Brownie (No-Bake) Cheesecakes for Two

I have sad news... we didn't have our ultrasound yesterday. Unfortunately, we still don't know if we're having a boy or a girl. Good news is that we have an ultrasound on Monday, so we should find out then!

I must say, though, that this is a good little exercise in practicing my patience (something which I'm lacking greatly). Luckily, I still have 5 months to practice!

Needless to say, I needed a little cheering up since I didn't get to hear my exciting news yesterday. And what better to cheer me up than brownies? And cheesecake. Either one will usually do the trick. But both together? Let's just say, I'm feeling much better. :)



I didn't want to make a big batch of brownies or a full cheesecake because that would require me to eat them all. That's why I made a small batch split into two ramekins. They were pretty quick to make, especially with the no-bake cheesecake. If you're impatient like me and want to eat them ASAP, you can put them in the freezer for 30-45 minutes instead of the refrigerator for a couple hours.

Ingredients

Brownies
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
No-Bake Cheesecake
• 1/2 cup whipped cream
• 4 oz. or half a bar of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Chocolate Drizzle
• 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 teaspoon milk

Instructions

Brownies
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a small mixing bowl, cream together butter and cocoa powder.
• Mix in egg, sugar, and vanilla.
• Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
• Divide batter evenly between the two ramekins.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
No-Bake Cheesecake
• While brownies are baking, prepare the cheesecake.
• In a small bowl, combine whipped cream, cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice. Mix together until creamy and smooth.
• Set aside.
Chocolate Drizzle
• Place chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon milk in a small microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir.
• Add another 1/2 teaspoon milk. Stir well.
• Microwave for 10 seconds. Stir well. Add the last 1/2 teaspoon milk, if needed, to get a drizzle consistency.
Assembly
• After removing the ramekins from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Divide the cheesecake batter between the two ramekins, smoothing the top.
• Drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing the cheesecake to set.
• Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Who doesn't love a good sugar cookie during? I sure do! But let's face it... Sometimes you want the cookie, but just don't feel like waiting for the dough to cool in the fridge, rolling it out, cutting out cute little shapes, and then having to decorate them. This recipe is sugar cookies made simple.

Behold... the Sugar Cookie Bar.

These are just as delicious as your traditional sugar cookie, but not quite as time-consuming. They're a bit like brownies. Well, except they're not brown. You know what I mean though, right? And the cream cheese frosting that tops them is blissful. You can still have fun with them by decorating with different sprinkles and toppings or using different extract in the frosting to change up the flavor. Peppermint frosting topped with crushed candy canes, anyone? :)

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
For Frosting
• 8 oz (1 bar) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

For Cookie Dough
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking sheet.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tarter, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture, adding 1/3 of the flour at a time.
• Spread the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
For Frosting
• In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter.
• Mix in powdered sugar and salt.
• Add milk and vanilla. Continue beating until the consistency is smooth and fluffy.
Assembly
• Allow the cookie bars to cool completely.
• Spread the frosting over the cookie bars.
• Top with sprinkles or decorate as desired.
• Cut into 24 squares.

Cranberry Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have been blessed in so many ways. Even though I'm sad that my family could not be together today, I had a wonderful day at home hosting my amazing in-laws.

Oh man... I'm full. Really, really full. Sad thing is, it's been several hours since I finished eating. I made a lot of food today. Not only was this my very first attempt at making a turkey, but also my first time to make the entire meal. I sure had fun making it, but man am I exhausted. I mean, I. am. warn. out. In case you were wondering, here's a recap of today's menu:

• Roasted Turkey


• Mashed Potatoes


• Gravy


• Stuffing (from scratch)


• Green Bean Casserole (from scratch)


• Mac and Cheese (from scratch)


• Rolls (from scratch)


• Sweet Potato Pie (crust and filling from scratch)


• Whipped Cream (from scratch)

and last, but not least...

• Cranberry Cheesecake with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Of all these options, I've decided to highlight the cheesecake in today's post. I admit, I seriously failed at posting recipes for Thanksgiving. Please forgive me. Maybe I'll do a bit better for Christmas? I'll attempt to begin making it up to you by providing you with this deliciously amazing cheesecake. A few months back I wanted to make a cheesecake to bring over to my neighbor's for dinner. Lucky for me, my mother-in-law has a mean cheesecake recipe. I'm so glad I got it from her. It is to-die-for. Her recipe calls for a graham cracker crust, which is what I usually use, but the other day on the Cooking Channel I saw a cheesecake made with an oatmeal cookie crust. I was so intrigued, I had to try it.

How do you feel about cranberry sauce? My family has always had it on the Thanksgiving table, but I've never cared for it. I do like cranberries though. So instead of topping this with a canned pie filling, I decided not to leave cranberries behind and made a cranberry compote. It makes a great sweet and tangy topping for the cheesecake.

Ingredients

For Crust
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• 1/2 unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
For Cheesecake
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream
• 3 1/2 (8 oz) cream cheese bars, room temperature
For Compote
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

For Crust
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a cookie sheet.
• In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream 1/4 cup butter with sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract.
• Add oat/flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until flour is incorporated.
• Spread the cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet until about 1/2 inch thick.
• Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool on the baking sheet.
• After the cookie has cooled, place in a large freezer bag.
• Crush to small crumbs (the same as you would for a graham cracker crust) and pour in 1/2 cup melted butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
• Once the butter and cinnamon are well incorporated into the cookie crumbs, dump the mixture into a spring form pan.
• Press the mixture firmly onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Set aside.
For Cheesecake
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, on low speed, blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, almond, lemon juice, and salt until fluffy (about 1 ½ to 2 min).
• Blend in sour cream.
• Cut each cream cheese bar into quarters and add a quarter at a time to mixture while mixer is on.
• Pour over the cookie crust.
• Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown.
• Turn the oven off and prop open the oven door.
• Allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven.
• Move the cheesecake to the refrigerator and cool overnight or for at least 4 hours.
For Compote
• Place cranberries, sugar, orange zest, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• In a small bowl, stir together water and cornstarch. Add to the saucepan.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until cranberries soften and begin to "pop."
• Remove from heat and cool completely.
• Serve over cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

I couldn’t help myself. I had to buy it…

As I was walking through the store yesterday, I looked over and saw this shiny, fluted… bundt cake pan! It was just sitting there shouting my name, “ROSE! Buy me!” So I did. I’m kind of surprised that I don’t already have one, but I’m even more surprised that I have never made a bundt cake! Can you believe it? Me neither. So I decided it was about time. I mean, what better time than now, with the birth of my blog and all?

On my drive home I was contemplating what kind of cake I should make. Then it hit me – pumpkin, of course! I figured it would be best to continue my pumpkin spree so that I won’t feel so guilty for abandoning it for a good portion of the month. Plus, it helps me to be in the fall and Halloween spirit :-) It's been awhile since I've made any type of pumpkin cake, but I happen to love pumpkin cake/cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, so I wanted to combine the two in a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake! A delicious pumpkin cake filled with a sweet cream cheese center... Remember when I mentioned the smell through the house from the Pumpkin Granola? This cake was even better! The cinnamon, the nutmeg, the vanilla... the combination was amazing. When I took it out of the oven, it looked so delicious. I knew that I should let it cool completely on the cooling rack, bundt I just couldn't help myself. (Ha! Get it? But... Bundt... Okay, corny, I know.) Needless to say, I loved this cake and I hope that you do too. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Ingedients

1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour 

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil, slightly melted

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease bundt pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

In a the bowl of a stand mixer, combine pumpkin, sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Use the paddle attachment to mix. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Once eggs are mixed in, add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just blended, then add the remaining half, again mixing until just blended.

In a small mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and cinnamon, mixing until smooth.

Spread half of the pumpkin batter evenly into the bundt pan. Carefully spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Spoon in the remaining batter. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then place cake on a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Top with a dusting of powdered sugar.