Guest Cook: Kamryn's Pear Delight

This delicious dessert is called Pear Delight.

My cousin Kathy got the recipe when her daughter was in high school, someone made it for one of the parent/teacher/student meetings, and it's been a family favorite ever since.

 

 

Kathy's daughter Kamryn made it for one of our luncheons--and of course I had to take some photos and ask if she would like to be a Guest Blogger with this recipe.

Kamryn graciously consented to make the Pear Delight for FOODjimoto--she did the cooking while her friend Lauren took the photos--Lauren is majoring in photography at the California College of Arts & Crafts.

Kamryn's a little on the shy side, and also quite busy with college at UCLA, so I'm going to blog the instructions, Kamryn is our Guest Cook,  and Lauren our Guest Photographer.

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Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1 large can pears

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Before you begin mixing the crust, heat oven to 350ºF and ready your 8" x 8" baking dish by spraying it with a non-stick spray.

Put 1/2 cup butter into the mixing bowl,

and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.

Then measure 1/4 teaspoon vanilla.

Add it to the mixing bowl.

Then add 3/4 cup flour.

Cream ingredients together until evenly combined.

Turn out into your prepared 8 x 8 inch pan.

Gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan.

After the dough is evenly distributed on the bottom, bake the crust 10 minutes at 350ºF.

The crust will not be completely cooked, you'll be baking it again later after adding the pears.

While the crust is cooking, drain and start slicing the pears.

You want thin, even slices.

Kamryn's got a nice technique with her knife.

She's got nice, even slices, too!

Set the pears aside.

In a small bowl,  put 8 ounces of cream cheese, then microwave for 20 seconds or so to soften.

Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla,

1 egg,

and 1/4 cup sugar.

Whisk together until smooth.

Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked crust.

Place the pears over the cream cheese filling, in four rows, leaving a little reveal of the pear slice in front to make it pretty.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar over the pears.

Spread the cinnamon sugar until evenly distributed.

Bake 25 minutes at 375ºF.

Refrigerate overnight before cutting, otherwise the dessert is runny.

After refrigerating the dessert overnight, cut into squares.

Channie (that's Kathy's family nickname) told me that this dessert is so coveted that family members have been known to hide portions during a party so they'll be sure to have another piece later!

Itadakimasu!

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This is Kamryn.

 

She is very sweet, soft-spoken, creative, competent and fun.

 

Kamryn loves party planning.

Here's Kammie with her 'sister' Kadee on her birthday.

 

I love this pic with Kammie and her friends at their Oprah finale party.

Kamryn loved The Oprah Winfrey Show, she's watched it her whole life.

 

I told you she's a lot of fun!

So is her cousin Erin.

 

Here's a shot of Lauren taking the photos.

This is Lauren--second from the left.

Lauren, your photos are lovely!

Thank you, Kamryn and Lauren, for making your Pear Delight and sharing it here on FOODjimoto!

Look for their Santa Rosa Valley Salad coming soon!

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Pear Delight

Ingredients for an 8 x 8 inch baking dish:

Crust:

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

Blend together crust ingredients and press into an 8 x 8 inch pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes at 350ºF. The crust will not be completely cooked through, but will finish cooking later after adding the pears.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Soften cream cheese in a small bowl and whisk together filling ingredients until smooth. Pour over baked crust.

Topping:

1 large can pears

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Drain and cut pears into even slices. Place pear slices over filling, in four rows and leaving a little reveal of the previous placed pear for an attractive pattern. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake 25 minutes at 375ºF.

Refrigerate overnight before cutting to insure firmness.

Grandma Kimbro's 2 Layer Cheesecake

We have a Guest Blogger today!

My dear friend, Sue Godinez, is going to show us how to make her Grandma Kimbro's 2 Layer Cheesecake!


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Grandma Kimbro was the nicest lady I have had the pleasure of knowing.

She also had a great sense of humor...I'm convinced it's where I got mine.

Grandma and Grandpa lived above their hardware store in Rosemead.

I loved going to their house!

I was about 15 years old when Grandma taught me how to make her cheesecake.

We loved going to Grandma's house for Kimbro gatherings with all the Aunts, Uncles and Kimbro cousins.

My grandma passed away when I was a senior in high school.

I wish my kids could have met her, they would have loved her!

Hopefully, I can be the same kind of grandma to Payton, so she will bug her mommy and daddy to come see Grammy all the time like I used to do to my parents!

Let's get cooking!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/4 cup Lorna Doone Cookie Crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:

2 8 oz. packages softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2nd Layer:

2 cups sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

Raspberry Sauce:

1 bag frozen sweetened raspberries

This is one of the changes I made to Grandma's original recipe.

I make a Lorna Doone cookie crust rather than a graham cracker crust.

There are two cellophane packages of cookies in each box.

I use 1 1/2 packages for a 9 inch cheesecake.

My grandma would just throw the cookies on a bread board and roll over them with her rolling pin until they were perfect crumbs for a crust.

I use a gallon sized zip lock bag for easy clean-up.

Grease the bottom of your springform pan so the finished product will slide onto a platter easily.

Add 1/4 cup melted butter to the cookie crumbs and mix well.

Press firmly into a 9 inch springform pan.

I found this 9 1/2 inch square pan at Home Goods.

Refrigerate the crust while mixing the ingredients for the first layer.

Make sure your cream cheese is softened before you begin.

Mix together 2-8 oz. packages of cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and 3 eggs.

Don't mix too long, just until creamy.

Add 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pour mixture over crust.

Place in a pre-heated 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes. 

While the bottom layer is baking, mix the top layer.

2 cups sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Take the cheesecake out of the oven after 20 minutes and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Wondering about the candle?

You can read about its meaning here.

After cooling, very carefully spoon the sour cream mixture over the first layer.

Spread evenly over the first layer and place back into the oven for 10 minutes.

While the top layer is baking, make the raspberry sauce.

Now for the sauce--pay close attention because here's where it may get a little tricky or complicated.

For the raspberry sauce, pour a bag of sweetened frozen raspberries into a blender.

Blend for about 30 seconds, and you're done!

Tricky or complicated?

NOT!

Pour the sauce into an adorable antique container with a raspberry on top.

I found this while antique shopping in Victorville, CA with my friend Margie.

Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, use a butter knife to separate the cheesecake from the edge of the pan.

I used a thin spatula to loosen the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan.

I did this hoping it would slide onto my platter.

And it did!

The finished product is so beautiful, you would never know how easy it was to make.

Cut a slice, top with fruit and drizzle raspberry sauce over the fruit or on the plate.

Yum!

Bon appetit!

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Now it's back to me, Karolyn.

Thank you, Susie, for sharing your grandma's delicious cheesecake recipe!

Sue sent me this picture of Grandma Kimbro's 4 boys and the Kimbro cousins.

Sue's in the white sundress, sitting on her dad's lap.

She's looking for a photo of Grandma Kimbro to share.

Sue and I have known one another a long time, I first met her at her wedding. There's a little bit about us on her guest post, German Chocolate Cake.

Sue and her husband Rick began dating when Sue was 15, they were high school sweethearts.

Wow!

Rick came from Mexico with his family when he was 6 years old.

He's got 13 brothers and sisters.

When Rick was in junior high, he became friends with my brother-in-law Eugene.

Rick credits Eugene with his assimilation into American culture--from day 1, when they were in class together, Rick says Eugene took him under his wing and Rick is grateful to this day.

Up until then, Rick says he was not comfortable in school.

I love listening to him talk about Eugene with admiration, respect and gratitude.

Here's a photo of Rick and Eugene taken a couple of years ago.

A few years ago, Rick told Eugene how much he meant to him growing up--Eugene had no idea, and couldn't remember teaching Rick.

What Eugene did is lead by example--Rick followed his example.

That's how Rick leads his life, too, leading by example.

Rick's one of my favorite people.

He's a teacher and a coach, has been for years and years.

Whenever we go out together, former students approach him and want to shake his hand.

A former student happened to be driving by his house one day while Rick was outside in his front yard.

The student stopped to tell him how he had listened to the advice Rick gave him in high school--how it changed his life--he had to stop and express his gratitude.

Rick said he gave simple advice--stay out of trouble and get a college education.

Rick loves vintage bicycles.

His favorites are vintage Schwinns.

He finds parts and pieces at swap meets and garage sales, and enjoys restoring and rebuilding them.

Tonka trucks, too.

He likes the vintage metal ones from the 1950s and 1960s.

He painstakingly and lovingly restores them.

He had these toys in his yard sale.

I think he's perfectly happy if nobody buys them.

Most of the people that stop by are the ones that like toys too.

Toy talk.

Rick also likes anything vintage Coca Cola.

It's a lot of fun listening to Rick talk about his latest finds and restoration projects.

He gets so excited when he talks about his treasures--you should see his eyes light up when he talks about chrome!

The thing I admire most about both Rick and Sue is their generosity.

They're generous with their time, home, and hospitality.

I know that, because I am their friend, my family and friends are also welcome in their home and are treated to their hospitality.

On my daughter's wedding day, Rick and Sue hosted the groomsmen for a wonderful luncheon and opened their home so the boys could ready themselves for the wedding.

Rick and Sue are wonderful friends, I am grateful for their presence in our lives.

 I love them dearly.

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