Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Cake

How amazing does this look??? I know we're past Canadian Thanksgiving but we're pretty close to American Thanksgiving right? Check out the recipe here!

Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 eggs
1 tablespoon water


Directions
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and cornstarch; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup strawberry sauce; cool. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for serving.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Add lemon juice; mix well.

Add eggs, beat on low just until combined.

Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over crust.

Drop half of the reserved strawberry mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese layer.

Carefully spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over sauce.

Drop remaining strawberry sauce by 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top.

With a knife, cut through top layer only to swirl strawberry sauce.

Bake at 300 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan.

Thin chilled strawberry sauce with water if desired; serve with cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.


Adapted from here

Triple Berry Cheesecake

 This cake is so tasty! (Sorry the photos aren't better, I forgot my camera at home so iphone it was!) It's light, very fruity and perfect for summer! The cake it's self isn't very sweet so the frosting adds a little treat to the cake.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pkg (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup mixed berries


Crust:
10 graham crackers 


Frosting: 
1/2 whip cream
1/4 icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons berry liquid


Preparation

1. Crust: Layer the graham crackers at the bottom of a 7'' spring form pan

2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. Gradually beat in sugar; beat for 3 minutes or until smooth and light, scraping down bowl twice. Using low speed, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl often. Blend in lemon juice, vanilla and salt, then sour cream. Pour over crust.

4. In a small sauce pan heat sugar and berries until you get a berry sauce. Add berry sauce, minus 4 tablespoon liquid, to the cheese cake by the spoonfuls. Mix in if desired or let there be areas with more berries then others etc.

5. Bake in centre of oven at 325°F (160°C) for 1-1/4 hours or until shine disappears and edge is set yet centre still jiggles slightly. Let cool.

6. Make frosting by whipping the whip cream, until soft pecks form, then add berry liquid, then adding icing sugar, a bit at a time to get the desired consistency.  Spread frosting on cooled cheese cake.

Baking Goal: Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Don't these look wonderful? I know it's nowhere near Christmas but still, so yummy!

Cherry Chocolate Cheese Cake

 My dad was going away and he was going to be away still when his birthday happened so I got it together and baked him a cake and had him over. His favorite cake is black forest so I thought this would be pretty close (I wanted to used what I had in the house)

 Ingredients
1 pkg (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup of pitted cherries
1 bar of chocolate (or as much as you want!)

Crust:
10 graham crackers 


Preparation

1. Crust: Layer the graham crackers at the bottom of a 7'' spring form pan

2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. Gradually beat in sugar; beat for 3 minutes or until smooth and light, scraping down bowl twice. Using low speed, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl often. Blend in lemon juice, vanilla and salt, then sour cream. Pour over crust.

3. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven for 1-1/4 hours or until shine disappears and edge is set yet centre still jiggles slightly. Let cool. Service with chocolate or cherry sauce or ice cream!  

Pumpkin Cheesecake

 This cheesecake is so taste! It's the perfect fall treat for someone that loves pumpkin but finds straight up pumpkin pie a little much. It's creamy and smooth and great with whip cream! I give this one a 5 out of 5!


Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted salted butter

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 6-inch springform pan. Set aside.


For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-cheesecake-recipe/index.html

Baking Goal: Pink Lemonade Cheesecake

Oh my gosh! Wow! I love pink and I love desserts! So, this is the best of two things I love!

Check out the recipe at Dee Dee's Delights! I wish I could be eating this right now!

Mother's Day Baking Take Two: Pina Colada Cheesecake

I decided I would do two different smaller cheese cakes instead of one big one to add a little more summer and a little more variety into the day. 

 Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1/2 cup cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 5 tablespoons light rum
• 2 teaspoons coconut extract 

 Glaze:

Whip cream and toasted coconut

Preparation

• Stir together first 4 ingredients, and press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pineapple and next 4 ingredients, beating until blended. Pour mixture into crust.
• Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Spread Glaze over top of cheesecake. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish, if desired.

 Recipe adapted from My Recipes

I think I might do an addition glaze like this (before the whip cream and toasted coconut):



Pineapple Glaze:
1 cups crushed pineapple, fresh or canned
1/4 cup pineapple juice and/or rum
1/8 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

When both the cake and the glaze are only slightly warm, pour the glaze over the cake and smooth the top. 


If you're looking for some Pina Colada Cupcakes check out a great recipe for them over at Kimmy's Kitchen!!

I've shared these recipes at:
Making It with Allie
Thrilling Thursday
Strut Your Stuff Thursday
Creative Juice Thursday
Hookin' Up With House of Hepworths
Show Off Your Stuff Party
Delightfully Inspiring Thursday
Recipe Swap Thursdays
It's a Keeper Thursday
Full Plate Thursday

Mother's Day Dessert: Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

 

I've decided I'm going to make this for Mother's Day this year. We're going to have a BBQ and well, it's not exactly the dessert you'd have at a BBQ but this is my Mother-in-laws favorite dessert and I know my mom will love it so I'm going to give it a go! I'll be sure to post all about it and all the other great food we have! 

 

Ingredients (Recipe adapted from All Recipes)

• 1/2 (18 ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1/8 cup butter, melted
• 1 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and lightly butter a 6 inch spring-form pan.
2. Place the sandwich cookies into a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, and mix with the scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean. Drizzle the crumbs with melted butter and stir to combine. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the spring-form pan, and set aside.
3. Place the softened cream cheese and sugar into the work bowl of an electric mixer, and beat for about 3 minutes on Medium speed, until the mixture is smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Add the scraped seeds of 2 vanilla beans, the vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream, and beat on Medium-High speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is blended and smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the cookie crumb crust, leaving about 2 inches of space from the top of the pan for the cake to expand as it bakes.
5. Place a baking dish onto the bottom rack of the preheated oven, and fill it halfway with boiling water. Place the cheesecake onto the middle rack, above the pan of boiling water, and bake until a small knife inserted into the middle of the cheesecake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
6. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool down inside the oven for 1 hour. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

I think I might try this crust and add this topping to it:

Topping:

2 cups sour cream 

1/4 cup sugar 

1 vanilla bean 

For topping: in a small bowl, combine sour cream and sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the bowl, stirring well.

I think I might also make a Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Icing, you know add a little more decadence to this cake!

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened (helpful hint: one stick of butter is 1/2 cup)
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar (5 ounces)
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoons heavy cream

1. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Using a paring knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into butter and beat mixture at medium-high speed to combine, about 15 seconds.

2. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 20 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

(Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

I shared this recipe at:
Show & Tell Wednesdays 
Whatever Goes Wednesdays
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
What's Cooking Wednesday
Wandering Wednesdays
Whatcha Makin' Wednesdays
Swing Into Spring

Joy of Desserts
Mangia Mondays
Made by you Mondays
Make a Food-e-Friend Mondays
A Marvelous Mess Monday