Black Forest Cream Cheese Cake

Still eager to experiment from that Taste of Home magazine, I was very happy to try this recipe out for my friend's son's class and fortunately they came out decent enough. Of course I like how this dessert puts a spin on the classic black forest cake by adding cream cheese. After baking these up into swirled cupcakes they came out so pretty that I didn't want to hide them with cherry pie filling. I even made a cream cheese icing thinking that cupcakes just aren't complete without icing but couldn't bring myself to cover these up.

The only suggestion I would make for this recipe is to use melted chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder because that will add more flavor and let's face it- more fat. The chocolate cake lacked a deep chocolate flavor and an indulgent moist texture. If it wasn't for the cream cheese, these would have been just plain dry. Even if you just add chocolate chips, that would add much needed richness. I hope the kids liked them!

Chunky Peanut Butter Squares

These taste better than Reeses. Because they are homemade! They’re thicker, chunkier, and you can cut yourself a bar and feel like you’re eating something special instead of just buying it off the shelf. I like to use all natural chunky peanut butter- no hydrogenated oils. It comes out tasting the same or better than Jif so might as well make it healthier for you!

These are not as salty as Reeses. The peanut butter taste doesn’t taste roasted, but more natural- though still sweetened. I love semisweet chocolate on these rather than milk chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate is pretty tasty too. The peanut butter is already sweet so a darker chocolate gives it balance. If you blend your graham crackers yourself, don't worry about those stray larger pieces that don’t break up- they’ll act like peanuts and give your taste buds a surprise. I’ve also tried it with creamy peanut butter if you want it smoother and with one cup less graham cracker crumbs and sugar if you want it even smoother. 

Peanut Butter Squares

1 cup butter
1 cup chunky peanut butter (go natural!)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Place butter and peanut butter in a 2-quart glass bowl. Cover with a paper towel, and microwave at HIGH 1 ½ minutes. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar.

Press into an 11 x 7 x 1 ½ inch OR an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

Place chocolate and shortening in a 1-cup or 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave at medium (50% power) for 2 minutes. Stir well- the chocolate will melt. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Cover and chill until firm, about 45-60 minutes. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

I had to save this recipe to my favorites list because of Break or Bake’s incredible photos. That’s what you call food porn!

I’m sure you’ve tried double or triple chocolate cheesecake but how about triple vanilla cheesecake? I made some adjustments to this recipe to get just that. The crust and cheesecake filling both use vanilla sugar (ingenious) but I also infused the heavy cream with Madagascar vanilla beans for extra indulgence.

These came out… well, with great vanilla flavor, of course, but what pulls it together is the crust too. It’s a butter cookie that adds alittle crunch and then melts in your mouth. I doubled the recipe to make into a springform pan but the original recipe makes these into bars.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Vanilla Sugar and Vanilla Cream
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 vanilla beans
½ cup heavy cream

Crust
1/4 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Filling
1 cup vanilla sugar
1/2 cup vanilla cream
4 (8-oz) packages plain cream cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

Begin this recipe a few days or a few hours in advance, by making the vanilla sugar and vanilla cream, preferably a few days in advance as the flavor will deepen with time. Place the heavy cream into a sauce pan over low heat. Split open one vanilla bean and scrape out the black vanilla specks. Place the specks and both beans (the pitted one and whole one) into the cream. Heat until it slowly simmers, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool and then refrigerate until ready to use. Take out the beans from the cream. Place the sugar in a plastic container. Scrape out the whole bean and place the specks into the sugar. Combine well. Place the pitted beans into the sugar, cover with a lid until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, cream together the vanilla sugar and butter, until smooth and fluffy. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is like a cookie. Press evenly into a springform pan and bake for 15 minutes.

While the crust bakes, combine vanilla sugar and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in vanilla cream. Do not over mix. Add in vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, do not over mix.

Pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is just set in the center.  

Cool completely before slicing (don’t be alarmed if the cheesecake appears to deflate somewhat as it cools). Refrigerate.

Pear and Raspberry Crisp

The first time I made this with peaches and blackberries. The anise flavor went incredible with the peaches and I was sure that earthy flavor would go even better with pears. Turns out, I actually like it better with peaches! Maybe it just tasted better in good company- I really need to bake with my girlfriends more often.

None the less, this pear and raspberry crisp was still addictive- I can’t say no to fruit covered in flour and butter. So yes, the crisp was my favorite part. However, I have to say I cooked the pears perfectly so every bite of sweetness was like heaven in your mouth. The raspberries provided a great contrasting tartness.

Normally I would say don’t skimp around when it comes to ingredients. I even bought pears from Green Fields market that were outrageously good but waited too long to make this- those were gobbled up. When we tried this crisp the first time with star anise, it was very flavorful. So of course the day I want to make this our HEB, Walmart, Target, AND Sun Harvest have no star anise in sight. I bought the anise extract but to my relief found the star anise at another HEB. But again, I don’t know why I didn’t really taste it so maybe the extract would have been fine.  

Pear and Raspberry Crisp

6 large pears
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp cold water mixed with 1 tbsp cornstarch
3 star anise
1 cup raspberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup oats (one minute cooking oats)
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, cut in cubes
vanilla ice cream, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Peel, quarter, and core the pears. Then cut each piece in half lengthwise.
3. Combine pears, sugar, water, and star anise into a large saucepan. Cover and bring to boil.
4. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender but still holds its shape.
5. Add cornstarch mixture and cook for a minute until it thickens.
6. Discard the star anise, and pour into a 8x8 inch baking dish.
7. Sprinkle the raspberries over the pears.
8. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter in a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
9. Sprinkle over the fruit, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve with ice cream.

Sticky Chocolate Brownies

There hasn’t been a brownie halaqa in like two months so I just couldn’t wait any longer. I needed some baked goods. These brownies are from Chocolate Box. They use dark brown sugar so that’s what gives these their sticky texture. When you melt the ingredients, the brown sugar doesn’t dissolve and it’ll look like seized chocolate. But not to worry, it tastes good. They bake up with a smooth, crackly top and you’ll know they’re done when they separate from the sides of the pan. I was obsessive and measured 125 grams on our little chef scale. It’s pretty close to just measuring out the chips in your glass measuring cup to 5 ounces.

Like most brownies, these taste better the next day. Unless you eat an oven warmed brownie with ice cream, try to restrain yourself. Cool them. Store them in a plastic container with a lid. Eat them tomorrow. It’s worth it! They set up more and become chewier.  

Sticky Chocolate Brownies

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

4.5 oz/125 grams semisweet chocolate

1 tbsp corn syrup

2 eggs

1 tsp chocolate or vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease with butter or shortening an 8x8 inch cake pan.

Place the butter, sugars, chocolate, and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat gently, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then fold carefully into the gg and chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula.

Spoon the prepared batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top is crisp and smooth, and the edge of the brownies begin to separate away from the sides of the pan. The inside of the batter will still be quite heavy and soft to the touch.

Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, dust with cocoa powder if desires then cut into squares and serve.

Oreo Truffles

"Today is my 111th birthday!" #bestmovieever

Thank you to all my lovely family and friends who wished me a wonderful day.

Thank you Erica for these! My first spurs game! Omg, those seats are unbelievable.

Thank you Jasmin for this! Molly approves. I will be baking you something, insha'Allah!












Thank you Sammar and Yousra for these!

They were delicious. I love the cream cheese, oreo cookie, and white chocolate combo! They were heavenly! And thank you for the recipe!







Oreo Truffles

One package of oreos
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. white chocolate chips
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Mini paper cups

Blend the whole package of oreos into crumbs in the food processer. Mix the cookie crumbs and cream cheese in a bowl until combined. Roll the mixture into even sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 20 minutes until chilled. Fill a small pot with water and place over stove on low heat. Place the white chocolate chips in a small heat proof bowl and place the bowl on top of the pot of water to make a double broiler. Stir chocolate until completely melted. Remove from heat. Coat each truffle with the melted chocolate and place onto wax paper to set. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in the same way and drizzle on top of the truffles. Also: you could reserve some of the oreo crumbs to garnish on top of the truffles before the melted chocolate sets up.  

Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

So we've been using Alton Brown's "The Chewy" recipe for years and then we come across this recipe with thousands of good reviews and nearly 5 stars. It uses the dry pudding mix in the dough, which I have never tried, but sounds very promising of a soft cookie to me!

They did bake up soft and slightly sweeter than Alton's. I'm glad they didn't turn out flat either- and you can make them even puffier by chilling them until they are icy cold before baking. The cookie dough was pretty yummy to eat too. Looks like it is a winner!



I bet it would taste even better with caramel or butterscotch pudding for a more golden flavor that should pair well with the brown sugar.

Eggnog Cheesecake

Taste of Home’s “Cheesecakes and More” has a lot of good ideas but this has to be their best one. I’ve never even heard of such a thing! Eggnog is rich and creamy with great nutmeg flavor. Add it to a cheesecake and you’ve got a dessert that’s luscious and silky with such a special taste- I wish my grocery store had eggnog all year round! I just happened to want to make this on Christmas eve, so my sister ran out to three different grocery stores only to find everyone sold out of eggnog. When we finally got our hands on some, we made this cheesecake with Oak Farm’s eggnog. I didn’t know it was a strong eggnog until we also tried Borden’s eggnog which was lighter in flavor but creamier. I’m glad we made it with the stronger flavored one because I love eggnog. I even added ¼ cup more eggnog to my recipe because I wanted to be sure to taste it. On a graham cracker crust, this eggnog cheesecake was just divine!

Eggnog Cheesecake
Adapted from: Taste of Home

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
You can process the graham crackers in a food processor or blender to finely chop. Add butter and mix together. Press mixture into the bottom of springform pan. Set aside.

Eggnog Cheesecake
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup eggnog
1/2 teaspoon rum extract, optional
Dash ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° F.

Place a 9-in. or 10 inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Gradually stir in the eggnog, extract and nutmeg. Pour filling over crust.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is set and top appears dull. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake

Another flavor combination that I’ve been dying to try. Of course apples and cinnamon were made for each other but knowing me, I have to add cheesecake. How can you go wrong with cheesecake? This dessert is just right for this time of year. Your kitchen will be filled with a sweet, spicy aroma.

The three components of this cake are all superb. The crust was a new concept to me but it’s a wonderful idea. It’s the perfect cross between a classic graham cracker crust and a pie shell. It goes perfectly with the apples. Consider using it for any fruit topped/filled cheesecake- especially pear. The cheesecake filling surprised me. It is much more luscious and creamy than expected and reminds me of the cheesecake factory’s cheesecake texture. The flavor is more on the vanilla side- I really couldn’t taste the apple juice concentrate. However, the spiced apple topping made up for that and was divine.         

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake

Your sister will come home with a new cookbook-Taste of Home's “Cheesecakes and more” magazine. At first, you’ll be offended because everyone knows you don't need a cookbook for cheesecake. What are you trying to say? But you’ll change your mind as you flip through the pages with the sight of new flavor combinations, a photo with every recipe, and other desserts including this one.

When you make this recipe, it’ll be on Christmas day. You don't celebrate the holiday, but the family is home and its cold outside- so you want something that’ll warm the house with an aroma that just hugs you. So you’ll narrow it down to three options- Apple Cinnamon Cheesecake, Eggnog cheesecake, and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake. You’ll decide on the eggnog cheesecake and you’ll go to HEB, Walgreens, and Walmart only to find that everyone is sold out of eggnog. Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cake it is.

For me, cakes are hard to make just right. This one comes out awesome: moist and only gets better the next day. The denseness is perfect- not too light and airy but not too heavy either. It’s the pumpkin.

But the flavor doesn’t scream pumpkin at all. In fact, it’s more of a spice cake with a slight chocolate undertone that’s only intensified when your taste buds are surprised by a chocolate chip.