NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

FROM ROBIN COLLEN, PROFESSOR OF THEATRE & DANCE AND ASSOCIATE DEAN OF ARTS & SCIENCES AT SUNY POTSDAM

SERVES:
8+

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
ABOUT 3 HOURS

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INGREDIENTS

2 lbs cream cheese
6 eggs
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. corn starch
2 cups sour cream
2 oz melted butter

DIRECTIONS

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. (If it is too stiff you can add some of the butter or sour cream.)

Beat in vanilla, lemon juice, corn starch, sour cream, and melted butter. Beat eggs into the mixture, on low, until just combined.

Pour batter in a 10-inch buttered springform pan, waterproofed with foil. Place in a water bath (on a large cookie sheet). 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Let cool in the oven. Don't remove it until it has time to set up a bit. Remove from oven. Completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

Serve with fruit if desired.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

FROM CHANDRA MOSS-THORNE, DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND LECTURER OF DANCE AT SWARTHMORE COLLEGE

SERVES:
10+

PREP TIME:
15 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
25 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

½ cup softened unsalted butter
½ cup Crisco shortening
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
16 oz. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix butter and shortening. Add sugars and mix. Add eggs and vanilla – mix until creamy.

Add mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. DO NOT over bake – bake until light brown. Devour warm.

RUM CAKE RECIPE

FROM DIANA BYER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF NYTB/CHAMBERWORKS

“This recipe is from my childhood friend Joan Brame.... for curing the annual Nutcracker cold.”

— Diana Byer

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
5 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
2 HR 5 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE CAKE

1 cup chopped pecans
1 -18.5 oz box yellow cake mix
3.75 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup dark rum (80 proof)
1/2 cup canola oil

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray or grease a 10” or 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts over the bottom of the pan. Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter over nuts. Bake 1 hour. Cool and invert on a serving plate.  Prick top with lots of holes.  Drizzle and smooth glaze evenly over top and sides. Repeat several times, allowing the cake to absorb glaze. Repeat till all glaze is used up. Do not forget to lick the glaze bowl!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GLAZE

1 stick of butter
¼ cup water
¾-1 cup granulated sugar
½ to ¾ cup dark rum (80 proof)

DIRECTIONS FOR THE GLAZE

For the glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum.  Lick the spoon.

APPLE PIE

FROM ANA MARIA ALVAREZ, FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF CONTRA-TIEMPO

ADAPTED FROM ACLEANBAKE.COM’S APPLE PIE RECIPE

“No gluten, no refined sugar, no dairy, and lots of deliciousness!”

— Ana Maria Alvarez

SERVES:
6+

PREP TIME:
45 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
2 HRS

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE PIE

1 gluten free crust*
7 semi-tart apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Granny Smiths are my favorite)
½ cup monk fruit sugar replacement
1/3 cup chopped dried apples or apple chips
2 tbsp tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour but I prefer tapioca)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 pinches of fine sea salt

*This busy mama usually goes for the store bought gluten free crust or if I’m feeling really inspired I do an almond flour crust.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FILLING

In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until well combined. Place, slice by slice, the filling into the pre-baked and cooled pie shell – stacking the apples and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Set aside.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

1 cup blanched almond flour
3 tbsp Swerve brown sugar / sugar replacement
½ tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 pinch fine sea salt
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup honey or molasses (or coconut syrup)

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the oil and maple syrup. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and stir to combine. Use a spoon or your fingertips to drop dollops of crumble all over the top of the pie, covering all of the apples. Note: the crumble will be wetter than you may expect before it has baked! That’s normal. Optional step: Whisk an egg with 1 tbsp of water to create an egg wash. Brush the edges of the crust. This will produce a golden brown crust, but will also make it crisper. For a more tender edge, skip this step. Bake for 30 minutes. Then loosely cover the edges of the crust with tinfoil (or a shield) and bake for another 30 minutes or so, until the top is golden. Cool before enjoying :)

SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES (PEPPARKAKOR)

FROM KRISTEN BROGDON, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING AT NORTHROP

SERVES:
8+

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
1 HR 35 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening or butter
1 egg
½ cup molasses
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 ½ cups flour - may need more in humid climates

DIRECTIONS

Cream sugar and shortening/butter with mixer or by hand in a large bowl, then add egg and mix.  Add baking soda to molasses - it will froth to fill a cup measure - and add to the other wet ingredients with milk, mixing thoroughly. Mix spices, baking powder, salt and flour together in a small bowl (I use a 4 cup measure) and then add in thirds to the other ingredients, mixing until it forms a soft but not sticky dough.

Divide into 3 or 4 balls and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Allow dough to warm up a bit and then roll out as thin as possible on a pastry cloth sprinkled with flour. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, place on ungreased cookie sheet, and decorate with white or colored sugar.

Bake at 350° F for approximately 8-10 minutes, adjusting as needed based on thinness of dough. Finished cookies will lose their shine and get crisp but won't change color. Remove cookies from sheets to cool on a rack and enjoy!

CRANBERRY SCONES

FROM DEIRDRE TOWERS, DANCER, WRITER, ARTS ACTIVIST AND FILMMAKER

SERVES:
5-6

PREP TIME:
20 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
32 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

3 tbls. bee pollen
½ tsp. turmeric
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup unsweetened Swiss Muesli
⅛ tsp. sea salt
1 tbls. maple syrup (optional)
3 tbls. butter
Dried cranberries… as many as you'd like!
1/3 cup of milk

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Mix dry ingredients together.

• Cut up the butter and then mush it into the flour, etc. with your fingers.

• Add cranberries.

• Add milk and stir.

• Make 5-6 balls and place on buttered cookies sheet.

• Bake for 12 minutes.

SIR FREDERICK ASHTON’S PLUM PUDDING

FROM SIR FREDERICK ASHTON, BRITISH BALLET DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER

FROM TANAQUIL LE CLERCQ’S THE BALLET COOK BOOK

SERVES:
2

PREP TIME:
30 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
15 HRS 30 MIN

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INGREDIENTS FOR THE PLUM PUDDING

½ lb. suet, finely chopped
2½ cups bread crumbs
1¼ cups brown sugar
1½ cups currants
1½ cups raisins
¾ cup chopped blanched almonds
¾ mixed candied fruits
2 tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
6 eggs
½ cup brandy
Silver trinkets, to taste

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PLUM PUDDING

Combine suet, bread crumbs, brown sugar, currants, raisins, candied fruits, almonds, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Beat eggs in another and stir into dry ingredients. Add brandy to mixture, and stir in trinkets. Cover and allow to stand overnight.

Pour into 2 buttered casseroles or earthenware dishes. Wrap each casserole in a floured cloth and set aside. Bring 3 inches water to boil in 2 medium saucepans with tight fitting lids (see note). Set a trivet on the bottom of each pan; place casserole on the trivets, cover tightly and steam 6 hours, adding water when necessary. Remove from pan, cool slightly and unmold. Serve with hard sauce. Yields 2 puddings. 

Note: One large roasting pan with a tight fitting lid could be used to accommodate the 2 casseroles. 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BRANDY HARD SAUCE

¼ lb. sweet butter
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Brandy

DIRECTIONS FOR THE BRANDY HARD SAUCE

Cream butter until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. When all the sugar has been added, flavor as desired with brandy. Serve with the plum pudding.

RECIPE FOR ICE BOX CAKE

FROM DORIS HUMPHREY, AMERICAN DANCER AND CHOREOGRAPHER OF THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY

THIS DESSERT WAS FREQUENTLY MADE BY DORIS FROM THE BOX OF NABISCO FAMOUS CHOCOLATE WAFERS. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS “FAMOUS CHOCOLATE REFRIGERATOR ROLL”

“According to Charles Woodford, Doris Humphrey’s son, the American dance pioneer was not a foodie, although she did make icebox cake and pineapple upside down cake. A fun fact: her favorite number was 5, so when she went out to dinner she simply picked the 5th item on the menu.”

— Dante Puleio, Artistic Director of The José Limón Dance Foundation

SERVES:
14

PREP TIME:
30 MIN

TOTAL TIME:
4 HRS 30 MIN

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INGREDIENTS
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 9oz package of Famous Chocolate Wafers

DIRECTIONS

Beat cream with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in vanilla. 

Spread 1-1/2 tsp whipped cream onto each wafer and stack in piles on a platter. (You may stand the wafers on their edges if you’d like.) Frost all together with remaining whipped cream. 

Refrigerate for 4 hours. Garnish with fresh fruit if desired. Cut into diagonal slices to serve.