Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake

I am thinking I need to post a want add. It would go something like this - Needed. Recipe taste testers willing to help us eat all the things I want to make. I have SO MANY fall-themed recipes on my list to try, and truthfully, I haven't really started on any of them. I am absolutely paralyzed by the list itself, and the ability for the two of us to have a managable amount of food. Anyone have some teenage boys they want to lend me for a couple weeks?? :)

This cheesecake is the only dessert we've tackled so far, and I can't take any credit for it because the hubby made it.  He had a coworker that was leaving for a new job, so this was her parting gift. Not too bad of a gig if I do say so myself.

The recipe for this cheesecake comes from Food Network Magazine, and it really is one heck of a cheesecake. The hubby took this to work with some whipped cream, and not much of it made it back home. Our changes to the recipe were pretty minor - Greek yogurt rather than sour cream and cinnamon graham crackers for the crust. Crushed gingersnaps would make a great crust here too.

Speaking of cheesecakes, does anyone have a better method for a water bath? Whenever I try to wrap the pan and bake it in water, I always end up with a leak, so my new method is just to place a pan full of water in the oven on a rack below the cheesecake. What I don't know is if my new method actually makes a difference...Crack or no crack, cheesecake is still great in my book. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Almost-Famous Pupmkin Cheesecake
Slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2-1/2 cups cinnamon graham crackers, crushed
2-3/4 cups sugar, divided
salt
2 lbs. (four 8-oz pkg) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
whipped cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan. 

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Bake, 15-20 minutes or until the crust just starts to brown. Cool completely. If desired, wrap the outside of the pan in foil for a water bath.

In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2-1/2 cups sugar, and beat just until the mixture lightens. Beat in the sour cream. Add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix until just combined. Pour into the prepared crust.

Fill a large, rimmed pan (roasting pan) with warm water. If you wrapped the cheesecake, place the pan in the water and place them in the oven together. If you did not wrap the cheesecake crust, place the roasting pan (with water) in the oven on the rack below the cheesecake. Bake until the outsides of the cheesecake are set but the middle is still wobbly, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for at least 1 more hour, then place on a rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

Apple Toffee Blondes

Truthfully, I have never really been a "fall person." While it certainly brings good things like football, it always hinted at the horrible, un-named season that follows. One of the reasons that we live in Arizona is that neither of us does cold well. 

Nonetheless, fall is a little different down here. The color of the leaves on the trees don't ever change (at least seasonally). I still wear shorts whenever I am not at work, and our weather change means we may not quite hit 100 degrees everyday (for a couple months anyway). While I really don't mind the heat, I am ready for the change. October weather here is beautiful, and I am looking forward to doing a little fall baking once my darn test is over!

I actually made these bars with my mother back in March when I was visiting. I've been saving the recipe/pictures since then because apple baking always reminds me of fall. The recipe comes from Shelly at Cookies & Cups. I haven't done any "official" fall baking yet this year, and in re-looking at these pictures, I am thinking I may have to make these again.

When we made these, Mom and I added 2 apples to use up the ones she had in the fridge. I wouldn't recommend this as there were just too many pieces of apple in the bars. The other thing that we did that I wouldn't recommend is that we prepared the frosting ahead of time. The brown sugar frosting sets quickly, and it is much easier to spread (and looks much nicer) if the bars are cool and ready to frost when you make it. 

Despite the scrappy looking frosting, the bars were really good. If you hadn't guessed from the toffee and the frosting, these bars are definitely really rich! Nonetheless, they are a fun and delicious introduction to fall as we change seasons in just a few days. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Apple Toffee Blondes
From Cookies & Cups

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup peeled, chopped Granny Smith apple (1 medium)
1/2 cup toffee bits

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray.

Cream 2/3 cup butter and 2 cups brown sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stirring until just combined. Fold in the apple pieces and toffee bits until well distributed. Spread in the baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center appears set. Cool completely before frosting.

Once the bars are cool, melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes. Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk. Frost the bars immediately. Let the frosting set completely before cutting into bars.

Triple Berry Crisp

With this blog and simply just feeding the two of us, I have spent my fair share of time in the kitchen. Cooking is something I enjoy. It's fun, it is stress relief, and the best part is you (*usually) get to enjoy the results of your experiment. While I've cooked/baked for several years, I almost always follow a recipe. I blame the pharmacist in me. Too Type A. Too precise.

I say that to tell you this. I made this crisp recipe on a whim, mostly on my own, with only a little recipe inspiration. Certainly, it is hard to screw up a fruit crisp, but I am still excited to report that I am getting to the stage of spontaneity in the kitchen. In fact, this crisp came about because the grocery store was out of zucchini (yes, I had to buy zucchini), and the berries there were so good that you could smell them as you walked by the stand. Recently, I have made a couple more dishes where I've found myself inspired by an ingredient, and I hope to share them soon.

Back to the crisp. Who doesn't love fruit crisp/crumbles? Ripe, juicy fruit at its peak combine with a topping that is really nothing more than an oat-filled streusel. I made ours in ramekins for individual-sized servings. As much as I like crisp, leftover crisp just isn't quite the same, and a whole pan is just too much for 2 people. The fruit in question here is strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, but you can really use any fruit that speaks to you (or needs to be used up in the fridge). I'm sure peaches or other stone fruit would be wonderful here as well. So grab some ice cream (or whipped cream if you prefer) and make this before berries are gone for the summer. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe) 

Triple Berry Crisp
Loosely inspired by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients: 
2 cups total of raspberries, blueberries, and chopped strawberries
1 tsp. cornstarch
2-3 Tbsp. sugar (more or less depending on how sweet the fruit is)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
heaping 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
2 Tbsp. cold butter
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease ramekins.

In a medium bowl, combine the washed berries, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla. Stir and divide evenly between 2 ramekins. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and oats. Cut the butter into the mixture and combine until crumbs form. You can add more butter and/or more oats/flour until it is the desired consistency. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit in the ramekins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is light brown and crisp. Serve while still warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Oatmeal Cookie Butter Cookies

I am going to ask you to turn your oven on in this post. Yes... these cookies are worth every degree the temperature increases in your house. I promise!

I am a little behind the train on the Biscoff spread/Cookie Butter craze. I have not found the actual Biscoff spread here, just the Trader Joe's Cookie Butter version, but I can tell you that the spread is definitely some addicting stuff. The first jar that made its way into our pantry disappeared via some spoons :)

This cookie recipe comes from the book Cookie Cravings by the cookie genius, Maria, at Two Peas and Their Pod. Maria and I seem to share a similar love of cookies, and this book is definitely on my want list. With the spices in the spread and the cinnamon in the recipe, I could absolutely see these cookies being a great holiday cookie. Nonetheless, my coworkers (as well as my husband and myself) certainly enjoyed them in the middle of July! Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Oatmeal Cookie Butter Cookies
Adapted from Cookie Cravings 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup Cookie Butter/Biscoff Spread
1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 pkg. white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg; mix well. Mix in the vanilla. Add the cookie butter and mix until combined. Mix in the flour mixture. Mix in oats and white chocolate chips until combined. If the dough still seems quite sticky, you can add a bit more flour, a couple tablespoons at a time. 

Form the cookie dough into balls and set on the baking sheet. Press down slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are set and firm around the edges. Do not bake until the cookies are starting to brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Remove and finish cooling on a wire rack. 

Yield: about 18 cookies

SRC: Sugar Cookie Bars

Well... it's been awhile since I've been on here. I am happy to report that I finished up my residency at the end of June, certificate and all. Hoping that means that I'll be cooking a little more regularly (and I think I'm not the only one). I think the hubs is ready to hand the kitchen back over to me!

What better way to get back into the swing of things that with a SRC reveal day? My blogger for this month was Raina from Connor's Cooking. Raina has a fun variety of recipes from stir-fries to baked oatmeal, and I still want to try many of these! In the end, I ended up listing to my sweet tooth and chose to make her sugar cookie bars. 

This recipe makes a sheet pan of cookies, and it turned out to be the perfect recipe because I have been receiving a few hints that I should bring some treats into work. Even in the sheet pan, the bars end up nice and thick, staying soft throughout. I needed to bake these for about 20-22 minutes, but I am just realizing now that I baked them at 350 rather than 375 degrees. Either way, it works well.

My only suggestion for the future would be to adjust the frosting recipe (possibly adding a little more powdered sugar) as mine tended to get a little bit too soft when kept at room temperature. Then again, it is July in Arizona and refrigerated cookie bars taste pretty good :)

Thanks for a great recipe Raina. I look forward to seeing your posts in the future! 

(Printable Recipe)

Sugar Cookie Bars
Adapted from Connor's Cooking (Originally from www.loveandoliveoil.com)

Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4-5 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk (I used almond milk)
food coloring, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing one at a time until well combined. Mix in vanilla. In a separate  bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture until just combined. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet (10x15-inch) with nonstick spray. Gently spread the dough over the sheet. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the edges of the bars are just beginning to brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.

While the bars are cooling, beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, alternating with a little milk. Mix until smooth and spreadable, but sturdy. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired. Spread over the cooled cookie bars (only after they are completely cool). Cut and enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

The story of my life right now... I had every intention of having this post up BEFORE Cinco de Mayo. So, I'm only 6 weeks behind the times. No big deal right? All complaints aside, I only have 3 more weeks of dual duty left. Hoping to get some time in the kitchen come July. We will see. If it gets too hot around here, you might be seeing lots of ice cream recipes :)

Thankfully, this pie needs no occasion. The recipe is my dad's. If you gave dad the choice when we were younger, this was the recipe he was making anytime we needed to take a dessert to a function. With only 3 ingredients outside the graham cracker crust, I can't blame him. It is easy and delicious. Dad has made both lime and lemon versions of the pie, but the lime has always been my favorite. 

Still working on finding my perfect homemade graham cracker crust, so if anyone has a great one, I would love it. For now, I'll leave that part up to all of you!

Doesn't this just make you want to sit outside with a slice and a margarita? Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Key Lime Pie
From Dad

Ingredients:
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
4 oz. lime juice
graham cracker crust (purchased or use your favorite recipe)
whipped cream
lime slices 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together milk and egg yolks. Slowly add lime juice and mix well. Pour into the prepare graham crust. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the pie has set. Serve with lime slices and whipped cream.

White Chocolate Oatmeal Crunch Brownies

They say opposites attract. I don't know how much I agree with that on the relationship front, however in food, opposites are often epic. A perfectly baked cookie with a crunchy edge, but still soft in the middle. The sour cream often added to balance a bit of spice. Sea salt sprinkled on top of a homemade caramel. I am sure I could keep going with these food opposites (and make myself really hungry in the process!).

This recipe is from Anna at Cookie Madness. These bars have a bit of that opposites going for them in both texture and taste. The bottom layer is baked twice - first to set up and secondly after adding the top layer. The result is a sweet, soft bar with a salty, crunchy crust. Deliciousness. I love white chocolate, so other flavors aside, these are right up my alley.

My only regret with these. That I didn't try them sooner. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

White Chocolate Oatmeal Crunch Brownies
From Cookie Madness

Ingredients:
Crust:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup shredded sweetened coconut 
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled

Brownies:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 oz. white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Either spray an 8x8-inch pan with non-stick spray or line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy removal of the bars after baking.

For the crust, mix the dry ingredients in the first set together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter, and mix to combine. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the brownies, melt the butter and white chocolate together on the stove or in the microwave. Allow to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and egg together until light in color. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Add the dry ingredients, milk, and vanilla. Stir just until no flour streaks remain.

When the crust finishes baking, add dollops of dough across the pan. Carefully spread out the batter to cover the crust without disturbing the crust. Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Cool completely.

Malted Milk Ice Cream

Whoppers... I have loved them since I was really little. I can remember Dad buying one of those milk boxes of whoppers and hiding them from us on top of the fridge. It is pretty hard to distract your parents long enough to manage climb up on the kitchen counter!!

Malted milk balls are always on my mind this time of year thanks to the malted Easter eggs. It should serve as no surprise that they are one of my favorite types of candy. I've even put them in cookies. 

All of that leads me to this ice cream. I first spotted it last summer in David Lebovitz's cookbook, The Perfect Scoop, but had gotten lost in my recipe files until I saw it again on Tracy's blog this fall. Malted milk powder AND crushed whoppers. I was in. By the way, I've made several recipes from this book, and if you are looking for a great ice cream book, this is your ticket.

So how was it? Indescribable. Forget the pieces of whoppers, this is the creamiest ice cream I have ever had anywhere, all from the malt powder. I am not kidding when I tell you that we went out to buy more ingredients the night we finished the first batch because we had to have more. So, if you happen to find yourself with some extra malted chocolate candy this season, I think I know what to do with it. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Malted Milk Ice Cream
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup malt powder
1 cup of half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
1 cup malted milk balls or malted chocolate eggs, roughly chopped

Whisk the heavy cream, vanilla, and malt powder in a large heatproof bowl and set a mesh strainer over the top of the bowl. Combine the half-and-half, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat just until slightly warm and the sugar dissolves.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Slowly add the warm milk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan and heat until a thermometer reads 170-175 and you notice the mixture starts to coat your utensil. Pour through the strainer to remove any pieces of cooked eggs that may have formed. Stir to combine.

Cover and refrigerate the mixture overnight. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to package directions. While freezing, roughly chop or crush the malt balls. Swirl in after the ice cream has finished freezing (or at soft-serve stage). Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze until set. 

SRC: Nutella Brownies

I am almost ashamed to admit it, but I am new to the Nutella camp. Like only a couple weeks new. I swear I had tried it before. My impression then was indifferent. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything I would go crazy over. Let's fast-forward to the present - I bought a small jar a couple weeks ago for a baking group assignment. I am not sure what has changed, but man that stuff is addicting!

My new obsession played in perfectly to my blog assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club. Erin, of Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts seems to have a similar obsession. She's even made homemade Nutella, and I can't say I blame her! Erin has a great blog and must be a woman after my own heart with her list of desserts. I think I could have made each of them, but there was no getting past these Nutella brownies.

Similar to Erin, my brownies ended up on the longer side of the bake time. Despite taking what seemed like a long time to bake, the brownies emerged soft and gooey in the middle with the perfect crispy edges. Erin describes them as super fudgy with lots of Nutella flavor and I would have to say that I agree. My husband would tell you that they made great ice cream sundaes, but I can vouch for them being delectable on their own too. Enjoy! 

(Printable Recipe)

Nutella Brownies
Adapted from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup Nutella
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well. Add salt, cocoa powder, and Nutella and mix in slowly. Stir in flour and chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake 25-35 minutes (mine took the 35 minutes). The brownies will cut better once cool, but they make great ice cream sundaes while warm.

Club: Baked - Soft Candy Caramels

Our Club: Baked recipe this time around is something near and dear to my heart - caramels! Hosted by Teri at The Freshman Cook, I can't think of a better treat to celebrate Valentine's Day than caramels. Truthfully, I am not much of a chocolate girl, so these caramels were right up my alley!

The process of cooking these was pretty easy. There are more steps and more ingredients than caramel recipes I've made in the past, however the instructions were simple enough to follow. I had a little bit of trouble cutting the caramels at the end. When my husband's stepfather makes caramels, he lets them cool for a bit, but cuts them while they are still soft. In the future, I think I would try this as the caramels were a little hard to cut after they had set. In full disclosure, I let them set for closer to 18 hours before cutting, however they were still pretty set at the 8 hour mark. 

So did they live up to my expectations? Absolutely! Like many of the recipes in the book, we really enjoyed these. Mine start out a little harder than purchased caramels, but they soften quickly once in your mouth. Perfect texture for homemade caramels in my opinion. Enjoy! 

Be sure to stop by the Club: Baked page to check out the other caramels!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

It is hard to believe, but I actually have many more dinner recipes than dessert recipes sitting in my files waiting to be shared. I feel like this is a complete 180 from when I started the blog where almost all my posts were dessert related. You'd never know I have a sweet tooth :)

Despite the odds, I am bringing you a dessert recipe today. In fact, a classic dessert recipe in that. These actually came about one night because the hubbs was wanting to make a cookie ice cream sundae. Not wanting to spend too long baking on a weeknight, I remembered these cookie bars. Perfect.

So, if you find yourself in a rush needing a dessert for a certain holiday next week or just have a killer chocolate chip cookie craving. Look up these bars. I promise they'll be well received. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe (adapted slightly from Cook's Illustrated) 

Ingredients:
2-1/8 cups (10-1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
12 Tbsp. (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 oz) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3-1/2 oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups (1 pkg) chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil, if desired for easy removal from the pan. Spray either the pan or foil with non-stick cooking spray (whichever you are using).

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from the sides of the pan, 24-28 minutes. Do not overbake, if needed err on the side of slightly underdone. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. If using the foil, you can remove the bars from the pan by lifting up on the foil. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Club: Baked - Speculaas

This week's Club: Baked recipe was co-posted with our sister group, Baked Sunday Mornings. Both of our groups are baking through the book, Baked Explorations, but we are typically on different schedules as the Sunday morning group was established before we began our trip through the book. For fun, this time we decided to join-up on a recipe. More people baking together at one time. Should be fun. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's posts!

As described in the book, these cookies came together really easily for me. I mixed them up before leaving the house to run some errands, and they were ready to roll out and bake when I got back. My dough was a little sticky when rolling it out, but that is the only (minor) complaint that I had. 

These cookies certainly end up on the crunchy side of things. I feel like mine were a little soft when I took them out of the oven, but the y set-up quite a bit as they cool. From the description of the cookies, it sounds like they are meant to be a crunchier cookie. I typically am a chewy cookie gal, but I found myself going back for these again and again. They were right up my husband's alley as he likes his cookies crunchy. I can't write this post without mentioning my beetle cookie cutter. I do actually drive a Beetle and received this cookie cutter as a gift from a 7-yr old family friend. Too cute!

These cookies certainly have that "holiday" type flavor and seem like they would keep really well for some time (not that I would know as ours didn't last very long). Something that I will definitely have to keep in mind for future holiday cookie plates. Be sure to check out the Club: Baked page to see the post from both our group and the Baked Sunday Mornings group. Should be a great round-up!

Club: Baked - Mississippi Mud Pie

One of my new goals for myself this year: bake with my groups more often! I really don't know why I don't do it more often as it seems more often than not the recipes we make are amazingly delicious. This one being no exception...

This time around, our Club:Baked recipe is hosted by Jess at The Saucy Kitchen. Her choice: Mississippi Mud Pie. I feel like I say this a lot, but without this group, I never would have given this pie a chance. Me. Dark chocolate and coffee? Na... give me some caramel and milk chocolate, and I'm a happy girl :)

Nonetheless, both my husband and I found ourselves really enjoying this pie. I made a half version in a little 5-inch pie tin since it was just the 2 of us, and everything seemed to come together really well. There are a lot of steps in this recipe, but most of it is melt, freeze, repeat. I am thinking that this pie could be the perfect solution for when I need a dessert in the middle of the summer. The no-bake factor certainly wins points in the Phoenix summers category. A couple people mentioned on the message board that they had trouble finding chocolate wafers. I have some leftover chocolate animal crackers from when my brother made this cheesecake, and they seemed to work just fine here.

Stop by the Club: Baked page today to check out the pies from the other bloggers, and be sure to stop by Jess's blog for hosting! Enjoy!

Chocolate-Chip Toffee Cheesecake

Delectable. Phenomenal. Decadent. 

I really wish that I could claim this one as my own, but my only claim to it is that it was made in my kitchen. The true chef behind this one - my brother. He stayed with us for a few days last week for an interview and decided to make dinner one day while my husband and I were both at work. We came home to homemade bread bowls, soup, and this cheesecake as dessert. I could get used to this!

Words aside, this cheesecake is definitely a show-stopper. I am not sure that any of these words can really describe how delicious it was. Decadent, but totally worth it. I am sure it would be well received to finish out any holiday party that you may encounter. Enjoy

(Printable Recipe)

Chocolate-Chip Toffee Cheesecake
Barely adapted from food.com

Ingredients: 
Crust:
1-1/4 cups chocolate animal crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups Skor English toffee bits (from 2 8-oz bags)

Topping:
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
caramel ice cream topping 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and butter. In an ungreased 9-inch springform pan, press the crumb mixture in the bottom and 1 to 1-1/2 inches up the side. 

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and the vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the toffee bits for garnish. Gently stir remaining toffee bits into the cream cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until set. Turn oven off; leave door open 4 inches. Cool the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes. 

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Without releasing or removing the sides of the pan, run a metal spatula along the sides of the cheesecake to loosen. Cool 30 more minutes. Run metal spatula along the sides of the cheesecake to loosen again. Refrigerate uncovered until thoroughly chilled, at least 3 hours.

In a small microwavable bowl, microwave 1/2 cup chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on high 20-30 seconds or until chips are melted and can be stirred smooth. Cool 5 minutes. Spread the topping evenly over the cheesecake. Sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons of toffee bits around the outer edge of the cheesecake. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the middle of the cheesecake. Refrigerate until the topping is set, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with caramel ice cream topping. Remove the sides of the pan and serve.

Lemon Coconut Macaroons

It's December, so that must mean it is cookie time! How about some macaroons? The ones with 2 o's :)

Macarons have been on my list of things to make for some time, but I have never mustered up the guts to try them. It is my understanding that they have quite the reputation for being temperamental. I have a feeling that this kind, with coconut and 2 o's in the name, are a little simpler to make.

The recipe for these comes from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book.  I was a member of the Sweet Melissa Sundays baking club, however the ladies made this recipe before I joined. I made these on a whim one day while looking for a way to use up a partial bag of coconut, and I haven't regretted it. With a short ingredient list, the recipe couldn't be easier, and as long as you like coconut and lemon, I am confident you will enjoy these. I am thinking you could even pass them off as "snowballs" on a Christmas cookie plate. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Lemon Coconut Macaroons
From The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

Ingredients:
1 (14oz) bag sweetened coconut
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (these will tend to stick if you skip this step).

In a large bowl, combine the coconut, lemon juice, and lemon zest and rub together with your hands. Stir in the sugar and mix to combine. Add the egg whites. Use your hands to mix until everything is coated and the egg whites are distributed evenly. 

Form the mixture into approximately 1-ounce balls with your hands or a cookie scoop. Place on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

The cookie base will keep up to 1 week if you want to make the 'dough' ahead of time. The finished cookies will keep well in a container at room temperature for 3 days. For longer storage, place them in the refrigerator.

Club: Baked - Buckeyes

My mom called the other day mentioning that she saw a girl wearing a shirt saying, "Once a Husker, always a Husker." She really wanted to get one for me since we have moved away from Nebraska, but the store had already sold out of them by the time she found it. Being a "true Husker girl" I have never made nor tried a Buckeye candy, but I decided to embrace my full B1G 10 spirit and give these a shot (j/k) :)

Named after an opposing mascot or not, these little candies crafted of peanut butter and chocolate are not something to pass up. Karen from Karen's Cookies Cakes & More is hosting this week's Club: Baked recipe, and as usual, I had a lot of fun making something that I otherwise wouldn't have chosen. 

They were really simple to make. Mix together the peanut butter part. Melt the chocolate. Dip, set, and eat. As we were forewarned in the book, the peanut butter mixture was a little dry, but I was able to push it into a ball with my hands pretty easily. The hardest part about these for me proved to be waiting for the chocolate to set. I moved a few of them too soon, but it was nothing a quick set in the refrigerator couldn't fix. I could see these being a great recipe for when you need something quickly but still want it to be a hit. Just proves it is hard to go wrong with that classic peanut butter-chocolate combination.

Be sure to stop by the Club: Baked page to see the results for the other bloggers. I am thinking this will be a delicious week for everyone involved!

1 Step Pound (Bundt) Cake with Vanilla Glaze

Do you know what today is? The picture is a hint :)

I am usually not too up with the foodie holidays. I will usually find out it's something like National Pancake Day at 9:00PM that night. Well, thanks to The Food Librarian's montage of bundt cakes I am prepared for this holiday. It's National Bundt Day!

In all seriousness, for the past 3 years, Mary at The Food Librarian has professed her love for the bundt cake by baking 30 cakes in 30 days prior to the holiday on November 15th. That is a lot of cake! She also hosts a 'big bundt' round-up, so I thought it would be fun this year to bake along. The timing also happens to be perfect as today is also my mother's birthday. Being several states away, I will not be able to celebrate with her in person this year, so I thought I'd offer up this cake. 

The recipe for this cake comes from a co-worker. Admittedly, I am usually more of a frosting kind of gal, but this cake was good enough on its own that I actually considered skipping the glaze. Only for a moment. It was moist and dense (in a good way), and the lemon flavor comes through just a little bit from the added lemon juice. The only negative is that this recipe makes a ton of batter. I have a 15-cup bundt pan and it still rose above the edge of the pan. If you have a smaller pan, you may want to split the batter into 2 cakes.

So, I know it's the day of but join in on the bundt fun. Mary's link for the bundt round up can be found here, and I promise I won't tell if the calendar doesn't officially say November 15th. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

1 Step Pound (Bundt) Cake with Vanilla Glaze
From Vince's recipe

Ingredients:
Cake:
3 sticks of butter (1-1/2 cups), softened 
3-1/2 cups flour, sifted
3 cups sugar 
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 cups sour cream

Glaze:
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-4 Tbsp. milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Allow all the cold ingredients to come to room temperature. Grease and lightly flour a large bundt pan or desired loaf pan(s).

Combine all of the cake ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for 1 minute on low speed, then mix for 3 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes. The cake may need to bake longer than 60 minutes. When it rises completely in the middle and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, it is finished. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the pan and place on a wired rack to cool completely. You can skip the glaze and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

For the glaze, melt the butter. Mix in vanilla and milk. Add powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until desired consistency is obtained. Pour over the cooled cake and let harden before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake-Off: NYT vs. Levain Copycat

The chocolate chip cookie. It has to be the ultimate cookie in the minds of a lot of people, and there are enough recipes to match. At last count, I have >50 recipes saved for different chocolate chip cookies, and that doesn't count the couple family recipes that I have sitting in my arsenal. So what's a girl to do? Compare them side by side! 

Since comparing 50+ recipes at one time is not feasible (unless we want to eat chocolate chip cookies and only chocolate chip cookies for the next month!), I have decided that I want to compare the recipes, side by side, tournament style, two at a time and work our way through to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for us. This is probably going to take me awhile since I like to mix things up, but as I pair up the recipes, I'll send them your way. I have told you before that the hubs and I have a different take on the perfect cookie (he's a crunchy fan, I'm a chewy fan). Given this, I fully realize that I may end this quest with 2 perfect recipes, but 2 has to be better than 50 :)

So which 2 are up first? I started my quest with 2 of the most contended recipes floating around the blogsphere - the New York Times recipe and a Levain bakery copycat recipe. While I have never had an authentic Levain bakery cookie, it is certainly in my bucket list as it seems to be quite the experience. The New York Times recipe speaks for itself. I don't know how many blog posts I have read declaring this the best recipe ever.  Some ground rules to start:

1) I will try to follow recipes as written.
2) That said, I want to use the same kinds of chocolate chips in each so that my tastes aren't swayed by the chocolate.
3) My other exception to following the recipes. Nuts. I will always leave them out.
4) One has to be declared a winner. One by me and one by the hubs.

So, here's my take on the cookies:

The New York Times recipe calls for chocolate disks. I looked really hard for these but all that I could find was unsweetened chocolate disks from Trader Joe's which weren't going to work. I ended up using a mix of bittersweet chips and milk chocolate chips in here to match the chips called for in the Levain recipe. If you've heard of this recipe, you know that it calls for a significant chill time (24 hours) in the refrigerator. This is torture for anyone who loves cookie dough :) I didn't try baking cookies at different chill times, but I have heard from other bloggers who have tried this that the chill time really does make a difference  in developing depth in the flavors. The resulting cookies were large and did develop the texture difference referred to in the recipe - crunchy around the edges and chewy in the middle. One definite plus, they stayed soft for a couple of days as we ate through the batch.

(Printable Recipe)

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The New York Times July 8, 2008

Ingredients:
2 cups, minus 2 Tbsp. (8-1/2 oz) cake flour
1-2/3 cups (8-1/2 oz) bread flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups (10 oz) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (8 oz) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. natural vanilla extract
1-1/4 lbs. bittersweet & milk chocolate chips, mixed
sea salt (optional)

Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined, 5-10 seconds. Drop in chocolate chips and incorporate. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside. Scoop 3-1/2 ounce mounds of dough (size of generous golf balls) onto the baking sheet, making sure to turn any chocolate pieces that are poking up to make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
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The Levain copycat recipe is also one that makes huge cookies. I used the same mix of bittersweet and milk chocolate chips in these to eliminate the chocolate as a variable. The cookies get definite points for being a quick recipe. There are some times where you just want a chocolate cookie recipe right now. The cookies were notably thicker that the New York Times recipe and were softer throughout with the outer edge being less crunchy. I loved the use of dark brown sugar in these as I loved the depth of the flavor that it added. Of note, there is not vanilla. Lisa, the creator of this copycat recipe states that these are best the day that they are made, and I agree. They tended to get drier than the NYT recipe after storing for a couple of days.

(Printable Recipe)

Levain Bakery Copycat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups bittersweet & milk chocolate chips, mixed
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (I omitted these)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Transfer dough to a clean work surface and gently mix by hand to ensure even distribution of the ingredients. Divide into 12 equal portions of about 4 oz each. Place each on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on a wire rack.
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Well, so which one was our choice. I have to say that both recipes were phenomenal. I was expecting to make two recipes and have a clear favorite, but I can truly tell you that it was a hard choice. In the end, the NYT recipe won over both my hubs and I. Him for the crunchy edge. Me for many things including the depth of flavor and better storage. My biggest downside of these is the chill time required. It is certainly not a recipe that can fulfill a chocolate chip cookie craving but is great if you are planning ahead to make them.
I definitely wouldn't turn down one of these Levain copycat cookies if someone offered me one, but I think for now, the NYT recipe is on to the next round :) Enjoy!