Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

For this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club, Sandi decided that we should get out of the kitchen and have a BBQ!

Sandi started us off with Scallops Grilled on Rosemary. Sounds like a pretty great way to get the menu going to me. We have a few appetizers to add to that- Roz picked Grilled Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms and Val decided on Barbeque Chicken Sliders with Pickled Onions.

We've got some great sides to round out the rest of the meal as well. Jerry prepared a Grilled Vegetable Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing and Jamie made Thyme Potatoes.

Once again, after looking at this menu, I am trying to decide which of these dishes I want to try next. They all look and sound amazing!

This time I chose a dessert. Ice Cream is something that I associate with summer and grilling out. I have many memories of having special homemade ice cream to go along with something that my dad would fix on the grill. I decided to finish off our meal this month with Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. Blueberries are in season and really, who doesn't want something as decadent as ice cream and cheesecake combined into a lighter dessert?

This ice cream has a few steps that require the stove top, but they only take a few minutes. They you can churn your beautiful purple custard into creamy, dreamy ice cream.

A few thoughts about this ice cream. I didn't really think that it had a strong cheesecake flavor, so if you don't like cheesecake, don't let that scare you off.
I also felt like it was just a little bit too sweet- next time I would reduce the amount of sugar that goes into the cream cheese/sugar/egg yolk mixture. I think you could take out about 1/2 cup and probably still be ok. Other tasters thought it was perfect, as is. But my preference would be to make it a little less sweet. It was still mighty delicious. The perfect afternoon treat to cool us down after day at the pool.

Make sure you check out what the other members of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club prepared for this month's BBQ and get inspired to step out of the kitchen!



Here is the recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Cooking Light

Good Luck Dip

This is actually New Year's Good Luck Dip. I saw it on Ezra Pound Cake a day or two before New Year's and loved this twist on collard greens and beans.

I wasn't going to share it here since it has been a few weeks since New Years Day, but it was so delicious and I figured we could all use some good luck, probably more than just on the first day of the year. You can't really go wrong with dip and this one has some healthy stuff in it.

This dip starts out with a little bit of bacon. You cook a sweet onion, red bell pepper and then add the collard greens, and cook them down until they are nice and wilted. You might be thinking that collard greens can't fit into a dip. But they can. Make sure you finely chop the collard greens. To lighten this dip up a little, I used nonfat cream cheese and nonfat Greek yogurt. I was actually kinda surprised by how yummy this dip was. I also added some black-eyed peas since we had this dip the same day as the Southern Egg Rolls.

I used whole wheat pita chips as my main dipper, but I think it would taste great with veggie sticks too. Since it was sort of a New Year's party for our family, I splurged and bought some Frito dips, so they could use those to dip into this dip.

This was a great recipe and we loved how it turned out.

Recipe for Good Luck Dip
* I used non-fat cream cheese
* I used nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
* I added some cooked black-eyed peas

Mini Peppermint Bark Cheesecakes

Here is the perfect addition to any holiday party or dinner. These little cheesecakes would also make a perfect gift.
I made these a couple weeks ago and took them to one of the first Christmas activities we had in December.
We love peppermint bark, but I have only had it homemade. My mom usually makes this recipe, which I usually make also, but this time I decided to try a version that had a dark chocolate layer on the bottom.

I found this peppermint bark cheesecake recipe over at Anne Strawberry and coincidently, she made this version when it was her turn to pick for Tuesday's with Dorie, about 2 years ago. So the base cheesecake recipe is Dorie's, which means it will turn out perfectly.
These cheesecakes consist of a chocolate cookie crust, swirled layers of white chocolate and peppermint flavored cheesecake, with a sprinkling of Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
in between the cheesecake layers, slightly sweetened whipped cream and topped off with a piece of homemade peppermint bark.
Decadent and Delicious.
There are a few reasons why I like to make mini cheesecakes. 1- They can be made a day ahead and sit in the fridge overnight to chill, 2- almost everyone loves cheesecake, but it is so rich and highly-caloric that you can't enjoy it too often- a smaller serving solves that problem, 3- no worries about waterbaths or tops cracking, 4- they are easy and portable, fun to share and yummy. There are probably more reasons, but those are the ones I can come up at the moment.

These were a hit. I loved how they turned out.


Recipe for Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
* I made 1/2 the recipe and got 21 mini cheesecakes
* I made a chocolate cookie crust


Recipe for Easy Press-in Pie Crust
*I made 2/3 of the recipe
* I made the chocolate version, using Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Recipe for Peppermint Bark
* I used 2 oz bittersweet chocolate and 4 oz semisweet chocolate
* I used almond bark instead of white chocolate


Merry Christmas! I hope you have a great Holiday weekend!

TWD Rewind- Mini Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecakes

This week we were given the chance to go back and make any Tuesday's with Dorie recipe that we wanted. I made the Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake, but in mini form for a dinner party.

This recipe was the 6th recipe chosen for Tuesday's with Dorie, back in February 2008. It is a wonderful, light cheesecake, flavored with brown sugar & cinnamon which also has apples that are sauteed in butter and brown sugar layered in between the cheesecake.

This cheesecake was amazing. Flavor, texture- everything.
I topped the mini's with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and they were enjoyed by everyone.

Go check out what everyone else picked to make for this week's Tuesday's with Dorie rewind!


You can find the recipe in many places, like HERE on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Fresh Cherry Tart

I am not a big fan of cooked fruit in desserts.
I prefer to eat my fruit fresh, especially in the summertime.

I wanted to make a dessert for the 4th of July and really wanted to use sweet cherries, since they were ripe and at a great price.
My husband loves cherry pie, but I just couldn't bring myself to cook these beauties. They were so sweet and delicious.

I searched for a way to serve them fresh in a dessert that would let them shine in all their beauty.

I found the perfect recipe in this Fresh Cherry Tart.

It has a basic graham cracker crust and then a cheesecake-like filling, that doesn't require any baking time.
The cherries are pitted and halved, then glazed with a small amount of thinned jam.

This tart was absolutely perfect. Crowd pleaser, beautiful and delicious.

Recipe for Fresh Cherry Tart
* the 1/4 cup sugar that you add to the filling is missing from the ingredient list, but in the instructions it tells you when to add it

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

I just can't seem to throw away leftover frosting.
And in my house, there is always leftover frosting after we have made cookies or cupcakes or whatever. Always.
Not a lot of frosting, but a couple of tablespoons or 1/2 cup, just enough to warrant a little plastic container, a lid, and a nice stay in the refrigerator.

Such was the case with this Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese frosting that I made a couple of weeks ago to be sandwiched between some of these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.
This frosting was the more popular one between the 2 we had that day and it is one of the best frostings I have made recently. It has just a enough cream cheese flavor, but not overpowering and the vanilla bean is magical, somehow intensifying the flavor.
I absolutely love those little black flecks the vanilla bean leaves behind.

I decided to make some mini cupcakes, a recipe I have made before- Martha Stewarts One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes. I made a 1/2 batch of the cupcakes and had just enough frosting to give each mini cupcakes a cute little dollop of frosting.
The combination of this cupcake recipe and the frosting was really good. Plus, when treats are this small you can get away with eating 2 or 3 and not feeling very guilty since they are so small and cute.


Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting from The Food Network Magazine
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla seeds.

Recipe for One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

The Battle of the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I haven't felt compelled to compare recipes for a dessert for a long time.
After I made those red velvet cupcakes last month, I couldn't help wanting to make these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies that I saw in the Food Network Magazine.

I remembered seeing other recipes for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies and decided it was time for a taste test.
Luckily, we had another family dinner that I was bringing dessert to, so I had enough people to actually taste these little guys.
There were more than 2 recipes that I found for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, but these 2 were the ones that had me most interested.

I liked that the Food Network's recipe actually had vinegar in it, since I think that is one of the key components in red velvet cake.

The Cream Cheese-Vanilla Bean filling/frosting was definitely the favorite of the frostings.
And these Whoopie Pies turned out to be the winners in the flavor department. They may not have been the prettiest of the Pies, but the cake was moist and tender and had the perfect flavor, as well as texture.
The Cream Cheese-Marshmallow Creme filling/frosting was not as popular. There were a few people who preferred this filling, but the overall consensus was that the other filling tasted better.
These BH&G cakes looked better, but didn't taste as good.
Don't get me wrong- they were still yummy, but when compared head on to the Food Network's version, they were not as tasty.
So, which ones will you make for your Valentine's Day treat?? Or, do you want to make both and come to your own conclusion about which ones deserve the title of Best Red Velvet Whoopie Pie?

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Recipe for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from The Food Network Magazine

Recipe for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake

So what are you serving for Valentine's Day dessert?
This simple cheesecake is a great option.

My daughter was looking through Annabel Karmel's Mom and Me Cookbook and when she got to this recipe she asked me if I could make it.
We were going to be eating dinner at my mother in-law's the next night and I was bringing dessert, so I changed my plans and decided to make this no-bake cheesecake.

This recipe is soo easy. There is no baking involved.
Your kids can help you mix it up.
You just need to plan to make it ahead of time so it can chill for the required amount of hours. I let mine chill overnight.
I apologize for the pictures, but I was hurrying out the door to go to dinner and didn't have time to cut a slice and make it look nice.
Anyway, this cheesecake was a huge hit with everyone.
It is basically just cream cheese and whipped cream folded together and then chilled, with a lovely raspberry sauce swirled through and a graham cracker crust.
This cheesecake tastes really light and luscious. It has a great texture.

The adults loved it and the kids loved it too.
My sister in-law even asked me for the recipe that night and has already made it herself.
Plus, it is has red in it-so it is perfect for Valentine's Day!
Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake from Annabel Karmel's Mom and Me Cookbook
1 stick (8 Tbls) butter
8 oz graham crackers
1 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz cream cheese
1 cup superfine sugar
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, (I used frozen)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 2/3 cups whipping cream

1. Put the graham crackers in a bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and crush them into crumbs.
2. Melt the butter in a pan. Pour the crushed graham crackers into the butter and stir thoroughly.
3. Line an 8-inch springform pan with plastic wrap. Spoon in the cracker mixture, press flat and refrigerate.
4. Make raspberry puree- bring the raspberries and powdered sugar to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, then press through a sieve.
5. Mix together the cream cheese, superfine sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip the cream until stiff, then fold it into the cheese mixture.
6. Spread 3/4 of the cheese topping on the graham cracker base. Then spoon on 3/4 of the puree and swirl it into the cheesecake mixture.
7. Gently spread on the remaining cheesecake mixture. Drizzle on straight lines of raspberry puree. Pull a skewer across the lines for a decorative effect.
8. Leave the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours of overnight.

Spiced Pecans, S'mores Cookie Bars, Chocolate Gingerbread Bars, and Peppermint Brownies, oh & a Birthday Cake

I had so much fun this morning helping one of my best friends with her daughter's 8th birthday party. It was a tea party, very fancy. The cake I made was so cute. I had a great idea and it worked. Can't wait to get photos up of that cake.
I haven't yet, so these delicious treats will have to do.
The first thing here is Spiced Pecans. I made these a couple of weeks ago, along with the Holiday Biscotti as an idea for a Holiday Gift.
They were a big hit. They are coated in a sweet/spicy mixture. Mostly sweet, because of the cinnamon, sugar but also spicy because of the cayenne pepper and ground ginger.
Delicious. We couldn't stop munching on them. I am making a big double batch next week to send out with some cookies in the mail. Yum...
Next, is a treat that I made for one of the Thanksgiving Dinners we went to. I was asked to bring a kid-friendly treat and remembered some S'mores Cookies that I had seen awhile ago.
What is more kid friendly than something covered in marshmallows and chocolate?
I thought I would turn these cookies into bars and just made them in a 9x13-inch pan, instead of making individual cookies. I let the pan of cookies bake for about 23 minutes or so, and then I dumped on an entire bag of mini marshmallows and some chopped Hersheys milk chocolate.
Put them back under the broiler and let the marshmallows get really toasted.
These were very sweet (not like that is a surprise or something) and had to be eaten in small doses. They were good. The graham cracker crumbs in the cookie base made them taste like a real S'more.
Ooey and gooey, which is a great combination for kids, even if parents might not agree!
Next are Chocolate Gingerbread Bars. I threw these together for a potluck over Thanksgiving weekend. They came together really quickly and disappeared just as quickly. I think most people probably thought they were brownies, so they must have had a little surprise when they tasted the molasses/ginger. A great christmas treat.
Then we had some Peppermint Brownies. I saw this idea in a Holiday Baking magazine, but can't remember which one it was. My sister was visiting for Thanksgiving and we had a lot of fun with all these marshmallows.
We just made basic brownies and then covered them with marshmallows, chopped candy canes and drizzled melted milk chocolate over the top.
Gooey and delicious.
The last thing I wanted to share was a picture of the birthday cake my little girl got to share with her great grandpa. They share the same birthday, November 27th and we decided to celebrate with a sheet cake at our Thanksgiving Dinner. My mother-in-law requested the same cake that I made for her birthday back in July, so I just doubled it and tried out a new frosting recipe. The frosting recipe was really great to decorate with. It also had just a hint of cream cheese that was really delicious. I am definitely going to be using the frosting recipe in the future. You can find the frosting recipe at the bottom of this post. My sister helped me come up with the design for the cake. It was fun. The birthday girl and grandpa were very happy to share the cake and their birthdays with everyone.
Recipe for Spiced Pecans

Recipe for S'mores Cookies

Recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

Recipe for Vanilla Buttercream

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Pumpkin Pie and Cheesecake. Together as one. Brilliant.
I was going to post the two desserts that I made ahead of time for Thanksgiving in the same post, but I took way too many pictures of this cheesecake and they turned out pretty good, so it gets its own post.
I saw this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and the picture was just so gorgeous, plus it sounded delicious, so I made it right away.
I didn't know what I was going to do with an entire cheesecake though, so I divided the recipe into 5ths (since there were 5 eggs and I didn't want to half an egg) and then doubled the 1/5th, so I made 2/5ths of the recipe. (Sounds more confusing than it was).
I made 4 mini cheesecakes with my 3 or 4-inch springform pans. I had to taste a tiny bit and then I took them to my hubby's work where they were a hit.

The thing that really got me excited about this dessert is the fact that it really doesn't have a million calories or a trillion grams of fat in it, because most of the filling is pumpkin puree.
If you have 1/14th of the normal sized cheesecake it has less than 350 calories and 16 grams of fat. (The saturated fat is high, but something has to give, right?)
That seems very unusual for a cheesecake type dessert that doesn't claim to be low-fat.
Anyway, you probably think I don't care about calories and fat because I make so much dessert, but I do. I am a healthy eater that loves to bake.
Anyway, enough about all that boring nutrition information.
You must make this dessert.
The crust is made up of gingersnap crumbs with a little bit of brown sugar.
The texture is amazing. It has the flavor of pumpkin pie, but the filling is so smooth and light. It is the texture of cheesecake with the flavor of pumpkin pie. It is perfect.
The cranberry topping is amazing with it. If you crave pumpkin and cranberry together, this is your dessert. The cheesecake isn't overly sweet, but with the tart cranberry sauce it is magnificent. I am making a full-sized Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake for Thanksgiving. You should too.


Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Halloween Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

I saw this recipe in a magazine a year or 2 ago and thought it would be a really fun one for kids to try for Halloween.
One saturday, I mixed up the dough and chilled it.
This dough was very sticky and somewhat difficult to roll-out and cut with cookie cutters.
I let my kids choose a couple of different shapes that they wanted to decorate and then I just rolled the rest of the cookie dough into balls, and baked them.

The cookies were not too sweet. They had a nice flavor, which my kids really liked. The frosting was just cream cheese and marshmallow fluff, so it wasn't overly sweet either.
I used the leftover frosting on these pumpkin cupcakes and also to frost/drizzle on these pumpkin cinnamon rolls.
These were a definite hit! My kids really liked them and we had fun decorating together.
Have fun celebrating Halloween tonight! I am hoping the rain will let up for trick or treating later.

Recipe for Halloween Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

MSC- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

It's time for another round of Martha Stewart: Cupcakes Club! This month's cupcake was chosen by Kim over at What the Whisk.
She went with a seasonal pick-Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes. The recipe can be found on pg. 236 of Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. I looked online to see if I could find this particular recipe anywhere and I was not successful. There is a recipe online, but it is different from the one in the book that we used.

I was excited to try these because I love anything made with pumpkin-sweet or savory. The recipe said it yielded 32 cupcakes, but Martha's recipes always make more than they say, so I made 1/4 of the recipe. It was easy to cut into 1/4ths and I still ended up with 9 cupcakes.

These little guys are supposed to be frosted with Martha's Cream Cheese Frosting, but I happened to make some Halloween sandwich cookies on the same day and used the frosting from the cookies to top the cupcakes. (I will have a link to the frosting when I post about those cookies.)

I also added a little bit of pumpkin puree and some spices to some of the frosting for a couple of the cupcakes.
We were supposed to make cute little pumpkins out of marzipan to top these, but since I didn't really have anywhere to take them, I skipped out on that step.

Overall, I thought these were good cupcakes. Nice flavor and texture.
Go and see the cute creations that the other MSC Bakers made by checking out the MSC Blogroll!
One Year Ago-Lunchbox