Muddy Buddy Smores Bars

I have been a little MIA lately on the blog front thanks to a couple cake orders.  One for last week and one for this week.   Last weeks cake is below.  My first zebra cake, it was pretty fun.   This weeks cake is a Barbie cake.  I love doing Barbie cakes.  They are always so cute and pretty.  I just wish I could see the little girls faces when they see it for the first time.   Although the one scary thing about barbie cakes is that the barbie is not a complete barbie. It is only a head and torso on a stick that fits into a cake.  If that little girl prematurely pulls out barbie from the cake before Mom can get to it she may be in for a mildly traumatic experience.   So if you are a mom, have a back up Barbie ready.  I am pretty sure I will be making on for my little one in a 4 or 5 years. 

Irish Cream Magic Bars

I am going to keep this post short and sweet.   I leave for Florida tonight.  Well we leave to go to Buffalo to then fly out tomorrow morning so there is much to do to get ready.   Our first trip with the little one,  so I am making sure I have enough but not too much.  Shocking how much I can bring for 3.5 month old.  Her stuff is over flowing into my suitcase. I am exhausted already. Alas,  I am really looking forward to getting out of this slush and into some warm sunny weather.  The LO will get some  quality time with Grandma and Grandpa and I will get a tan.

Since St. Patricks day is coming and I will miss 6 days of baking I am getting you a dessert early.   When its St. Paddy's day you bake with Irish cream and make it green and that is exactly what I did.

Enjoy.

Caramel Apple Crumble Cheesecake

So apparently I am so out of it.   I didn't even realize it has been over a week since I last posted.  Not that I have done nothing the last week,  I have almost been non stop.    My birthday was Friday, so I spent the day over the border shopping with my sister and her friend.  I managed to pick up some baby clothes, some clothes for me and a playpen.   I have yet to find Biscoff spread,  what aisle does that normally sit in?  Do they sell it at Target?

The rest of the weekend involved multiple family dinners for Thanksgiving, cleaning and finishing up the nursery.  I got all my decals and photos up on the walls so now I just need to add a few small accessories and buy some drapes.  It's all coming together...just a few more weeks until baby.

This week also involved my yearly addiction to check out Cirque du Solieli.   This years show was called Amaluna.   This was the 6th Cirque show I have seen.  I find them hard to pass up when they are in town.  The shows are always so creative and unique and the performers are quite simply amazing.  I can't even imagine the training they must go through.   Just crazy.  Unfortunately this one was not my favorite or close to it. . Given my wide comparison range I just felt the acts in this one, although still impressive were not a big as I have seen at others.  The clowns were also more annoying than funny.   I think my favorite so far was either La Nouba, (Disney World) or Mystere (Las Vegas).   I highly recommend both if you are ever in either of these places, although Vegas as several others that I hear are quite cool.   Anyone have any favorite cirques they would recommend?

With all the family dinners that were going on this weekend I did manage to get some baking done.   One great one and one fail.  The great one would be this post, the fail would be a bubble bread loaf that rose beautifully and then somehow just died in the oven.  Frustrating!


Apple Crumble Caramel Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:

Crust

• 2 cups vanilla wafer or graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake

• 4 large apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 - 8oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Your favorite caramel sauce

Crumble

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/3 cup butter,  cool but slightly softened

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.   Combine crumbs and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Add melted butter and mix to combine and coat the crumbs.  Press into a 9 inch springform pan, lined with parchment.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.
2) Peel and core the apples. Chop into slices.  Toss with lemon juice.  In a medium saute pan, on medium heat at butter.  Once melted add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for about 5-8 minutes until apples sofften but are not mush.   Remove from heat and set aside.

3) Make the crumble :   In a large bowl combine all the crumble ingredients except the butter.  Mix together.  Then cut in the butter with your hands.  The mixture will darken and be slightly combined and clumped together in small pieces.

4) In a food processor, add cream cheese (in chunks) and granulated sugar.  Process until almost smooth, chunks are broken down.   Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla and process until well combined. Scraping down the sides as needed.
5) Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease the sides of the pan with butter, 3/4 of the way up.  Take 2/3 of the apples and put on top of the crust.   Drizzle with caramel sauce.  Top with 1/4 cup of crumble.
6) Cover the apples with the cheesecake mixture and smooth out.
7) Bake the cheesecake on the middle rack for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300F and bake for 35-40 minutes.  Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit for 20 minutes in the oven.  It is okay if the cheesecake cracks, it get completely covered.  Remove from oven to cool further.
8)  Preheat the oven to 400F. When the cheesecake has come back to room temperature.  Top with remaining apples in the center, drizzle with more caramel sauce and cover with the crumble.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crumble has started browning.
9) Let cool before slicing.  Drizzle with more caramel sauce when serving.

I honestly was a little worried about how this would turn out but I was so pleasantly surprised.   Even my Dad thought it was quite good and he is a hard dessert person to impress.   The process to get this done can be a little lengthy but well worth it.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS.

Check out Sweet Bella Roos link up party for other "Pin" worthy recipes.

Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Eggless)

Last summer I made a lot of ice cream.  A LOT!   Once I got the first taste of homemade ice cream I was hooked.   It seemed like I was making it every two weeks last summer.   Aside from all the fruit flavoured ones my husband was pretty spoiled.   I guess me too.    Now that the hot weather is coming back so is my urge for homemade ice cream.     There has been a small yet very happy and quite exciting wrench thrown into my ice cream plans this summer.   The books tell me I am supposed to avoid raw eggs if you are pregnant.

Oh that's right I haven't mentioned it yet.  Baby #1 is on it's way!!  It has been a long time coming, going through many twists and turns along the way.   I think I have given more vials of blood in the last two years than my age.  Life may not always work out the way you plan but it does have its way of working it self out sooner or later.  Hubby and I are getting more as the weeks go on.  Although as my belly grows I see more fear on his face, as he realizes there is actually a baby coming in 5 months.    I haven't taken any belly pics yet but maybe I will start and do some tracking.  I love the Cracker and Carrots set up, so I might steal that from her and start doing some recording.  There will be lots to plan, buy and learn in the next few months.  For now I will continue to adjust my diet for things I am not supposed to eat anymore.

I have been obsessed with cherries lately and just had to incorporate these in a dessert somehow.  There will be a few more cherries to come I suspect.


Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream (Eggless)
(loosely adapted from several recipes)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups pitted cherries
• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup + 3 tbsp agave
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup 18% cream 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Place cherries in a medium sauce pan with 3 tbsp agave and 1/2 cup water.   Bring to a boil for a 2 minutes, remove from heat and let sit to cool.

2) Place cream cheese, agave, milk, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and run until smooth.

3) Add in cooled cherries and pulse a few times.

4) Add in cream while continuing to pulse about 5 more times.  Cream will be just incorporated.
5) Place in a bowl and refrigerate to chill for a few hours or overnight, the mixture should even thicken a bit in the fridge.
6) Run through your ice cream maker for 20-25 minutes.  The ice cream will come off the sides.  Freeze for a few hours to set up more.    Sprinkle with graham crackers when serving.

Oh MY! This ice cream really does have a cheesecake feel and flavour to it.  The graham cracker crumbs give it that additional cheesecake kick.   This ice cream does get quite hard overnight so let sit 10-15 minutes and it softens to a great creamy consistency.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

Baby got hungry when I was making photos......so I took a few bites.

I finally caved and made the cheesecakes

It's is nice to get back into blogging after my vacation hiatus.  I am also trying to catch up all the wonderful things I missed out there in the blogging world.  I had to go back and make a lot of bookmarks.
Remember when I made the No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake a few weeks back to ward off my friend Jeff and his constant harassment for the mini cheesecakes.  Well,  It didn't work.  He still kept asking and asking and asking.   Since I happen to be such a nice person I didn't want to disappoint him.  I baked them for his birthday last year so I decided I would the same this year.  I am a rather big cheesecake fan myself.  If done well cheesecake is creamy,  silky and smooth with so many possible variations.   I decided to do a blackberry cheesecake and a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.  Both equally tempting and delicious.   To throw him off that morning, we hid the cheesecakes until we all cornered him at his desk and sang Happy Birthday.  A little embarrassment is what you get after months of pestering.    Do you think that will keep him quite for 12 months. Probably not.  :-)

Mini Cheesecakes

INGREDIENTS:

Blackberry Base:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Oreo Base

• 1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Filling:

• 20 oz (2 1/2 packages) cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Extras:

• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 3/4 cup blackberries
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 6 mini peanut butter cups

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. 

2) Combine the graham crackers, sugar and butter in a bowl with a spatula.  Moistening all the crumbs.  Press 1/4 cup of the mixture into a mini cheesecake pan.   Repeat with the Oreo crumbs in another pan.  You should have 6 of each. 

3) Bake for 10 minutes and let cool. 

4) Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a small boil over a double boiler.  Set aside to cool. Combine the blackberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat until berries are broken down and thickened. 

5) Put the softened cream cheese into a food processor and run until smooth. 

6) Add sugar, vanilla and eggs, process until creamy, add sour cream and run once more to combine.

7) Separate the mixture into two equal portions.   Add the peanut butter chocolate mixture to one half and half the blackberry mixture to the other portion.   Split the mixture equally between the 12 cups, with the blackberry mixture on the graham crackers and the peanut butter chocolate on the Oreo crumbs.   I added a mini peanut butter cup to the Oreo crust before adding the filling.

8) Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the cheesecakes in the oven and reduce to 300F

9) Bake for 20-22 minutes.  The middle of the cheesecakes will be just set.

These are a great dessert for individuals,  allowing people to have some options.   I increased the recipe slightly for the filling from what I actually used as I found it wasn't quite enough filling.  If you want these even taller, increase to a full 21oz of cream cheese, use 3 eggs and increase sugar to 3/4 cup.

MEG's RATING: D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

Chocolate peanut butter cheesecakes

Blackberry cheesecakes

Chocolate tarts

Every and any holiday dinner with my Dad, it is a requirement that I make my apple crumble. However I also find it a requirement to make another dessert, preferably with chocolate for my non fruit eating Husband.   I rifled through my many baking magazines to see what I could create...cookies, brownies, bars, cheesecake, tarts?  Yes, Tarts!  The recipe I found was actually for a s'mores tart that had a graham cracker base, chocolate pastry cream and a marshmallow meringue on top, however I wasn't in the mood for a marshmallow meringue so I choose to do my own Christmas spin.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tarts

Adapted from Cuisine at Home, Holiday Baking

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:

•  3 oz hazelnuts, toasted & skinned (1/2 cup)
• 9 2 1/4 x 5 inch graham crackers
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Pastry Cream 

• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp hazelnut syrup or liqueur, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 sugar
• 2 oz each bittersweet and milk chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

My Variation

• 3 oz praline pecans
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 oz mint chocolate chips
• Small handfull mini eggs

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Make the Crust : Preheat the oven to 375F.   Put the hazelnuts, graham crackers and 2 tbsp sugar in a food processor and run until fine.  With the processor running, drizzle in the melted butter.   Divide the mixture evenly amoung eight 3 inch tart pans with removable bottoms.  Press the crumbs up the sides and press the bottoms with a flat object similar to a cheesecake base to make the firm crust,   Bake the tartlets crusts for 10 min and then let cool.

2) Make the Pastry Cream : Whisk together the 2 eggs, 2 tbsp hazelnut syrup, cornstarch and salt.  Set aside. Heat the milk and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until steam rises. Gradually whisk in both chocolates until melted and fully combined with milk.
3) Whisk half of the heated mixture into the egg mixture; return the chocolate egg mixture to the remaining milk chocolate mixture in the pan.   Continue cooking on medium heat, whisking often until it thickens.    Boil for 1 more minute constantly whisking to avoid scorching.
4) Stir in the 2 tbsp butter and remaining hazelnut syrup.  Divide pastry cream evenly amoung cooled crusts.   Let tartlets cool to room temp, cover them with plastic wrap touching the filling to prevent a film.

MY VARIATION:  I did make a few tweaks based on what I like and had in the cupboard.
1) My crust variation involved pecan pralines instead of hazelnuts.   Good call # 1.
2) My pastry cream variation involved removing from the hazelnut syrup/liqueur, although I do enjoy amaretto since I removed the hazelnuts from the crust, I just decided to go with just pure vanilla extract.   I also did use all milk chocolate.   I used semi-sweet chips for some and then mint chocolate chips for half.   After the cream  thickened I split the mixture in two and added some mint chocolate chips and stirred until they melted.  Once it was all combined then I added that mixture to some shells and the non mint to the other shells.
3) My topping variation:  Instead of the marshmallow topping, I added some of the crushed mint chips to the mint tarts and some Christmas mini eggs to the plain chocolate tarts.

Another great dessert. I think this crust could have lots of possibilities, especially in a cheesecake.   The praline pecans are a great addition to the typical graham crust.   I am oddly not a big mint chocolate fan but the rest of the dinner table gave them a thumbs up.    You can pre-bake the shells and cream and cover them with saran wrap overnight if needed or to save time on a busy night.   An interesting thing I am finding about this blog is that when I start to write about something I baked I begin to think of all these other variations I could do.  Lots more tarts to come, I guess.....

MEG's RATING: D-EEE-LICIOUS!