3.30.2007

Brickle Drop Cookies

From my original post about these:
"So the amount of flour in there really should have given me a clue as to how many cookies this was going to make. Oh my. I wanna say there are at least 5 to 6 dozen of these in the apartment right now.

They're a bit thin, but they are good! I hadn't used the toffee bits before, so I'm greatly impressed."

Yeah. TONS of cookies. Half of them went to work with me, and I think Dave and Kinetaa ate the rest of them. :)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
3½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1-1/3 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Hershey's Heath Toffee Bits and Chocolate

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper)

Beat butter, sugars, vanilla, and sat until blended. Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar; gradually add into butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in brickle. Drop by heaping teasponful onto prepared sheets.

Bake at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing to wire rack.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

This is my most-requested recipe. Birthdays, holidays, whatever. I've had people pay me for this one, which is just mind-boggling to me. Something I made? Worth money? Wow. No matter how many times it's happened, it still amazes me. This is also one of my published recipes, too. :D

Ingredients:
1¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 pkgs (8 oz.each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1-2/3 cups (10 oz. pkg.) peanut butter chips, melted
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup swirled peanut butter/chocolate morsels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F.

In bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cocoa and butter. Press mixture onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk then melted peanut butter chips until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir in small chocolate chips. Pour over crust.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven to cooling rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan.

Pumpkin Streusel Coffeecake

To me, nothing invokes feelings of autumn than pumpkin. I know, it's good year-round, but something about that first chill in the air brings warm memories of, well, pumpkin. And shushel-ing through the fallen leaves (Oh, how I miss that, living in California!)

Ingredients:
Streusel Topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp butter
½ cup coarsely chopped nuts

Coffeecake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

For Streusel Topping:
Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly; stir in nuts.

For Coffeecake:
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Spoon half of batter into prepared cake pan. Sprinkle 3/4 cup Streusel Topping over batter. Spoon remaining batter evenly over Streusel Topping; sprinkle with remaining Streusel Topping.

Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate-Caramel Cheesecake Bars

When my mom sent me Nestle's chocolate/peanut butter swirled morsels (and their chocolate/caramel counterpart), I knew I wanted to make this recipe. Wait, no, you're not reading wrong. ;) The original recipe called the chocolate/pb chips, but after being mailed cross-country, they kinda melted together. The chocolate/caramel ones didn't, thus I used them. (Oh, and I've since tried them with the pb ones, and they're even better) :D

Ingredients:
2½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup (1½ sticks) butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Nestle's chocolate/caramel swirled morsels, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Remove 1 cup mixture and reserve for topping. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle 3/4 cup morsels over crust.

Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, flour and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Pour over crust and morsels in pan. Sprinkle with reserved crumb topping and remaining morsels.

Bake at 325F for 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.

Fudgy Brownies

AKA: The Orgasmic Brownies

Truly, the best brownies I've ever made. This is my stand-by recipe for whenever asks for brownies, because, again - FABULOUS.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup butter, melted and divided
½ cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan

Stir together cocoa and baking soda in a large bowl; stir in 1/3 cup melted butter. Add boiling water; stir until mixture thickens. Stir in sugar, eggs, and remaining 1/3 cup butter; stir until smooth. Add flour, vanilla, and selt; blend completely. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan on wire racks. Frost if desired. Cut into squares.

3.10.2007

Raspberry-Cheese Coffee Cake

I think the best 'intro' to this recipe would be my original comment, back from 2005, "Well, if the dish any sign of a dessert's goodness... There's just about half left. It's a good thing." :)

As a side note, any kind of preserve can be used, with seeds or without.

Ingredients:
1 8-oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter
1-3/4 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup seedless red raspberry or strawberry preserves
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds or until combined. Add about half of the flour to the cream chese mixture.

Add the granulated sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla to the cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat in remaining flour just until combined.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Spoon preserves in small spoonfuls on top of the batter. Using a small narrow spatula or knife, gently swirl preserves into the batter to create a marble effect.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I admit, I'm a chocoholic. And a cheesecake lover. What's greater than the combination of the two? When they're in bar form!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1½ cups flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
Cheesecake Topping:
2 cups Hershey's Special Dark morsels
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup evaporated milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

For Crust:
Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter in medium bowl; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

For Cheesecake Topping:
Microwave morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10-20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in medium mixer bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in evaporated milk and melted chocolate. Pour over crust.

Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes, or until center is set. Cool in pan to room temperature on wire rack; chill until firm.

Deep Dark Fudge

On the subject of firsts, this was my 'first fudge'. Oddly enough, all repeated attempts haven't come out well. Hmm. Anyways, I believe the recipe is from a Hershey magazine booklet-type thing, judging by one of the ingredients. Very yummy. I just wish I could repeat that success.

Ingredients:
1½ cup sugar
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)
¼ cup butter
2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Hershey's Special Dark morsels
½ tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil. Butter foil; set aside.

Combine sugar, marshmallow creme, evaporated milk and butter in a heavy medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to a full boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir just until chips are melted; pour into prepared pan.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Cut into squares or cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Store tightly covered in a cool, dry place.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

This was originally my first-ever venture into the yummy world of pumpkin cheesecakes. For a few years, it was my tradition at work to bring one in on the day after Thanksgiving. Sadly, this past year, with having to make three different cheesecakes that week, it just didn't happen. This was my original recipe.

Ingredients:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz can) evaporated milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.

FOR CRUST:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes (do not allow to brown). Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

FOR CHEESECAKE:
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg; beat well. Pour into crust.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until edge is set but center still moves slightly.

FOR TOPPING:
Combine sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well. Spread over surface of warm cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of springform pan