Nutmeg Shortbread

Nutmeg makes a scintillating addition to rich, buttery shortbread. Though these cookies bake for about fifty minutes, the actual work time is amazingly brief for something so special. If you cook the shortbread in a black pan, check it after forty minutes since the color of the pan will cause the dough to cook more quickly. Shortbread keeps well stored in tins.

Yield: MAKES 8 TRIANGLES

Ingredients

• 1 1/3  cups  flour
• 1  teaspoon  grated nutmeg
• 1/4  pound  cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 6  tablespoons  sugar
• 1  large egg yolk

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 325°. Butter an 8-inch round metal cake or pie pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and 3/4 teaspoon of the nutmeg. With your fingers, rub in the butter completely until the mixture is the texture of sand. Using a fork, stir in 5 tablespoons of the sugar. Stir in the egg yolk. Press the mixture together to make a dry, crumbly dough and put it on a work surface. Knead the dough about twelve times until it just holds together.
3. Press the dough in an even layer into the prepared pan. With a small, sharp knife, mark eight wedges halfway into the dough. With a fork, prick the dough every 1/2 inch or so. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and sprinkle it on the dough. Bake the shortbread in the middle of the oven until golden, 50 to 55 minutes.
4. Let the shortbread cool slightly in the pan set on a rack and then cut into wedges. Let cool completely in the pan.

Honey Mustard Stuffed Chicken Breast

 stuffed chicken breasts is a good way to make  an ordinary dinner staple into something  fancy..without adding a lot of time preparing  it...

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 slices deli ham
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9x12-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Lay a chicken breast out on a work surface. With a sharp knife, cut from one side through the middle horizontally to within one-half inch of the other side. Open the two sides and spread them out like an open book. Place a slice of ham and about 2 1/2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese onto one side of the chicken breast; close, and secure with toothpicks. Place into baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix the honey, spicy brown mustard, and yellow mustard together; pour the mustard mixture over the chicken breasts. Cover the dish with foil.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C)

Crustless Lemony Cheesecake

Ingredients

•     Nonstick cooking spray
• 12  ounces  cream cheese, softened
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 2  tablespoons  lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/2  cup  sour cream
• 3    eggs, lightly beaten
• 2  teaspoons  finely shredded lemon peel
• 1  cup  warm water
•     Fresh raspberries (optional)
•     Fresh mint (optional)

Directions

1. Lightly coat a 1-quart soufflé dish or casserole with cooking spray. Tear off an 18x12-inch piece of heavy foil; cut in half lengthwise. Fold each piece lengthwise into thirds. Crisscross the foil strips and place the dish in the center of the crisscross; set aside.
2. For filling, in a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, flour, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Beat in sour cream until smooth. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in lemon peel.
3. Pour mixture into the prepared soufflé dish; cover tightly with foil. Pour the warm water into a 3 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker. Bringing up the foil strips, lift the ends of the strips to transfer the dish to the cooker. Leave foil strips under dish.
4. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours or until center is set.
5. Carefully lift with foil strips to remove dish; discard foil strips. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. To serve, spoon cheesecake into dessert dishes. If desired, garnish with raspberries.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 8 servings
• Calories253,
• Total Fat (g)19,
• Saturated Fat (g)11,
• Cholesterol (mg)131,
• Sodium (mg)159,
• Carbohydrate (g)15,
• Protein (g)6,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet