Category Archives: Cheesecakes

Raspberry Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

Posted on March 26, 2013 | 3 Comments

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I always like to have every palate covered at the dessert table. What this means is I need something for everyone. But I am in Spring mode, and fudgy chocolate brownies just seem so winter to me.

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I had to find a way to incorporate the chocolate favorite, but add something springy and fresh to it. Raspberries. I think I should rename these brownies-The Best of Both Worlds Brownies. Because that is exactly what they are, rich chocolate fudge brownies swirled with light and fresh raspberry cheesecake.

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This past weekend I made these brownies for a party. They were a huge hit! Make these for your weekend brunch to satisfy those chocolate lovers!

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Chocolate Fudge Brownies

  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Raspberry Cheesecake Swirl

  • 3/4 cup or 6 oz of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen raspberries
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9×11 baking dish.

For the brownie layer:

Melt butter and chocolate chips in the microwave on high for 1 minutes. Remove and stir together. If the choc/butter mixture is not completely melted, put back in microwave for 30 sec. Add eggs and sugar and whisk together. Add the flour salt and milk, and whisk together to mix. Pour into baking dish.

For the cheesecake layer:

In the bowl of a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Mixing on low, add raspberries and mix until just combined.

Drop dollops of the cheesecake batter of the  all over the brownie mixture and swirl with the tip of a knife. Bake for 30 min or until a knife comes out clean.

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Posted in Cheesecakes, Decadent Delights, Holiday Baking

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Lemon Brownies

Posted on February 24, 2013 | 10 Comments

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I’ve noticed that lots of people have been tweeting about new buds on their fruit trees and slightly warmer temperatures, so I now feel comfortable offering spring time desserts. If you are still in freezing weather, make these, take a bite and close your eyes. You will immediately start seeing green grass, tulips, and spring.

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I found this recipe at Rita’s Recipes. It is hands down THE BEST lemon dessert I have ever had. To top it off, they are incredibly easy to make. The lemon flavor is intense yet delicate at the same time. They are not overly tart. As my husband’s co-worker described them, “once they start to taste tart, they immediately turn sweet.” The consistency is of a moist cake like brownie. Topped with a silky cream cheese frosting, these brownies will knock your socks off.

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Make them, you will not regret it. In fact, double the recipe and give them out. These bars will turn anyone’s day from mediocre to life changing, and bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Lemon Brownies

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated. Add lemon juice and zest, mix until incorporated. With a wooden spoon, mix in flour and salt.

Pour into a greased or line 8×8 inch brownie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove and cool completely.

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Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp milk
Cream cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Turn mixer to low and beat in powdered sugar, add milk and zest. Beat on high for 5 minutes.
Pour glaze over brownies and allow to set for 30 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
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Another Red Velvet Recipe…Tis the Season!

Posted on February 14, 2013 | 10 Comments
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You slowly take a dainty bite and gently feed your significant other…
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Once dessert is done, you both look at each other and decide it is time. You stand up and start walking to the bedroom as he swiftly follows. You both slowly and sensually crawl under the covers. You seductively look over and make eye contact. You both nod yes as he softly bites his lip. You casually put your head down onto your pillow and close your eyes and…
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HAHAHA you totally thought I was going to go Christian Grey (50 Shades of Grey) on you weren’t you?!?!? In all reality, the only reason you two were nodding your head was because you were both in total agreement that despite the fact that it is Valentine’s Day and having a babysitter all night, an uninterrupted night of sleep far surpasses the desire for a sensual night! I know all of you single/childless couples are shaking your heads thinking “we will never be THAT couple” but I assure you, you will. To actually be able to sleep without being woken up 20 minutes into your deep sleep because of zombie noises, or being kicked in the face by your sleeping toddler is better than gold. Well, maybe it is just the sleep deprived mother of three part of me talking, but my husband is totally on board with this feeling right now.
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I don’t know what it is about Valentine’s Day that makes me write like this but check out last year’s…I still get a kick out of it!
Red Velvet Roulade
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15in x 10in x 1 in jelly roll pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until pale. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and food coloring and mix until combined. In a separate bowl,  combine flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and mix. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into lined jelly roll pan, and bake for 12- 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Once removed from the oven allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once slightly cooled, place your cake on a clean kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar, lined side up. Gently remove the parchment paper (or whatever you used to line your baking pan) and gently roll the cake, starting with the short side. Allow to completely cool wrapped in the towel. Prepare your frosting.

Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Cream cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Turn mixer to low and beat in powdered sugar, add extract. Beat on high for 5 minutes.
When cake has completely cooled, gently unroll it. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, and re-roll the same way you did the first time.
Sift powdered sugar over the top, slice and serve!
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Pumpkin Cheesecake

Posted on October 9, 2012 | 3 Comments

Any time I ask my family what they would like me to make, the response is always the same. Husband-black Forrest cake, Oldest Son- Cheesecake, 4 year old going on 16 daughter-cupcakes, and 11 month old baby Ben-snails (from oustside…ewww!).

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Posted in Cheesecakes, Holiday Baking

CrockPot Cheesecakes

Posted on June 27, 2012 | 13 Comments

I love throwing parties, yet I hate preparing for them. I always take a week to prepare my meal, but the day of, I am stressed out beyond belief. Cleaning, shopping, cooking ALWAYS gets done at the last minute. And getting ready….pfff…totally overrated, mascara and wet hair is a tell-tale sign that your hostess has been busting a move to make everything homemade and perfect! At least this is what I hope people think?!?!?

Anyway, this weekend was no different. I wake up Sunday morning, with a messy/dusty house, sleep deprived children, and a dinner party in 8 hours. My Napoleons with homemade puff pastry was officially thrown out at about 9 am. Instead, I needed something that could cook unsupervised and be ready when I needed it to be. I had recently seen crock pot cheesecakes on Pinterest, and knew that it was my best option. The end results were creamy and delicious mini cheesecakes, with minimal effort.

Mini Cheesecakes in a Jar

Makes approximately 10 4 oz mini cheesecakes

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cup ground graham crackers
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 stick (8 tbsp) melted butter
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter into a bowl until mixed and crumbly. Put one tablespoon into each jar and compact it down. I usually use a small glass cup to compact them.

Filling

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2- 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Beat sugar and cream cheese together, until pale. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Beat in cream, extract and lemon zest and beat until filling is smooth. Pour into jars. Place jars into crock pot and carefully (avoid splashing water into the cheesecakes) pour hot water until jars are 3/4 submerged.

Cook on high for 1 1/2 hours.  Because all crock pots are different, check your cheesecakes after an hour. Test the middle by touching it with your finger,  if it solid then it’s done. Remove from crock pot and refrigerate for 2 hours. Garnish with fresh fruit and enjoy!

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The Peanut Butter Addiction

Posted on April 5, 2012 | Leave a comment

*Disclaimer- This is not for the weak stomach

Growing up, there was a permanent condiment on our kitchen table during every meal. My dad would find a use for it no matter what we were eating. You would probably never guess it, but that condiment was peanut butter. He would put it on everything (and still does). His worst choice was garlic bread covered in peanut butter…it still makes me quiver. Upon my husband’s arrival to the US, (not until recently can you even find pb in Switzerland) he discovered peanut butter and now consumes it daily. In fact, he can compete with my dad’s level of ridiculousness by smothering it onto his egg and oat “pancake” every. single. morning.

 

I seem to be the only level-headed peanut butter lover in my family. I deeply appreciate anything that contains peanut butter and chocolate.  I love it when Easter rolls around because the large egg shape Reese’s appear, because lets face it, having to unwrap 10 of those little cups is just plain annoying. Now these store-bought chocolates are ok when you are at the grocery store and grab one at the checkout because you forgot to have breakfast, and lunch, and need something to fill your rumbling stomach, but cannot compare to the homemade ones. Quality chocolate, butter and peanut butter create an elegant and sophisticated homemade childhood favorite. Wow, did I really just describe a peanut butter ball as being elegant and sophisticated?? I must have eaten too many.  I also made these into the shapes of eggs this year to stick into Easter baskets.

Peanut Butter  Truffles 

  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  •  2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 12 ounces good quality semi sweet chocolate
  • 2 tbsp shortening or coconut oil
Mix peanut butter, butter, salt, vanilla, and confectioner’s sugar until well combined. Roll 1 inch balls and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour.
Melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler on low until melted, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.
Dip each ball into chocolate and place on a drying rack. Decorate if desired. I topped some of them with toffee chocolate bits. After drying you can also melt 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter and drizzle over the tops of the truffles. Allow to thoroughly dry before storing.

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Posted in Cheesecakes, French Macarons

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Tequila Coconut Lime Cream Bars

Posted on March 27, 2012 | 5 Comments

Spring has officially begun, thank goodness. You know, those 2 days out of the year that San Diego gets rain is overwhelming, and the three months out of the year that we have to endure harsh 60 degree weather is depressing. Don’t get too jealous, we Californians pay a hell of a “sunshine tax”.

So join me in celebrating Spring, future pool days, and bountiful garden harvests (I already have about 10 mini spaghetti squash!). These lime bars are the perfect balance between sweet and tart, and would make a perfect addition to your Easter menu.

Tequila Coconut Lime Cream Bars

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Pistachio Lime Bar Recipe

Ingredients

  • Crust
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup graham-cracker crumbs (4 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoons grated lime zest
  • Filling 
  • 2 large egg yolks (save your whites for a batch of French Macarons!)
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tbsp tequila
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 tbsp grated lime juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
In a food processor, finely grind graham crackers, then add coconut and pulse 2 more times. Add sugar and melted butter and mix together.  Press crust evenly into bottom of the pan. Bake until slightly browned, about 8-12 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
While crust is cooling, start the filling. Mix all filling ingredients together. Pour into cooled crust and bake until set, about 20 minutes.
Once cooled, cut into squares. For best cutting results, run your knife under hot water and wipe clean after every cut. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

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When Life Gives You Lemons- You Make Lemon Curd!

Posted on March 2, 2012 | 2 Comments

I love to shop. When I go out-of-town, I always go to the grocery store and find new ingredients to come home with, especially when we are abroad. At home, a trip to Whole Foods is like a trip to an amusement park, and my bill usually adds up to about the same that it would cost for a day at disneyland.

In order to balance my (what my dear husband would refer to as) impulsive and indulging spending, I shop at numerous stores and use coupons. One of my favorite stores (no coupons required) is the 99cent store. Often times they will have organic produce, healthy snacks, and cheap seeds for my garden.

This past week, the 99cent store had some awesome findings! I found everything I needed to make a lemon curd cheesecake! Do you know how much a cheesecake normally costs to make??!??! Well lets just put it this way, normally 1 brick of cream cheese costs around $3.49…so I definitely saved by shopping at the 99cent store! I was also able to score graham crakers, lemons, heavy cream (not pictured),    eggs (an entire dozen medium eggs for 99cents!), cream cheese, and a few others items for some nifty meals.

Immediately upon coming home, I got to work. This cheesecake was calling spring, and boy do I need that right now! It would make a delicious compliment to any Easter brunch or dinner.

New York Style Cheesecake

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

Crumb Crust
8 ounces or 15 finely ground graham crackers
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Filling

5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
5 large eggs (if you are using the medium eggs from the 99cent store use 6 eggs)
2 large egg yolks (use three if using medium eggs)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Spray a 9in round spring form pan with nonstick spray. Finely pulse graham crackers in a food processor, add sugar, salt and melted butter and mix well. Press crumb mix into pan on the bottom and on sides. Put in freezer while you make the filling.

Prepare the filling: beat the cream cheese on high for 2 minutes. Add sugar and flour and beat on medium for another 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition to avoid unmixed strips of cream cheese. Pour filling into pan. Cover bottom and sides of cheesecake pan with foil (to prevent water from seeping in) and set in larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water in roasting pan so that it reaches approx. halfway up cheesecake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. When cheesecake is done, turn off oven and leave the cheesecake for another 2 hours. Then remove and allow to throughly cool and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours.

While your cheesecake is cooking, start your lemon curd. I have been  using this recipe from Barefoot Contessa for quite some time and it is incredible. It makes 3 cups so you will have some left over in which you can use in lemon bar cookies (will be posting this tomorrow).

Barefoot Contessa’s Lemon Curd:

  • 3 lemons
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 extra-large eggs
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Once your cheesecake has cooled (but before chilling) cover the top with a generous amount of cooled curd.

I finished mine off with some whipped cream topping (a request from my taste-tester) by simply beating on high  1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 3tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form. I then piped it on to make an attractive finish. You can also just use canned whip cream too.

Enjoy and happy Friday!!!

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