Vanilla Wafer Pralines Food

CARAMEL PRALINE-TOPPED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Mix crushed wafers and sugar; stir in melted butter. Press onto bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Arrange vanilla wafers around sides of pan, rounded sides out, pressing gently into crust., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour over crust. Place pan on a baking sheet., Bake until center is almost set, 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., Remove rim from pan. In a microwave, melt caramels with milk; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cheesecake; sprinkle with pecans. Freeze option: Wrap individual portions of cheesecake in plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Seal bag and freeze. To use, thaw in the refrigerator.

PRALINE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Crush 50 wafers finely; mix with 1/4 cup sugar and margarine. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Stand remaining wafers around edge of pan, pressing gently into crust to secure.
• Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
• Bake 45 to 50 min. or until center is almost set. Run small knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
• Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 sec. Cool slightly. Pour over cheesecake; top with nuts.

VANILLA WAFERS

Steps:

• Position 1 oven rack in the top third of the oven and another in the bottom third. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after 1 minute. Add the egg and incorporate on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl. Add the vanilla extract and milk and blend on low speed for 15 seconds. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just to incorporate. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before scooping.
• Scoop the batter in teaspoon-sized balls and arrange them on 2 parchment paper-lined half sheet pans, approximately 35 cookies per pan. Use the heel of your hand to slightly flatten each ball. Bake, 2 pans at a time, rotating the pans halfway through the baking, until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans to a cooling rack to cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.

VANILLA WAFERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Cream together sugars, shortening, egg, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Sift in the flour and baking powder.
• Add the 1 tablespoons water and mix until the dough forms a ball.
• Roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls and flatten slightly onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cookies are light brown.
• Cool on a wire rack.

PRALINES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine pecans, sugar, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface.
• Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Let cool completely.