Oreo Cheesecake Bars

I recently met up with two of my High School friends I haven't seen in 21 years. We all lived in Hawaii at the time (Go Rams!) but we've talked a lot of Facebook over the last couple years. We met at my place for dinner and dessert as we flipped through my year books wondering where so and so was now. It was great seeing them again, and didn't seem like it had been 21 yrs.

I grilled some steaks and grilled corn on the cob and had my baked beans for dinner. I wanted to keep dessert fairly simple, something I could make ahead of time. I choose these Oreo cheesecake bars. YUM! I mad them the night before so they had lots of time to chill and become even better. I read the reviews of other bakers, saying it needed more Oreos, so I used about 1 1/2 pkgs all together (using a little more for crust and mixing into the batter and topping). It's a good thing are just bars, you can cut them to whatever size, but I'll warn ya, these are rich! A little slice is all you need.

Oreo Cheesecake Bars
slightly adapted from Kraft

1 1/2 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz. pkg size) OREO Cookies, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream
4 Eggs

HEAT oven to 325ºF.

LINE 13x9-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends of parchment extending over sides. Process 40 cookies in food processor until finely ground. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of pan.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each. Chop remaining cookies; stir 1-1/2 cups (or more) into batter. Pour over crust; top with remaining chopped cookies.

BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

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enjoy,

The Ultimate Fresh Strawberry Birthday Cheesecake

Our oldest recently turned 12 and she choose a cheesecake instead regular old birthday cake. Well I had planned to do a white cake with fresh strawberries and cream, so I sort of changed plans. I had baked Tyler's Ultimate Cheesecake once before (before my blog time), so I knew it was indeed Ultimate! I looked around for a strawberry sauce/glaze and went to work on this. I of course adapted the baking directions to what worked for us. Basically bake 1 hour, rest 30 minutes. Comes out SOO creamy! Since I knew writing a Birthday message would be impossible over dice strawberries, I thought to make the lettering from royal icing (like I did w/chocolate) and pop them on top once dry. Well...getting them off the wax paper wasn't so easy. They kept breaking! Waaah! But I was able to use the #12. And since I had already placed a few whipped cream "glue dots" on the cake for the lettering, I had to finish it off so it didn't look silly. Oh well, it didn't hurt the taste one bit. =)

I ask you to try this recipe, it's a nice soft creamy cheesecake, not at all dense and drier like others. It's such an easy recipe to follow too, I bet you cannot mess it up. Top it with whatever topping you like (I prefer canned cherry pie filling), or try the fresh strawberry one I have below.


Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (I use 2 packs/sleeves -use food processor)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or omit and use cinnamon grahams)
2 TBL granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) cream cheese blocks, softened
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pint (16oz) sour cream
1 lemon, zested
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Fresh Strawberry Topping, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray.

For the crust:
In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened (I just used my food processor).
Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

For the Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not over beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set a large roasting pan with 1" water on bottom oven rack, place cheesecake on middle rack (you could also wrap the cheesecake pan in foil and set in a pan of water, but I don't take that chance anymore after ruining a great pumpkin cheesecake I baked that way). Bake for 60 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Turn off the oven, crack the door open with a wooden spoon handle and let the cheesecake sit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven to cooling rack, let cool in pan for 30 more minutes.

Cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of desired topping over the surface.
Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.


click photo to read captions


topping
2 C fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, diced (I bought 2 lbs & saved some whole berries for garnish & used the rest for this)
3/4 C sugar
3 TBL cornstarch
pinch salt
1 tsp Vanilla extract
dot of Red food coloring gel (my secret ingredient)

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add strawberries and stir well. Heat over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it boils reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside 1/3 of mixture. Puree the sauce until smooth. Stir in the reserved 1/3 strawberries and sauce. Stir in vanilla and a small dab of red food coloring gel. Pour into a bowl or serving dish. Put plastic wrap over the surface to avoid forming a skin and refrigerate until ready to use.

From Mommy I'm Hungry

From Mommy I'm Hungry

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enjoy,

Holiday Foods

I just noticed these photos are not showing from Flickr, so I'll dig deep into my files and add what I can find.


I was the lucky host this year for our Thanksgiving dinner. It was my 2nd time ever in 14 years. I was stressing out like crazy, hoping everything would turn out. I had one disaster and 3 broken dishes. Do you know why you never pour a cold liquid into a hot glass pan? Yeah, I blew up my 9x13 pan when I realized I forgot to add the liquid to the roaster. The turkey was fine, thankfully. Now I have quite the mess in my oven.

Do you know that almost every recipe I used, came from the Internet. Just click a recipe for the link. These recipes would also be great to carry on through Christmas or any other event through out the year.
Here is the menu that kept me busy in the kitchen all week and 14 hours at those counters the day before. The most raved about items were, the onion tartlets, the dressing (Mr. LOVES dressing), dinner rolls (you HAVE to try these!), turkey roulade (looked beautiful!) and pecan pie.

Appetizers
Sweet Onion Tartlets with homemade crust (see below)
Deviled Eggs (see below)
Cheese Ball with Crackers & Veggies
Chocolate chip cream cheese dip (family brought this)
savory tortilla pinwheels (family brought this)

Entrees
Sliced Ham (family brought this)
Turkey Roulade with Sage & Thyme Dressing

Sides
Green Beans with Bacon & Shallots
Sweet Potatoes & Marshmallows
Mashed Potatoes
Corn
Roasted Veggies (family brought this)
Sage & Thyme Dressing
Herb Gravy
Dinner Rolls
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry jello salad (family brought this)

Desserts
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Honey Crunch Pecan Pie with homemade crust
Sweetened Whipped Cream
Apple & Pumpkin pie (family brought these)


Brine for turkey breast:
1/3 cup salt
6 cups water
2 Tbl sugar

Combine all in large container, stir to dissolve, add turkey breast, soak for 1 hour. Remove turkey and prepare as directed.

Turkey Roulade:1 (2 1/2-3 pound) skinless boneless turkey breast, butterflied (@ 5.30 mins into vid)
salt
pepper
prepared dressing/stuffing
kitchen twine

Place turkey breast in brine for 1 hour. Remove, pat dry. Place the butterflied (see another video how-to) turkey breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly with a meat mallet or heavy duty sauce pan or heavy rolling pin to an even thickness of about 3/4-inch. Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the turkey breast. Spread the stuffing on the turkey, leaving about 1 1/2 to 2-inches uncovered on all sides. Roll up and secure tightly with kitchen twine (about 1 1/2" apart), trying to keep all stuffing intact.
Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large Dutch oven or medium-sized roasting pan until hot. Sear stuffed turkey breast on all sides until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, cover tightly and roast in the oven until turkey reaches 160 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into inner layer of meat, about 60 to 65 minutes. Remove the turkey breast from oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest.


Sage & Thyme Dressing or Stuffing (I double this recipe):
1 box Mrs. Cubbison's Herb Seasoned Cube Stuffin' (note: 1 pkg= 8 C. -perfect for a 9-12 lb turkey)
1/2 C. melted butter
1 C. each of diced: celery, onion, leeks
salt, pepper season to taste
chopped fresh sage and thyme, to taste (maybe 2-3 TBL each)
2 C. low sodium chicken broth (may need more for desired texture)

Saute veggies in a little butter until transparent. Combine stuffing with melted butter and veggies. Stir in seasonings and herbs and broth gently toss until well combined. Place desired amount into bird or place in a baking dish, cover and bake 350' F. for 30 minutes (you can uncover it the last 10 minutes to give it a crusty top).


The BEST dinner rolls:
Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls by Melanie -The Sister's Cafe

3 cups Buttermilk (room temperature)
3 cups flour
1 T. yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water (first let rise a few minutes)
½ cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten with a fork
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour (sometimes you need a cup more--it should not be too sticky)
½ cup oil
1 tsp baking soda

Dissolve yeast in ¼ c. warm water and let proof a few minutes. Mix the buttermilk, flour and yeast together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Let this stand at room temperature until double in size, about 2 hours.
Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, oil, and baking soda. Mix well and kneed for 7-10 minutes. Roll out what you want and place the rest in the refrigerator, covered. The next time you want some fresh baked rolls, take from the bowl what you want and again put the rest back in the refrigerator. It will keep for 7 days.
Let rolls rise on baking sheets until double in size. Time depends on the room temperature, usually 1½ - 2 hours. Dough from the refrigerator will take longer because the dough is cold. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes. Brush with melted butter if you like.

*Recipe makes between 36-48 rolls depending how you divide the dough. To make the crescent shape... divide the dough into 3 balls (you could do it in 4 for smaller rolls), then roll each ball into a circle and cut it with a pizza cutter into 12 triangles. Then take each triangle and roll it from the wide side to the tip. Put on a sheet for rising.
So when you roll out the ball, you roll it out into a circle and cut it like a pizza -- cut it in half, then half again. So now you have the circle cut into 4 sections. Each of those sections I cut into 3.


Good for everything pie dough -Dorie Greenspan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 T)very cold (frozen is fine)unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 T very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening, cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water

Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening care cut into the flour. Don’t overdo the mixing — what you’re aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 3 tablespoons of the water — add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn’t look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the work bowl and onto a work surface.

Shape the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling. (If your ingredients were very cold and you worked quickly, though, you might be able to roll the dough immediately: the dough should be as cold as if it had just come out of the fridge.)
To roll out the dough: Have a buttered 9-inch pie plate at hand.You can roll the dough out on a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a rolling slipcover. If you’re working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured. If you are rolling between paper, plastic or in a slipcover, make sure to turn the dough over often and to life the paper, plastic or cover frequently so that it doesn’t roll into the dough and form creases.
If you’ve got time, slide the rolled-out dough into the fridge for about 20 mins to rest and firm up.

Fit the dough into the pie plate and, using a pair of scissors, cut the excess dough to a 1/4- to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold the dough under itself, so that it hangs over the edge just a tad, and flute or pinch the crust to make a decorative edge. Alternatively, you can finish the crust by pressing it with the tines of a fork.

To partially or fully bake: Refrigerate the crust while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Better the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil, fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust and fill with dried beans or rice or pie weights. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 25 mins. Carefully remove the foil and weights and, if the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon.

For a partially baked crust, return the pie plate to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes more, or until the crust is very lightly colored. To fully bake the crust, bake until golden brown, about another 10 minutes. Transfer the pie plate to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.

Green beans:
I used shallots instead, and added in the precooked bacon right before they were done cooking. I omitted the onion, red pepper flakes and forgot about the vinegar and garlic. Oh well, they were still good.

Yams/sweet potatoes:
I use 4+ big yams, cut up and boil (like regular potatoes), mash them, and whip them in my mixer with brown sugar, butter, pinch of salt, little milk sometimes a little cinnamon and nutmeg (all to desired taste). Place in a casserole baking dish, cover with marshmallows and pecans and bake until marshmallows golden.

Deviled eggs:
I used regular spicy brown mustard instead of ground, added in a shake of cayenne pepper, black pepper, parsley and a dollop of sour cream and a little milk to it.

Cheese ball:
I also add in red bell pepper and green onions. I use a cheddar and jack cheese blend also.

Sweet onion tartlets:
I made my own crust, used garlic, and pepper instead of Spice Island's and added in some diced green onions. Be sure to layer it: onions, egg mixture then cheese. *Note: bake 350' for about 20 min. 1 pie crust gave me 46 mini tarts.

Herb gravy:
I added in fresh chopped sage and thyme to the stock. I browned off 1/2 of the gizzards and heart (I bought a seperate package since we didn't do a whole bird), I used the brown bit in the gravy and omitted chopping them into it. After draining the stock, I added in some broth and made a slury (of flour & water) to thicken it.

Cranberry sauce:
I used canned whole berry, added juice of 1 orange and a pinch of cloves. Let it simmer away.

From Mommy? I'm Hungry!

Homemade (store bought in center)

The best part of Thanksgiving to me are the leftovers:  turkey & cranberry dinner roll sandwiches!

Pumpkin Pecan Crumb Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

I really wished this had come out for me. From what we could taste of it, it was really good. I baked it as directed, except for the first time ever, I wrapped my pan in foil and put it in a water bath to bake (I normally just place a pan of water in the over below it). When I took it out, I found a small tear in the foil. Water seeped out when I took the foil off! I knew it was ruined. As if that wasn't enough, the cheesecake wasn't fully cooked through, even though I baked it as directed and took it out with a slight jiggle of the cheesecake. The top half was fine to eat though.

So perhaps if you are feeling up to it go ahead and try this or use the ingredient ideas on your favorite pumpkin cheesecake recipe, just bake it longer and stick a toothpick/knife in the center to check for doneness. Also be very very sure there are no holes or tears in the foil before making a water bath. Let my mishaps be your lesson. May yours be wonderful!

Cheesecake:

Crust:
2 c. graham cracker, cookie or any other type crumbs
7 T. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

Filling:
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 pkgs. (8 oz. ea.) cream cheese
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. allspice
3 T. flour
1 t. ginger
1 c Heavy Cream
2 c Pumpkin
1T Vanilla

For the crust use a (10 inch) spring form pan.
Mix together crumbs, butter, sugar and cinnamon and place in bottom and partially up sides of spring form pan. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Mix together sugar, cream cheese, eggs and yolks until smooth with no lumps of cream cheese left at all. This will make your cheesecake lighter (less dense).
Add spices and flour and mix.
Add whipping cream (unwhipped), vanilla and pumpkin. Do not over mix.
Pour into prepared crust. *Either wrap cheesecake pan tightly in foil, place in a roasting pan with hot water poured in the roaster 1/2 way up or place a pan of water on the bottom rack of a 425° oven. Place cheesecake on upper rack and bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 275° and bake for 1 hour.
Shut oven off but do not remove cake; let sit in oven for 2 hours.
Remove from oven and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Crumb topping:

¼ cup pecans (ground)

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons butter, cold, cubed

In a food processor, grind ¼ cup of almonds. Add the flour, brown sugar and salt, and pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on cheesecake last 10 minutes of bake time.

Caramel topping:

Dorie Greenspan

2 cups sugar

½ cup water

1 ½ TBSP light corn syrup

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature

Put the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, stir just to combine the ingredients and then put the pan over medium-high heat. Heat, without stirring , until the caramel turns deep amber, 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat a bit and, standing back from the saucepan add the cream and butter. When the spatters are less vehement, stir to calm down the caramel and dissolve any lumps. Remove from heat.

ready to bake in the evil water bath

making the caramel

at least this turned out


you can see the evil water line





Readers, this is my flop

Little Cheesecakes

Little cheesecakes, little cuties, big Mmms! I went along with a recipe I saw here at My Cake Wardrobe and topped each one with a choice of toppings. Here, I've done lemon curd, raspberry preserves, and dark chocolate. Not pictured, I also did one with apricot preserves, which I really liked. Want the perfect crust presser? Find a cup that will fit right into your muffin pan!

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers (preferably in a food processor)

5 tablespoons of melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 12 baking cupcakes in a cupcake pan. Combine the crushed graham crackers with melted butter and press into the bottom of each baking cup with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Refrigerate while making the filling.

Cheesecake

16 oz cream cheese (softened)

1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a hand held mixer in a large bowl, beat cream cheese in mixer until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time until each is fully incorporated. Add sugar, sour cream, salt and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Fill each cup 3/4 full over the top of crust.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let them cool and refrigerate for about 4 hours before removing them from baking cups and serving. Unmold and transfer to a plate. Top with desired toppings.

PHILADELPHIA "Fruit Smoothie" No-Bake Cheesecake

I saw this ad in a magazine for a "Fruit Smoothie" No-Bake Cheesecake , and had to try it. Mmm! It reminded me of a Tazo Berry and Cream drink I used to get at that infamous coffee place, some years ago. The fruit sure gave it a pretty color too.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

One day, I was reading up on one of my favorite Blogs, Bake or Break and saw this decadent cheesecake recipe. I had to show my Husband, because of course, it's made with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Just the look on his face gave me reason to make it. Here is the recipe for it, and I went ahead and used Bake or Break's topping suggestion. I doubled mine. I also used a whole bag of regular Oreo's and used my 8" springform. It gave me lots of crumb crust to go up the sides. Yum. Bake it long and slow, and you won't be dissapointed. Just plan to make it the day before.

New York-Style Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Cheesecake:
24 ounces cream cheese
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 275' F.

Make the Crust: Stir all ingredients with fork and press into 8-inch springform pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Make the filling: Allow the cream cheese and eggs to sit out for about 1 hour before mixing. Mix the cream cheese and sugar in a mixer on low speed. Add the eggs 1 at a time; then add the vanilla.
*Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 275' F for 90 minutes. Turn the oven off but do not open the oven door for 3 hours. Refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from the pan. Top with desired fruit topping.