The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (125 page)

CRUST

1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup All Natural SomerSweet or sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

¾ cup All Natural SomerSweet or sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract

Chocolate Ganache
, warmed

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For the crust:
Place the cocoa powder, baking soda, All Natural SomerSweet, and butter into a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until mixture forms pea-size pieces. Pour into the prepared pan. Press into the bottom of the pan and set aside.

For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and All Natural SomerSweet until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the cream and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth.

Pour the filling into the prepared pan and place in a roasting pan or baking dish. Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to surround the cheesecake pan with 1 inch of water. (This is a water bath, which helps prevent the cheesecake from curdling or cracking.) Bake for 1 hour. Without opening the oven door, turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour.

When the cheesecake is completely cooled, pour the warm chocolate topping over it, smoothing with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Run a warm knife around the edges of the cheesecake before releasing the spring. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. 

SERVES 12

cappuccino cheesecake

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup All Natural SomerSweet or sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

¾ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup strong brewed decaffeinated coffee

½ cup hot water

2 cups
Perfectly Whipped Cream

8 to 10 decaffeinated coffee beans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a double thickness of waxed paper. Lay two 24-inch-long pieces of aluminum foil on a work surface to make an
X
. Place the pan in the center of the foil and fold up around the sides to form a waterproof jacket.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and All Natural SomerSweet until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add the coffee and mix well.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven and pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to surround the cheesecake pan with 1 inch of water. (This is a water bath, which helps prevent the cheesecake from curdling or cracking.)

Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for an additional hour without opening the door. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature.

Cover the cheesecake and refrigerate in the springform pan, preferably overnight. To unmold, run a warm knife around the edge of the cheesecake and transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Garnish with whipped cream and coffee beans.

SERVES 8 TO 10

asian napoleons

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, FRUIT, INSULIN TRIGGERS
LEVEL 2

Coconut oil, for frying

12 wonton skins

1 cup
Vanilla Custard

8 to 10 large strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon mixed with 2 tablespoons All Natural SomerSweet or sugar

In a small saucepan, heat the oil to 375°F. If you don’t have a thermometer to test your oil, use a small piece of wonton as a test. If the oil bubbles immediately when the wonton is added, it’s hot enough.

Place a cookie sheet lined with paper towels on the counter next to the stove. Using tongs, place the wontons one at a time into the hot oil. Turn every few seconds, until the wonton starts to lightly brown. Wontons will continue to darken even when removed from oil. Be careful not to overcook. Remove each wonton from the oil and place on the paper towels. Then drain and blot excess oil.

Place 8 cooled wontons on a work surface. Spread or pipe about 1 tablespoon of custard on each wonton. Layer the strawberry slices on top of the custard. Dollop another tablespoon of custard on top of the strawberries.

Take 4 of the wontons layered with custard and berries and stack them on top of the 4 others. (Starting from the bottom, you should have wonton, custard, strawberries, custard, wonton, custard, strawberries, custard.) Then top each stack with the remaining 4 wontons to finish the napoleons.

Sprinkle each napoleon with the sweetened cinnamon and serve immediately. 

MAKES 4 NAPOLEONS

chocolate-dipped cocoa meringue cookies

PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES, HEALTHY FATS
LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

5 egg whites, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup All Natural SomerSweet or sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2.5 ounces dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), grated

1 recipe
Dark Chocolate Fudge Sauce
, warmed (omit for Level 1)

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add the All Natural SomerSweet while continuing to beat. Beat until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. Sift the cocoa powder onto the egg whites a little at a time. Fold in gently with a rubber scraper. Carefully fold in the grated dark chocolate.

Drop the batter by the spoonful or pipe the meringue from a pastry bag onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies should be about 2 inches in diameter.

Bake the cookies for 1 hour. Turn the oven off. Leave the cookies in the oven with the door closed for an additional hour. Allow cookies to cool to room temperature. Peel cookies off parchment paper.

Dip the cookies halfway into the fudge sauce. Set on a cooling rack to dry before storing at room temperature in an airtight container.

MAKES 18 COOKIES

somersweet chocolate truffles

HEALTHY FATS, INSULIN TRIGGERS
LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1½ cups heavy cream

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup All Natural SomerSweet or sugar

Pinch of baking soda

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with ¼ cup All Natural SomerSweet or sugar, for dusting finished truffles

Place the chopped chocolate in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edge. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 30 seconds. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla, All Natural SomerSweet, and a pinch of baking soda. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.