White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Really enjoying Kraft's cheesecakes recipes. They are so simple and fast to make, and they taste delicious! The White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is so yummy! The recipe called for an Oreo pie crust, but I couldn't find a pre-made one and I didn't feel like making my own, so I just used a chocolate pie crust. I do think however, that the Oreo pie crust would have been much more rich...there is something about Oreo and raspberry together that is soooo good! Like my Chocolate Raspberry Tarts...yum-o! Anyways, on with the recipe!

Cheesecake with swirls prior to baking.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (adapted from Kraft Recipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 3 squares Baker's White Chocolate, melted
• 1 Chocolate Pie Crust (6 oz.)
• 3 Tbsp. Raspberry seedless preserves
  

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt chocolate in microwavable bowl, in microwave for 20 secs. Stir and microwave an additional 15 secs until melted, stirring in between. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate. Pour into crust.
3. Microwave preserves in small bowl on HIGH 15 sec. or until melted. Dot top of cheesecake with small spoonfuls of preserves; swirl gently with knife.
4. Bake 35 to 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy and store leftovers in refrigerator.

-amanda

Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

I loooove cheesecake and I love toffee. I knew this recipe would not fail me. It is delicious and the best part about it was that it only took me a few minutes to mix. Fast, easy, yummy, and hardly any dirty dishes...just the kind of recipe I love. You must try it!

Pre-bake photo

Toffee Crunch Cheesecake (from Kraft Recipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Heath bars (1.4 oz. each), chopped (3 bars to mix in, 1 bar to sprinkle on top)
• 1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Stir in the 3 chopped Heath bars.
2. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining chopped Heath bar.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Enjoy!

-amanda

Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes

I found these cupcakes on Annie's Eats, and have been wanting to make them for about a year now. I planned on making them for Father's Day but didn't have the time or all of the ingredients. I finally made them and they are yummy! I have never been a big fan of homemade cupcake batter, but I guess I just never found a good one. Well this one is soooo good! I like it even more than the ganache and the frosting which is odd for me. If you plan on making these cupcakes, allot a few hours and expect to dirty a lot of dishes! But I think they are worth it! :o)

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes (adapted from Annie's Eats)
Yields: 24 cupcakes

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:

• 1 cup stout (Guinness)
• 8 tbsp. butter
• 8 tbsp. shortening
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:

• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 19 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Once the mixture reaches 90 - 95 degrees F, add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.
4. Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.) Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.
5. To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

-amanda

Sherbet Trio

I have been dreaming about this delicious trio of sherbet for quite some time and I finally had the time to make it happen. How yummy does this look?! And pretty too. :o)
I was originally going to make sorbets, but decided that sherbet would be so much better because of the creaminess, and boy are they delish! The trio consists of strawberry, raspberry and orange. Enjoy!!

Top to Bottom: Raspberry, Orange, Strawberry

Strawberry Sherbet (from Delish)

• 3 cups hulled strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. In a food processor, puree fruit until smooth. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove seeds if desired. Sweeten the puree with sugar until desired sweetness achieved.
2. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Best when served immediately. Can be stored in freezer; leave out for 10-15 minutes to soften before scooping and serving.

Raspberry Sherbet (from Simply Cooking, Originally from David Lebovitz's, The Perfect Scoop)

• 4 cups raspberries
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ tsp. lemon juice
• food processor
• ice cream maker

1. Puree the berries, milk and sugar until smooth
2. Strain to remove the seeds
3. Stir in the lemon juice
4. Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker

Orange Sherbet (from Food Loves Writing)

• 7 ounces sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups very cold whole milk
  

1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the milk, and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute.
   
2. Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl, and whisk in the milk.
   
3. Cover the bowl, and place in the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 1 hour.
4. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. You may serve immediately or put in a container and place in freezer until firm, approximately 3 hours.

The orange sherbet is so refreshing and delicious, the only part that bummed me out is that it turned out yellow instead of orange. The raspberry is the next best, nice and creamy. The strawberry is good as well, just not as creamy. It's a little more icy. All in all I am very happy with the results!

All packed up and ready to be delivered to someone special!

-amanda

Creamy Strawberry Cookie Tarts

I'm back! Not that I really went anywhere. Sorry for my absence. I made these yummy strawberry cookie tarts for a work party and thought I would share them with you. I was a little worried about how these would taste with the jello mixture on top of a cookie and all...just seemed odd to me. But everyone at work really liked them, so yay! I mean the way I see it is you can't go wrong with anything that has cream cheese in it...am I right or am I right? I thought so. :o) These were really easy to make and took no time at all. I was thinking they would be really yummy will raspberry jello instead, oh and an Oreo cookie on the bottom...yummers!

Creamy Strawberry Cookie Tarts (from Kraft)
Yields: 12

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
• 12 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies
• 12 small strawberries

1. Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in small bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Cool 5 min., stirring occasionally.
2. Pour gelatin mixture into blender. Add cream cheese; cover. Blend on medium speed 30 to 45 sec. or until well blended; scrape down side of blender container, if needed. Add whipped topping; cover. Blend on low speed 5 sec. or just until blended.
3. Line 12 muffin pan cups with paper liners; spray with cooking spray. Place 1 cookie on bottom of each prepared cup; top evenly with the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour 30 min. or until firm. Top each with a strawberry just before serving. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.

-amanda

For my best buddy :o)

Hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

-amanda

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

When I saw this cake I knew I had to make it. Chocolate and mousse, plus triple the chocolaty goodness?! Score! :o)

Now in the past, prior to pastry school, I would have seen this recipe and dreamed about how wonderful it would turn out but I would never attempt it. For a few reasons: 1. The long list of ingredients, 2. The even longer list of to-dos, and 3. No spring form pan, and what the heck is folding?! But now that I have experience, a shiny new spring form pan, and big strong folding muscles (who knew folding could be so much work and hurt so bad?), I am ready to take on the world! (The baking world that is.)

So I made the lovely Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake and am very pleased with the way it turned out. My only problem with the recipe is that after the bottom layer is baked, the edges turn in, not allowing for a pretty outer appearance. If I had had the right size cake ring I would have trimmed the cake and built the entire thing in the ring to make for a gorgeous appearance, but I only have little bitty cake rings. Oh well.

Oh yeah, and I really wanted to do chocolate curls on top because how frickin cute are chocolate curls?? But I could not find a large block of chocolate. Guess I have to go to a candy store or order online. Hmmm. Anyhoo! On to the cake!


Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Bottom layer:

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing the pan)
• 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• ¾ tsp. instant espresso powder
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

Middle layer:

• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 5 tbsp. hot water
• 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
  
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt

Top layer:

• ¾ tsp. powdered gelatin
• 1 tbsp. water
• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1½ cups heavy cream

Garnish with:

• Chocolate curls or cocoa powder

1. To make the bottom layer, butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan and line with parchment. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325˚ F. Combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set aside.
   
   
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Crumble half of the brown sugar into the mixing bowl with your fingers to remove any lumps. Beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
   
   
3. Bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges and the center has just set but is still soft (should spring back after pressing gently with a finger), about 14-18 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Do not remove the cake from the pan.
   
   
4. To make the second layer, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2-5 minutes.
   
   
5. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture until smooth. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse into the spring form pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter 3 times to remove air bubbles. Gently smooth the top with a spatula. Wipe the inside edge of the pan to remove any drips. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer.
   
   
6. To make the top layer, sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand 5-8 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring ½ cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let stand about 1 minute. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
7. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 cup of cold cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Return the cake to the refrigerator uncovered and chill until set, at least 2½ hours. (I left mine in overnight and still needed to pop it in the freezer for a bit to get nice clean cuts.) Before cutting, sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate curls.

Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Cooks Illustrated

-amanda