DeCaDeNt Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake

DeCaDeNt Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

I have not ever in my life attempted to make a cheesecake from scratch but I decided that if I am going to call myself a baker I needed to make the attempt...well ladies and gentleman...it turned out FaBuLoUs! This recipe is a wonderful treat and it lasts refrigerated for a few days and still tastes fabulous. I like it cold rather than warm and it needs to be chilled but I did not keep it in the fridge for as long as they recommended as my fridge cools quite fast...So bake at your own risk, and don't be afraid of the cheesecake...EnJoY!

Ingredients for Cheesecake

18 Chocolate graham cracker squares (i used chocolate teddy grahams) finely crushed, (1 1/ 2 C)
1/2 Cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 8-oz Package Cream Cheese, softened
1 Cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chip pieces
2 Tbsp. Milk
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine crackers, melted butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. Press into bottom of 1 inch up sides of a 9 inch spring form pan; set aside. In bowl beat 1 package cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in peanut butter and 1/4 cup sugar until combined. Fold in lightly beaten egg set aside. In a saucepan stir chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cube remaining cream cheese; add to chocolate. Stir to combine. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in 2 lightly beaten eggs. Spread half the chocolate mixture into pan. Carefully spread all the peanut butter mixture over layer. Evenly spread remaining chocolate mixture. Bake 45 minutes or until top is set when lightly shaken. Outer 2 inches of top will be slightly puffed and dry-looking; center will look dark and wet. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Use small sharp knife to loosen crust from sides; cool 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan; cool completely on rack. Cover; chill 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 Servings.

Perfectly Frosted ChOcOlAtE Cake

Perfectly Frosted ChOcOlAtE cake...

well sports fans this cake is a close competitor to the best chocolate frosting and cake i have had in a really long time. I fell in love with the frosting more than the cake (but nothing new there) anyway if you are feeling chocolaty then please take a spin at this one because you will keep licking the batter and it doesn't stop there...don't make the icing too far in advance as you eat all of it before the cake has cooled. Make this your own and play around with it, I decided to add in extra chocolate and to use some extra vanilla...end result was a success! EnJoY!

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk (use 1%)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 Teaspoons vanilla extract (I use Tablespoons)

1 cup boiling water

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and flour/grease two 9 inch baking pans.

Stir together sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla while beating on medium speed with a mixer for about 2 minutes. Add boiling water to batter and pour batter into your baking pans. The batter will be thin.

Bake the cakes for 30 minutes (ovens will vary). Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Directions:

Melt the butter and stir in cocoa, alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Yields 2 cups of frosting.

Cake serves 10-12

Black n White YuM YuM YuM CuPcAkEs...

Black n White YuMmY Cupcakes...

These little tasty devils speak for themselves and taste fabulous- be careful when making the cream cheese filling to not add any more than what is called for in the directions, and do not whip longer than necessary. You will have a definite crowd pleaser on your hands, feel free to double the recipe if needing more; however i will caution you that these are dense, super rich and having too many around could be a major problem...EnJoY!

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, or generously spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray. Cream Cheese Filling: with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes:
In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mix the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until nice and smooth. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. Then spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling is a little brown and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch. These cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 - 4 days.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Pound Cake- FaBuLoUsNeSs...

I feel that I have been neglecting a large group of bakers out there by only posting chocolate recipes…that being said here is something fresh and something I have not ever made before. I went back to my reliable source The Joy of Baking and found this delectable cream cheese pound cake. I have to agree when she says there is a beautiful golden brown crust and a soft sweetness that melts in your mouth. It has a very different taste from the typical pound cake I am used to, and I did not add the suggested lemon zest, instead I added more vanilla but what is knew with that situation! (I go through a bottle of vanilla about every two weeks!) The cake is also just fabulous when paired with a little vanilla ice cream a la carte. Don’t be afraid to make this recipe yours…go crazy…add whatever –chocolate, fruit or nuts…possibilities are endless! After the cake had cooled I sifted confectioners sugar over the top for a finishing touch, and then we had it right away with ice cream while it was still warm… needless to say the cake was even better the following day…It is a large recipe and absolutely perfect for the holidays with families and entertaining. EnJoY…

Cream Cheese Pound Cake:

3 cups (420 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (340 grams) (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-8 ounce (226 grams) package cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups (600 grams) superfine or castor sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of a lemon or orange (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.
Butter and flour a 10 inch bundt pan.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set this aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, in three additions, beating well after each addition. Continue beating on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 - 5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely. (The cake is cooled in the pan first for about 20 minutes so the cake has time to set. The cake may collapse if you try to remove it from the pan too early.)

Serves 10 - 12 people. Will keep several days well wrapped at room temperature and over a week when refrigerated.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/CreamCheesePoundCake.html#ixzz0XFKRtBDo

My FaVoRiTe healthy little Oatmeal muffin...perfect for the AM hunger satisfaction on the go!

Low Fat - But totally tasty Oatmeal Bars/Muffins


These are one of my favorites and I have been making them when i stumbled on them while living out in LA, and thanks to my friendly Quaker Oats recipes online they are such a treat. I make them all the time for morning snack on the go and typically I put them in muffin sized portions instead of the recommended bars for ease of on the go snacking! Also i do not typically add the fruit that is suggested in the recipe below because they are just fabulous without it and also the dough is really addicting if you are into that kind of thing. When made into muffins they come out very dense and healthy and will last a good while if you keep the muffins in an air tight container. Be sure to not use additional oats because it will make the bars and the muffins too dry- been there before i had just a little extra in the bottom of the container and thought oh why not just use all the oats, (waste not want not), but- not a good idea- trust me! But do feel free to add whatever you like best to the recipe as it is really easy to change considering your taste preference- go crazy with different dried fruit,golden raisins, nuts, banana, chocolate, whatever makes you feel best....enjoy!

Ingredients

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
One 8-ounce container vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. skim milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup diced dried mixed fruit, raisins, or dried cranberries- optional



Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees, In a large bowl combine sugars, yogurt, egg whites, oil, milk and vanilla. Mix well. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt mix well. Add the flour mixture to the yogurt mixture and mix well until combined. Stir in oats and fruit (optional). If you like this recipe and want more like it check out http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes.aspx
Enjoy!

Best Ever MnM CoOkIeS Possible....

these cookies rock your socks off and are just fabulous with a big bowl of ice cream...i used tons of the MnMs and you can change out the colors depending on the time of the year for a cute touch. Also I added plenty of extra vanilla for a special kick, and a like normal way more than needed candy. Enjoy these are easy to make, for sure a crowd pleaser, and only need a few minutes in the oven. My oven bakes fast so I gave them about 9 minutes total just a touch of golden brown and they were perfect. I like to transfer them to a cool surface, using parchment paper or foil so they do not bake on the sheet pan after coming out of the oven.


Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups candy-coated milk chocolate pieces

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, shortening, and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add 3/4 cup of M&M candies.
2. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Slightly push a few candies on top of each dough ball with remaining candies.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 9 to 11 minutes, to your liking.

Heath Bar Cookies...and just as fabulous...



I doubled the recipe above for the MnM cookies and instead of using all MnM's i decided to go with a second choice of Heath Bars for the filling. Simply divide the plain dough in half and place second portion wrapped in saran wrap in fridge to stay nice and cool. When ready place in mixing bowl, and add candy. I used the miniature Heath bars and crushed them up by using the back portion of an Ice Cream scooper. This was a very simple and clean process because i crushed the little bars individually in their pre-packaged bags and once they were crushed then I simply poured the contents into the batter. Do not use a blender any further at this point instead use a large spoon to gently incorporate the candy. Once combined then roll the dough into balls and smash down with spoon to make nice even cookies. Bake again same as above recommended 9-11 minutes at 350 degrees. Again they were fabulous and delicious.....

Peanut Butter and HeAvEnLy GoOdNeSs in a bundt!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake starring Reeces Peanut Butter Cups

If you have a peanut butter lover in your life then go ahead and go crazy with this recipe~ The creative cooks at Whipped the blog shared this and due to an excess of leftover candy from my Halloween party it was the perfect match...instead of using the recommended mini reeces cups i used big reeces and crushed them in a bag with my hands so they were nice and crumbled. I also used many more than the recipe called for so the middle of the cake woud be nice and filled with peanut butter goodness...Just be cautious not to mash the reeces too much or else you will have a mess on your hands. For the glaze I used a tad bit more peanut butter to give it that nice little extra kick and the consistency was perfect. For a finishing touch I shaved chocolate over the glaze to give it a little something specail...Enjoy!


Recipe:

1 box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
3 large eggs
20 mini peanut butter cups

For the glaze:1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the cake mix, sour cream and eggs in a bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium until fully combined, about 3-4 minutes. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Put half the batter in the pan. Cut peanut butter cups in quarters and sprinkle them over the batter. Top with remaining batter. Cook at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn it out on a rack to cool.

Glaze Directions: Heat milk in a sauce pan. Whisk peanut butter in to hot milk. Whisk in powdered sugar. Put cake on rack over a sheet pan (to catch extra glaze) Drizzle the glaze over the cake and serve right after glazing.

EnJoY!!!!!!!!