Cheesecake Fruit Dip

Ingredients 

1/2  cup  firmly packed brown sugar 

1  8-oz. package cream cheese, softened 

1  cup sour cream 

1  teaspoon  vanilla extract 

1/3 cup coffee liqueur- this could be left out but it's what makes this dip fantastic.

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed 

 Assorted fruit

Preparation

Beat brown sugar and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream, vanilla, and coffee liqueur, beating until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Cover and chill 4 hours. Sprinkle top of the dip with brown sugar garnish, if desired. Serve with fruit. Strawberries, pineapple, and grapes are really good with this dip.

(Source)

Heaven Sent Peanut Butter Cookies

Heaven Sent Peanut Butter Cookies

3 cups quick oats
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Honey)
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

For the filling:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups smooth peanut butter

(Source)

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

2 C sugar 
2 sticks butter, at room temperature 
2 eggs 
1 T cocoa powder 
1 T Wilton royal blue gel food coloring 
1 small dab of Wilton violet gel food coloring 
2½ C cake flour 
1 tsp salt 
1 C buttermilk 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
½ tsp baking soda 
1 T vinegar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake pan(s) with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food colorings together to form a paste, and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.

Pour batter into cupcake papers. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting. 

For the cream cheese frosting, I used my old standby recipe. 

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 box powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese, butter, and almond extract. Mix in powdered sugar. Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. 

(Source)

How to Bake Cakes in A Can

How to bake mini-cakes in a can. So simple and fun! This is a great idea and a great recipe.

Tiramisu Cupcake Recipe

Tiramisu Cupcake Recipe

• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 C white sugar
• 2/3 C milk
• 1 1/4 C heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 lb mascarpone cheese
• 1 C strong brewed coffee, room temperature
• 2 tbsp rum
• ladyfingers baked in cupcake wrappers (see post on ladyfingers for instructions.)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• a small amount of dark chocolate for chocolate curls (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. 
2. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. 
3. Boil gently for 1 minute, remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
4. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator 1 hour.
5. Remove from refrigerator and whisk in mascarpone until smooth.  Set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, beat cream with vanilla until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
7. In a small bowl, combine coffee and rum.
8. Drizzle approximately 1 tbsp + 2 tsp of the coffee/rum mixture over each pre-baked ladyfinger.  Add it a little at a time and wait for it to absorb into the ladyfingers before adding more.  When it stops absorbing, stop adding more.
9. Spread the mascarpone mixture over the soaked ladyfingers.
10. Pipe or spread the whipped cream over the mascarpone.
11. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. 
12. Optionally, top with chocolate curls.  Make the chocolate curls using a vegetable peeler on a piece of chocolate.  It works best if the chocolate is slightly warm, but not melty.
13. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, until set.

(Click Here For Original Recipe)

Cherry Cream Pizza with Tuxedo Topping

Cherry Cream Pizza with Tuxedo Topping

Crust

3

cups Fiber One® original bran cereal

1/2

cup butter or margarine, melted

1/4

cup sugar

1

teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1

package (8 oz) fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/3

cup sugar

3/4

teaspoon almond extract

1

can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

1 1/2

oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped (1/4 cup)

1 1/2

oz white chocolate baking bar, chopped (1/4 cup)

• 
  
• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and crush cereal with rolling pin or meat mallet (or crush in food processor).
• In medium bowl, mix cereal, melted butter, 1/4 cup sugar and the vanilla. Press evenly on bottom and 1/2 inch up side of pizza pan. Bake 10 minutes
• Just before serving, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and the almond extract with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Spread with pie filling.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave semisweet chocolate on High about 1 minute or until chocolate can be stirred smooth. In another small bowl, repeat with white chocolate. Drizzle chocolates over filling; cool slightly. Cut into wedges.

No-bake Nutella Cheesecake

No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust

12 Oreo Cookies, crushed into crumbs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the Garnish

whipped topping, optional
chocolate shavings, optional
toasted, chopped hazelnuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Evenly divide the crumbs between your individual serving dishes and press into the bottoms of the dishes to form a crust layer.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended and no streaks remain.

3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

4. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, chocolate shavings, and/or toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

Nutella Cheesecake Bars

We all know Nutella is the most delicious spread you can buy. Add an oreo crust and cheesecake and you have the holy trinity!

Nutella Cheesecake Bars

2 cups Oreo crumbs
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1/3 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8×8 baking dish and line with parchment paper, making sure that the parchment is well pressed in the corners.  Set aside.
In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they become crumbs.  Add in melted butter and pulse until moistened.  Press Oreo mixture evenly into the bottom of your baking dish.  Bake crust until set, about 12 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Clean out the food processor. Add cream cheese, eggs, sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, and vanilla. Pulse until smooth.  Put 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture in a bowl and set aside.  Add Nutella and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to the remaining 1/3 cream cheese mixture in the processor.  Pulse until smooth.
To assemble, spread the plain cheesecake mixture over the cooled Oreo crust, being careful of the crust. Then pour the Nutella cheesecake layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer and spread evenly.  Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until the center jiggles slightly.  Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
When ready to serve, lift the bars out of the pan by lifting up the parchment paper (it should release easily).  Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bars

I needed to indulge today so I figure it was the perfect time to make these incredibly not healthy "Ultimate Pretzel Crusted Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Brownie Bar". Everything awesome about deserts and sweets in a single recipe. Might as well have called them heaven bars.

Click here to see the original recipe and more photos