No Bake Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake...

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

2/3 cup sugar

zest on 2 lemons

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup fresh raspberries, slightly mashed with a fork

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon of sugar 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, mix together the sugar and lemon zest until the sugar becomes moist and fragrant. Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla mixing to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended, then fold in the raspberries.

3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If desired, garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

RECIPE NOTES:

-If you make this into one pie, simply use pour the cream cheese mixture into a 9-inch graham cracker crust and chill for 3 hours before serving.

-This recipe tastes really delicious with blueberries and strawberries as well. Play around with different fruit combinations to create a wide range of flavors.

-I have not tried this recipe using fresh whipped cream, so I cannot attest to the results.

My Pinterest

mybakingaddiction.com (Where I located the recipe from.)

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars...

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel topping, recipe follows

1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

     In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

     In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

     In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

My Pinterest

the-girl-who-ate-everything.com (where I located the original recipe from.)

Spiced Autumnal Orange Drizzle Cake with Dark Chocolate Embers...

Ingredients:

125g/4.5oz butter

75g/3oz caster sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

150g/5oz self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1.5 tsp mixed spice

zest of one orange* see top tip.

2 tbsp (or 30 ml) of Cointreau or milk if you don't want to use alcohol

85g/3.5oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Top Tip: wash the fruit with a wee bit of washing up liquid to take the wax off, unless you can buy unwaxed oranges (I find them harder to source compared to lemons and limes). It will make the zesting of the orange much more effective and easier.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a 2lb loaf tin.

2. If you don't have an electric whisk, like me, then mix the butter, sugar, orange zest together first before adding in the eggs, then the flour, spices and baking powder. If you have an electric whisk, then add in all of the above ingredients and whizz them up until the mixture is smooth.

3. Stir in the Cointreau/milk so that the mixture falls softly off the spoon - that's my interpretation of 'a soft, dropping consistency'.

4. Stir the chocolate into the cake mixture. I wanted the chocolate to sink to the bottom of the cake, so didn't coat the chocolate with flour.

5. Spoon the cake mixture into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Pop it into the oven and let it bake for about 40 minutes, or until the tester/knife comes out clean.

6. While the cake is in the oven, prepare the orange drizzle. (if you prefer it a bit sweeter, then increase the sugar)

Ingredients for Orange Drizzle:

Juice of one orange

1 tbsp of Cointreau

30g golden caster sugar

7. I normally use a chopstick to poke wholes in the cake for the drizzle to pour into. This time I experimented with a cocktail stick in case they make smaller holes. Nope. I'll return to the chopstick next time.

8. Slowly pour the drizzle evenly over the cake when it is fresh out of the oven. Ta da!

Verdict - Mmmmmmmm.... Moist and flavoursome. The chocolate, orange and spice mix is a winner with adults and children alike. The added bonus is that this is a simple and quick cake to bake (especially if you have an electric whisk).

blogs.warwick.ac.uk

Cherry-Apricot Yogurt Sundaes with Maple Granola Brittle...

1/3 cup sugar 

1/2 cup water 

5 fresh bay leaves, halved lengthwise, or 2 large dried California bay leaves 

2 (3- by 1-inch) strips fresh lemon zest 

2 (3- by 1-inch) strips fresh orange zest 

6 fresh apricots 

1 lb fresh cherries (preferably Royal Ann or Rainier) 

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

2 cups plain yogurt (preferably Greek)

Directions

     Simmer sugar, water, bay leaves, and zests in a 1-quart heavy saucepan 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes. 

     While syrup steeps, halve apricots lengthwise and remove pits. Run a paring knife crosswise around each cherry, touching pit, then twist cherry halves to separate. Remove pits with tip of knife. 

     Toss apricots and cherries with lemon juice in a large shallow bowl. Return syrup to a boil, then pour over fruit, tossing to coat. Cover and let stand, stirring occasionally, at least 30 minutes. Put 1/3 cup yogurt on each of 6 plates and serve with fruit.

Maple granola brittle:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats 

1/2 cup whole almonds (2 1/2 oz) 

1/2 cup pecans (2 oz) 

1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds (2 oz) 

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (2 1/2 oz) 

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest 

1 cup packed light brown sugar 

1/2 cup pure maple syrup 

1/2 cup fresh orange juice 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, softened

Directions

     Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 

     Spread oats, almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds in an even layer in a large shallow baking pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until oats are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with pumpkin seeds and zest. 

     Line a baking sheet with nonstick liner. Cook brown sugar, syrup, juice, and salt in a 4- to 6-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon (be careful not to splash or splatter while stirring; mixture will become extremely hot), until it registers 290°F on thermometer, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in butter until melted (mixture will thicken and become opaque), then quickly add nut mixture and stir until coated well. Immediately pour onto liner, then cover mixture with a sheet of parchment paper. 

     Roll out brittle as thin as possible with a rolling pin. Carefully peel off parchment paper and discard (don’t worry if some caramel sticks to parchment). 

     Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Break brittle into large pieces.

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Malted Chocolate Pudding Cake...

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, plus 2 tablespoons

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup chocolate malt powder, such as Ovaltine

1/2 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk

1 large egg white

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups boiling water

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, optional

Directions:

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together both flours, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl whisk 1/2 cup of the malt powder with the milk, egg white, butter, and vanilla until the malt dissolves. Stir into the dry ingredients until only a few small lumps remain and spread the batter in the prepared baking dish.

     Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa and sprinkle over the batter. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup malt powder into the boiling water and pour it over the batter. Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack. If desired, dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar and immediately spoon the warm cake and sauce onto plates or shallow bowls.

Yields 8 servings; 203 calories per serving.

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Decadent Chocolate Cake...

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1/2 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup lowfat (2 percent) Greek-style yogurt

1/2 cup 1 percent lowfat milk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/3 cup currants, soaked in hot water for 1 minute, drained

1/2 cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions

     Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the cocoa and espresso powder in a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the cocoa mixture, whisking until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

     Whisk together the yogurt, milk, oil, egg, and egg white in a large bowl; stir in the cocoa mixture until blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in the currants and chopped chocolate.

     Pour the batter into the pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a baking rack to cool completely. Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Makes 24 servings; serving size: 1 slice; calories per serving: 180 calories.

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White Chocolate Coconut Pancakes...

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup white chocolate morsels

1/2 cup coconut

1/4 cup toasted coconut

Directions

     In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.Fold in coconut.

     Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Drop in white chocolate morsels. Flip when bubbles appear on the top. Brown on both sides and serve hot. Garnish with butter, syrup, and toasted coconut.

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