And the winner is …

This turned out to be a lot of fun. First off, most comments Taco Tuesday has ever received on a single post and I collected lots of good recipes. I'm still hoping to secure Shauna’s “Better than Sex Cake” recipe. Curtis doesn’t buy it, but there is only one way to find out! And Jenny’s cream cheese lemon bars? Straight from heaven! And Greg reminded me about his divine flour-less chocolate torte. Recipes below.

And I’ve learned my kitchen is a bit lacking … my birthday list will include (hint, hint darling husband):

• An immersion blender
• Knife sharpener
• Chopper
• Vitamix – see review here
• Wooden spoon
• Jar opener (mine is MIA)
• Salt pig
• Oh yeah, and a Thermador gas oven – may have to wait for Christmas… or our kitchen remodel… or a winning lottery ticket for this one!

Because many of you are my friends, I had Curtis witness me picking the winner using random.org (around here, we’re 100% fair and square!) and the winner is Hillary! Her favorite kitchen gadget?

"My favorite these days is my Vitamix. It's become the second love of my life, next to my husband."

Hillary, please let us know what color baking dishes you’d like and we’ll send them your way. CSN Stores - thanks for such a great giveaway!



CREAM CHEESE LEMON BARS (Jenny Goodman)

Step 1: The Crust
6Tbs butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour

Grease 8x8x2 pan. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in flour.
Bake crust at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden.

Step2: Lemon Filling
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp lemon peel
3Tbs lemon juice

Beat ingredients for lemon filling until thickened. Set aside.

Step 3: Cream Cheese Filling

1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking powder

Pour cream cheese filling over hot crust. Then slowly pour lemon filling over cream cheese.

Bake 350 35-40 min or until center doesn't shake.

Jen’s notes: If I remember correctly the lemon and cream cheese switch places in the oven

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE (Greg Platz)

Cake

1 cup butter, cut into pieces
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 ½ cups)
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 large eggs

Caramel Sauce

1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup water
1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
1 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

Vanilla Ice Cream

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350◦F. Butter 10-inch-diameter spring-form pan. Line bottom with waxed paper. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy large saucepan over low heat until melted. Mix sugar and cocoa in large bowl. Add eggs, whisk until well blended. Whisk in chocolate-butter mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake about 40 – 45 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

For Caramel Sauce:
Stir sugar, water and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is a deep amber color, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Add in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Return to low heat; stir until any bits of caramel dissolve. Add butter; whisk until smooth.