Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

I made this fresh summer snack for a get-together with some lovely ladies.

These are so simple to make, and taste like a mini bite of strawberry cheesecake.

I decided to add some heavy cream because I wanted that strawberries-and-cream kind of undertone along with the cheesecake flavor. I also made mine a little sweeter which I highly recommend. :)

You don't have to pipe the cream with a star tip, even though its an easy way to make it look so pretty. You could just put in a plastic bag and cut off the end. 

You know what would make these over the top? Dip them in chocolate. Omg. Maybe next time.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Recipe adapted from The Sweets Life and Nutmeg Nanny

Ingredients
1 lb large strawberries

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 graham cracker

Directions

Process the graham cracker in a blender to make fine crumbs.

Rinse strawberries and cut off the tops. Core out the inside with a paring knife. Try to find large strawberries because most of them have a nice hollow center. If you want to stand your strawberries upright slice a bit off the bottom to make a flat surface (I didn't do this).

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer and beat until creamy. Beat in heavy cream. Add cream cheese mix to piping bag and fill strawberries. Once strawberries are filled dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. Devour and fall in love.

You could also drizzle or dip strawberries in chocolate if desired.

Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Oreo Truffle Pops

I wanted to make little Ramadan favors when we had our girls iftar. I got too busy with cupcakes, but I'm glad I at least got to make these for Eid! 

Here's one of those "everything you need" pictures! I never take one of these but this recipe is so easy to make, all you need is a few things. (I forgot to add the paper liners in this picture).

The smell of oreos. Nothing is more tempting when you're fasting!

Dump the entire package of oreos in your food processor.

Process until they are fine crumbs.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the crumbs and set aside.

Add your softened cream cheese

and blend until its all mixed together

Roll into balls the size of a tablespoon and place on a plate lined with parchment paper. Stick them in the freezer for 20 minutes. 

Melt your candy coating in a double broiler by placing a heat-safe bowl over a small pot of simmering water. I bought vanilla flavored Wilton white candy melts from Michaels. It tasted just like white chocolate and hardened very nicely!

Take the end of the lolipop stick and dip it into the melted candy coating, about 1/4 inch up the stick. Don't be shy, we want enough on there rather than too little. Stick it about half way through the oreo truffle. Return to the freezer for about 5 more minutes so that the coating can firm up. This trick really helps your lolipop stick stay in place.

(Didn't get a picture for this step) Put some of your melted candy coating in a short cup or mug and dip the truffle to coat all sides.

Sprinkle with reserved oreo crumbs on all sides and allow to set up on a plate lined with parchment paper. Try to work as fast as you can so that the oreo truffles stay cold which helps the lolipop stick stay in place. If you want to take your time, I suggest keeping half in the freezer while you work on dipping and coating the others!

If you wanted the tops to stay round, you need a piece of Styrofoam so that they can stand up. 

If you have pretty mini cupcake liners, you don't have to worry about your pops having a flat top

Stick the liner inside your treat bag first

Make some cute tags

I found some ribbon (top) that looks just like an oreo cookie!

Cut each piece of ribbon to be 8 inches long. You can make 27 bows with 6 yards of ribbon.

You could tie the bag with this look if you didn't have a tag

Or you could tie a bow without a tag

But if you do have a tag, stick it on one side of the ribbon...

and then firmly tie a bow!

Oreo Truffle Pops

Yield: 33 truffles

1 large package of Oreo cookies, about 45 cookies (family size)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

12 oz. package candy melts or almond bark

lolipop sticks

mini cupcake liners

plastic treat bags

6 yards of ribbon

decorative tags (optional)

Directions

Dump the entire package of oreos in your food processor. Process until they are fine crumbs. Reserve 1/4 cup of the crumbs and set aside. Add your softened cream cheese and blend until its all mixed together. 

Roll into balls the size of a tablespoon and place on a plate lined with parchment paper. Stick them in the freezer for 20 minutes. 

Melt your candy coating in a double broiler by placing a heat-safe bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Take the end of the lolipop stick and dip it into the melted candy coating, about 1/4 inch up the stick. Insert stick into the center of a truffle, be careful not to go all the way through the other side. Return truffles to the freezer for about 5 more minutes so that the coating can firm up.

Put some of your melted candy coating in a short cup or mug and dip the truffle pop to coat all sides.Sprinkle with reserved oreo crumbs on all sides and allow to set up on a plate lined with parchment paper.

Stick the mini cupcake liner inside your treat bag first. Cut each piece of ribbon to be 8 inches long. Place the truffle pop inside and tie with a bow.

Disney's Ohana Bread Pudding

Bread pudding was first known as "poor man's pudding" because leftover stale bread was softened with a little water, sugar, and spices. However nothing feels poor about this bread pudding.Warm from the oven, smelling of butter and cinnamon, sweetened with a caramel-like banana sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Disney's Ohana Bread Pudding

Recipe adapted from Disney's Polynesian Resort

Breading Pudding

8 cups french bread (at least one pound loaf)

5 eggs

3 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes, place on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch cake pan with butter or shortening.

In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add the bread and gently stir until it is coated with the milk mixture. Place mixture in cake pan and bake for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes, serve warm with ice cream.

Banana Foster Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp rum extract

1 cup banana slices (about 4 bananas)

Directions

Combine both sugars, corn syrup, butter, spices, and half of the heavy cream in a large pan. Bring to a boil and slowly add remaining heavy cream keeping mixture at a steady boil.

Candy will brown slightly; cook 3 minutes until candy forms into a firm ball in cold water. Remove from heat and add extracts. Add sliced bananas. Serve warm.