake in a 350°F. oven 20-25-minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested. Cut into squares and serve warm. Kerry Apple Cake 1-1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. sugar 1 t. baking powder 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. ground cloves 1/4 t. salt 1/2 c. butter 1 egg, slightly beaten 1/3 c. milk 3 medium size apples, peeled and thinly sliced, (about 2-1/2 cups) 1/4 c. brown sugar Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is coarse crumbs. Add egg and milk and blend well to a stiff batter. Mix in apple slices and spread in a greased 9" square baking pan. Sprinkle top with brown sugar, bake in a 375°F oven 25-minutes. Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired. ----------------------------------- A traditional Irish cake from "Classic Irish Recipes": IRISH WHISKEY CAKE 1-3/4 c. golden raisins Grated rind of 1 lemon 1/2 c. whiskey (Irish Mist) 12 T. (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened 3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar 3 eggs 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour pinch of salt pinch of ground cloves 1 t. baking powder Icing: Juice of 1 lemon 1-3/4 c. confectioners' sugar a little warm water crystallized lemon slices to garnish (optional) Put the raisins and grated lemon rind into a bowl with the whiskey and let soak overnight. Grease a 7-inch deep cake pan and line the bottom with wax paper. Preheat a moderate oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs. Sift the flour, salt, cloves and baking powder together into a bowl. Beat the yolks into the butter and sugar one at a time, including a spoonful of flour and beating well after each addition. Gradually add the raisins and whiskey mixture, alternating with the remaining flour. Do not overbeat at this stage. Finally, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture with a metal spoon Turn into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 1-1/2-hours, or until well risen and springy to the touch - test with a skewer, which should come out clean, if you are uncertain. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the icing by mixing the lemon juice with sifted confectioners' sugar and just enough warm water so that you can pour the icing. Put a dinner plate under the cake rack to catch the icing. [Grainlady Note: I baked this recipe in a fluted Bundt pan. Check the cake for doneness after 30-minutes.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last, the least traditional, and the most popular.... KILLARNEY CHERRY CAKE (I've posted this recipe so many times on the Internet over the years that you can now Google it and find the recipe. I found this recipe in a cookbook that was compiled by Home Ec. Teachers in the "Foreign Section". How authentic to Ireland it is somewhat doubtful - although cherries are an Irish favorite - but this cake is always a hit and easy to make.) 1-lb. 2 1/2 oz. pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix 1/4 c. plus 3 T. creme de menth or 1 1/2 t. peppermint flavoring 1/2 c. chopped red or green Maraschino cherries 1 1/2 c. heavy cream 2 T. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) 1/4 c. whole green (or red) Maraschino cherries* Chocolate curls (take a potato peeler to a cold or frozen Hershey Chocolate Candy Bar) Prepare cake according to package directions, substituting 1/4 c.creme de menthe for 1/4 c. water or adding 1 t. peppermint flavoring and using the same amount of water as called for on the box (Grainlady note: I prefer the peppermint flavoring to the creme de menthe - creme de menthe tends to burn the cake). Stir in chopped cherries; pour into two greased 9-inch layer pans. Bake as directed on cake mix package. Cool. Whip the cream with remaining creme de menthe or 1/2 t. peppermint flavoring and confectioners sugar. Spread one-third of the whipped cream between cake layers. Heap remaining whipped cream on top. Arrange whole cherries on the top of the cake (Grainlady note: *drain and blot the cherries on paper towels first to prevent cherry juice dripping on the whipped cream), add chocolate curls over whipped cream. Note: If you want to save time and money, frost the cake with a tub of Cool Whip (regular or Extra Creamy, the Low-fat stuff doesn't hold up well) with either creme de menthe or peppermint flavoring in it instead of whipping the cream. Make sure this cake is refrigerated until time to serve.

Here is my Texas Sheet Cake recipe. Mine calls for a 15.5 x 10.5” pan. Preheat oven to 350. Bring to a boil: 2 sticks butter 1 cup water 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa Remove from heat and add to mixture of: 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp cinnamon beat in 2 eggs and 1\2 cup sour cream Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until toothpick is clean. Cool 10 minutes and then add frosting Frosting: Bring to boil: 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa 6 Tbsp milk 1 stick butter Remove from heat and add to: 1 box confectioner’s sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts) - optional pour over cake Annie, if you go with carrot cake, I use the Southern Living recipe, omitting the coconut. No one but me likes coconut and it is not missed in the recipe. It is very moist and absolutely delicious. I have also made it as a 9x13 sheet cake. If I have a little batter left over I make a small round layer. Easier than assembling a 3-layer cake.