Waiting 6 years between blog posts is totally normal, right?

Last week, I saw a picture of a cheesecake that sparked something in my mind.  Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake, but I wanted my cinnamon rolls on top. 

Today, the recipe moved from my head to paper and my cheesecake came to life. 

It was as perfect as I had hoped.  Maybe even more so.  

Admittedly, I didn't let it chill overnight, which is pretty important. You can't blame me for not waiting!

Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350.  Fill a large roaster pan full of hot water, place on bottom rack.  

All ingredients at room temp.

Crust:

1-1/2 cups Graham Crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

6 tbls Butter

Pinch Salt

Bake @ 350 // 10 Mins

 

Filling:

4 - 8oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Not Fat Free)

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed

2 tbls Flour (Wondra, if you have it)

1 cup Sour Cream

1 tsp good quality Vanilla

1/2 tsp Salt

Cream together, scraping bottom of bowl.

 

When well combined:  One at a time, add 3 eggs and 2 yolks until just incorporated.  Don't overmix.

 

1 tube refrigerator cinnamon rolls, cut into quarters.  Icing reserved.

Roll in cinnamon/sugar (1 tbls + 1 tbls)

Lay on top of cheesecake

Sprinkle w/ any remaining cinnamon/sugar

 

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then reduce temp to 325 for 40 minutes.  Don't open the door.  

Cool in oven w/ door open for at least an hour. 

Chill in fridge 8 hours.

Gently warm or microwave the icing from the cinnamon rolls and drizzle over the top.

Everything Ham Sliders

Just like me, you've seen these everywhere online and they look GOOD.

I can't leave well enough alone and I had to do my own version.  I haven't had the other ones out there, but these are better than they are.  They simply MUST be.

Everything Ham Sliders

2 pkgs King's Sweet Hawaiian Rolls

1 lb Sliced Havarti (Recommend Boar's Head)

1 lb Sliced Ham (Recommend Sara Lee Brown Sugar)

1-1/2 sticks Butter, melted

2-3 tsp Spicy Brown or Dijon Mustard 

2-3 tsp Worcestershire

4 tbls Everything Bagel Topping

Melt butter and add mustard, Worcestershire and 2 tablespoons of the Everything Bagel Topping. Set aside. 

Keeping buns attached, slice them in half with a long bread knife.  It's okay if they aren't perfect or even.  Do your best.

Place the bottoms halves into the pan or dish of your choice.  Both will fit in a jelly roll or you can use a 13 x 9 for each one.  You don't want them to be squished, but the vessel isn't that important. It just needs to have sides, so a flat cookie sheet won't work.

Layer half of the ham evenly on one of the bottom halves.  Make sure you go edge to edge.  Layer the remaining ham on the second half of the rolls.  

Layer the cheese evenly over the ham on both of the loaves.  Again, make sure you go edge to edge.

Place the top half of the rolls over your cheese.  Pour the butter mixture over the rolls, trying to keep it as even as you can.  Some will run down the sides and that's okay.  Once all of the butter has been poured over the sandwiches, evenly sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Everything Bagel Topping over your sandwiches.

Cover with foil.  At this point, you can pop them in the fridge overnight or just throw them in the oven.  Heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Put the rolls in for 15 - 20 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 200 and remove the foil.  Leave them in for another 20 minutes to crisp up.  They are pretty forgiving, so you can hold them in a warm oven for a while if you are awaiting for guests.

Before serving, slice the rolls apart and let your guests enjoy the melty goodness!  Or, just eat the all yourself.  That's perfectly understandable.

Blueberry Buckle Cheesecake

Blueberry Buckle Cheesecake

The other day, Philip sent me a photo of a Blueberry Buckle.  As soon as I saw the picture, I knew that Philip thought the white cake portion was cheesecake.

He then started to talk about his ideal dessert, a cheesecake base, blueberries and a crumbly buckle top.

I set forth on my task today and created a winner. Enjoy!

Special Blueberry Treatment: (You can do this a day or two ahead.)

1.5 pints blueberries

¼ cup sugar

2 tbls water

Add all to saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until bubbly, but blueberries are mostly intact.  Chill.  ** depending on the juiciness of your berries, you will probably have more liquid than you need.  If it is really soupy, drain the blueberries and use the syrup to top ice cream or add to seltzer water for a yummy blueberry soda!  If in doubt, drain, we don’t want a soupy cheesecake!  You can even reduce the liquid into a syrup to top your cheesecake!!

Crust:

2 cups graham or cookie crumbs

1 cup sugar (I like 1/2 white & 1/2 brown)

1 cup melted butter

Pinch Salt

Combine melted butter, sugar, salt and crumbs until well mixed.  Press into bottom and up sides of springform pan.  Chill.

Cheesecake Filling:

3 8oz Cream Cheese, room temp

¾ cup sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup sour cream

1 tbls flour

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks          

1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

¼ tsp vanilla

Combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and flour until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, but do not over mix.  Stir in zest and vanilla.  Add into prepared crust.  Top with blueberries and gently swirl blueberries into cheese mixture, making sure it gets to the edges.

Crumble Top:

1 cup flour

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup brown sugar

Pinch Salt

1 tsp cold cream or milk

1 stick butter, cold and cubed

Combine flour, oats, salt and sugar.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Stir in cream or milk.  Crumble over top of cheese mixture. 

Bake at 350 for 55 – 65 minutes until.  Open oven door and cool for 2 hours.  Chill in fridge for several hours, but let it sit out an hour before serving for best flavor.  Cut with a serrated knife.  Wipe knife between cuts. 

Be Cordial.

Man, those cordial cherries are so darn good, aren't they?  My dad loves them and, through him, I learned to appreciate them myself.

I recently learned that the liquid middle doesn't start out that way at all!  It starts out solid and, over time, the solid breaks down and becomes the liquid center.  The longer it sits, the more clear the liquid.  Who knew?

Naturally, I decided to start looking for recipes that spoke to me.  As usual, they all speak to me!  In true form, I took my favorite components from a few recipes an did my own thing.

I guess the problem is I don't know how well they liquefy because I just did them.  I hope, in a couple of weeks, I have chocolate cherries with gooey middles.  If not, I'm not too worried about it because these just happen to be delicious just the way they are.

2 lbs Powdered Sugar (plus extra for dusting)

1 stick Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

3 tbls. Light Corn Syrup

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

¼ tsp. Almond Extract

¼ tsp. Vanilla Extract

¼ tsp. Salt

60 - 75 Maraschino Cherries w/ Stems, gently drained

2 lbs. Dark or Milk Chocolate Candy Melts (or Tempered Chocolate)

Cream butter, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, extracts and salt until smooth.  With mixer off, add half of powdered sugar (1 lb), mix on low until smooth.  Add remaining powdered sugar until a sticky dough forms. 

Wrap dough with plastic wrap and place in fridge for  at least 1 hour. 

Get all your ducks in a row when you're ready to wrap cherries in this stuff, which tastes delicious, by the way.  I wanted there to be some juice to my cherries, so I didn't drain them for any amount of time.  I just threw them onto a paper towel lined tray to get any excess.

Foil lined tray, cherries, chilled dough, 1-oz scoop & extra powdered sugar

Having your hands dusted with powdered sugar and a little on the surface makes this so easy.  Take about 1-oz of the dough and flatten it out. I found that a slight oval worked best.

Place a cherry in the upper half of the oval and wrap the bottom up, pinching to seal.  Once you've sealed the cherry, just squish or roll it into a ball.  

Nestled all snug in its bed.

Like a sweet dumpling!

After you're finished, toss the tray into the fridge for an hour or so.  You could probably even do this a day ahead if you wanted to split up the job, but you will want to cover them.  The amount of cherries that you end up with depends on the size of your cherries and how much dough you use.  You'll end up with 60 - 75 cherries.




When you're ready to dip, the stems will come in very handy!  Melt your favorite candy coating or temper some chocolate.

I use Merckens because it tastes delicious and is easy to use.

Melt your chocolate as you normally would or according to package directions.  I happen to use one of these and I love it.  I don't work with chocolate a lot, but I also use it as a fondue pot.

Try to keep your chocolate in a narrow and deep container rather than a wide and shallow one.  This will allow for easy dipping.  Just dunk it right in!  The cherries are cool, so allow the excess chocolate to run off.  It will slow naturally and then place it on a new tray.  Don't scrape the bottom.  There can't be holes or your juice will run out!

Chill them for a while and then leave them covered in a cool, dry place.  The magic liquid centers should appear in a week or so.  If not, just eat them anyway!

Meet Your Maker.

I was never a fan of "homemade" ice cream when growing up.  We used the old fashioned ice cream makers with ice and salt, even the earliest hand crank version.  Don't get me wrong, I ate it and I have some good memories surrounding the few occasions that warranted the work. 

It was just too icy and soupy for me.  Then there was that strong fake vanilla extract flavor.  Blech.

We love ice cream and the best ones are upwards of $5 a pint these days.  Enter the Cuisinart Mix It In Ice Cream Maker!  You can use it for soft serve, add toppings and even for hard scoops!

I won't deny, my first attempt at ice cream wasn't great.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  I learned a lot!  For example, when you return the custard to the stove - the cooking happens quickly!  I also changed up my recipe a little bit.

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

1-1/4 c.  Half and Half

3/4 c. Heavy Cream

6 Egg Yolks

3/4 c. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste

Over medium heat, warm Half and Half and Cream until scalded (just before boiling point).  While the cream is heating, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and smooth.  Stir in salt. 

A small amount at a time, add the scalded milk to the yolk mixture, continuously whisking (or use your stand mixer on low) so that no lumps form.  If you are nervous about this step, start small.  Once about half of the cream mixture has been worked into the eggs, pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining cream.  Add the vanilla and salt.  Continue to cook until it has thickened slightly and coats the back of the wooden spoon. 

Secret Weapon: King Arthur Flour's Vanilla Bean Paste

Remove the pan from the heat and pour into a container to cool.  Once cool enough, cover and place in fridge overnight.  

When you're ready, pour the cream base into your machine and follow directions.

Easy and delish!

There are no pictures of the finished product, well, because we ate it!

Philip's Weekend Bagels

When you live in a region with a particular type of food, it's easy to take it for granted!

I remember when I moved to NY from Indiana.  One day at work, I turned to a co-worker and said,  "Where can I get a good tenderloin sandwich?"  The blank stare on her face made me realize that I was living in a land without my beloved breaded pork tenderloin sandwich!  

We are now back in Indiana and there are tenderloins available on every corner.  I've probably only had 3 or 4 in the two years we've been back, but just knowing they are there is what matters!

It didn't take long before the local bagel shops weren't cutting it for us.  They weren't like the chewy bagels we had grown to love.  They were more like rolls with a hole in them and seeds on top!  

Thus began my foray into creating the perfect bagel recipe.  We had some stumbles along the way, but now I'm able to turn these babies out with my eyes closed.  If you fail the first few times, don't give up.  Chances are you won't end up with inedible product, but you will get a feel for the dough and that's the hardest part.

Here's a horribly filmed and produced video of the process!

Philip’s Weekend Bagels

This recipe calls for specific flours available through King Arthur, but you could make it with 3 cups of your favorite bread flour.  The results will not be a true chewy bagel, but it will still be delicious!

Dough:

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

1 cup Sir Lancelot High Gluten Flour

1 ½ teaspoons Salt

2 tablespoons White Sugar

2 tablespoons Non-Diastatic Malt Powder (Optional, but highly recommended.  It’s the secret!)

2 ¼ teaspoons Instant Yeast (If you use Active Dry yeast, proof it in water with the sugar)

1 to 1-¼ cups Warm Water

Topping Options:

Minced Onion, Caraway Seeds, Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds or Coarse Salt.  I use the Everything Topping from KA Flour!

Egg Wash:

1 Egg White

1 tablespoon Cool Water

Boil:

Large pot of water

2 tablespoons Non-Diastatic Malt Powder (or 2 each of Brown Sugar and Baking Soda)

Combine flours, salt, sugar, Non-Diastatic Malt Powder and yeast into mixer with dough hook attachment (or stir together in large bowl).  Add 1 cup of warm water until dough comes together, it will be smooth and not sticky.  If the dough isn’t coming together, add a little more warm water until it does.  Using the dough hook or by hand, knead for 5 – 7 minutes. 

Let rise in bowl, loosely covered with cling film, for one hour.  The dough will swell and smooth out, but it will not double.  Divide the dough into equal pieces for 6 large bagels or up to 10 small bagels.  (I weigh my dough and then portion it, by weight, into 8 pieces.)  Roll each portion into a ball and flatten slightly.  Rest for 30 minutes. 

Place dough in fridge for up to 24 hours. *

When you’re ready to bake, remove from fridge and rest for 30 minutes.

Poke a hole into each dough ball and twirl on your finger to create a 1 ½- to 2-inch hole.  Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and rest for 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 375˚.  Combine egg white and water in small bowl, set aside.

While dough is resting, bring a large pot of water to a steady, low boil.  Stir in 2 tablespoons Non-Diastatic Malt Powder (or Brown Sugar or Baking Soda).  Drop bagels into water and boil for 30 seconds on each side.  Drain on a clean towel and return to lined baking sheet.   When all bagels are boiled, brush lightly with egg wash and then sprinkle on your desired topping. 

Bake for 12 minutes, rotate pan and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes or until bagels are golden.             

* It is not necessary to retard the dough in the fridge, but it allows the flavor to develop and it makes a delicious bagel.  It also helps if you want hot bagels early in the morning because there’s less work to do!  If you want to bake your bagels right away, just go ahead and make your holes and continue on to your 1 hour of resting before boiling. 

Variations:

Cinnamon Raisin:  Use brown sugar instead of white sugar, add up to 1 tablespoon good cinnamon and ½ cup raisins, which have been soaked and well drained.   (What?  Rum soaked, you say?  Maybe!)

Jalapeno Cheddar:  Add a minced Jalapeno and ½ cup of shredded Cheddar. 

Chocolate Chip:  Use brown sugar instead of white sugar, add ½ cup mini chocolate chips.  

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chip Cookies

I am on a cookie craze!  Today, I came up with these little numbers.


I know that Chocolate Chip Cookies are the most favored cookie in all the land, but they have never been one of my favorites.  I think I've finally realized that I either like a very basic cookie - sugar or shortbread, or a crazy cookie full of things like candy and pretzels!  

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg

1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
1 cup thin pretzels, broken into small piece

1 cup Reese’s Pieces

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.  In large mixer, beat butter and both sugars until creamy.  Add peanut butter and vanilla extract .  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips, pretzels and candies. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 6 minutes and switch pans on racks.  Back for 5 – 6 more minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.