New York Style Cheesecake

I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com, and it is a winner.  The only change I made from the original recipe was to bake at a lower temperature because the first time I made it the edges got too brown.  I also added a glaze over the strawberries of heated strawberry jam mixed with a little lemon juice.  Check out the lack of cracks!  

New York Cheesecake
from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS:

15 graham crackers, crushed 2 tablespoons butter, melted   4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup milk 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 330 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2.	In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3.	In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

YUM.  This is so good.  Like eat way too much and feel sick after good.  Recipe from A Step in the Journey

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

Prep Time:45 Min Cook Time:30 Min Total Time:45 Min

Serves 15

Ingredients

• Brownies (box or from scratch...usually need eggs, oil, and water)
• 1 large tub of cool whip
• 1 large box of Jello chocolate instant pudding (3 cups of milk)
• 1 bag of Reese's peanut butter cups- I used the holiday ones that have more peanut butter!
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 8 oz. of cream cheese
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp. of milk

Instructions

• 1
  Before we can layer our trifle there is some prep work that must be done...
• 2
  Prepare brownies and chocolate pudding according to package instructions, set aside
• 3
  Set cream cheese out. It needs to be at room temperature
• 4
  In a food processor chop your opened Reese's cups, set aside
• 5
  Once the cream cheese is a room temperature use a hand mixer to whip. Then fold in 1 cup of peanut butter. Once well combined add 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tbsp of milk. Continue to whip until "fluffy"
• 6
  Now it's time to LAYER! You can go in any order you would like, my suggestion: broken up brownies, peanut butter fluff, chocolate pudding, cool whip, chopped Reese's...then REPEAT.
• 7
  Enjoy!

Notes

• If not serving immediately, leave in the refrigerator to chill.

Brownies For A Crowd

This is one of my go to recipes that I've been making for a few years.  It is a large recipe for frosted brownies that you bake in a jelly roll pan.  Everyone raves about them!  

Brownies for a Crowd

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

• 8 eggs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups of butter , melted (yes that is right 2 cups – remember these are for a crowd)
• 1 1/2 cups Hershey’s cocoa (that is what her recipe says and that is what I used)
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups flour

1. Beat eggs with a mixer in a large bowl.  Then add sugar, salt, vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
2. Add melted butter and blend.  In another bowl, mix flour and cocoa with a whisk until well blended,
3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Spread onto a greased jelly roll pan (12 x 17) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for 15 minutes and spread with frosting.

Frosting

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• milk

Blend powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa along with enough milk to make the frosting a spreadable consistency.  Spread over the brownies after they had cooled for 15 minutes.  Keep spreading as the frosting melts making it nice and even on the brownies.  Allow brownies to continue to cool.  Makes 30 good sized brownies.

Cannoli Cups

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It's been repinned from my page over 350 times, so I figured now was a good time to try the recipe myself!  The cannoli filling is good, but I found it a tad grainy from the ricotta.  I might try a different filling with marscapone the next time I make them.  The wonton wrappers baked up nice and crispy and tasted great with the powdered sugar dusted on before filling.  

Cannoli Cups

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Yield: 30-35 cups

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 oz.) wonton wrappers
• 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Method

In a bowl, slowly whisk 1 cup of the milk into the cornstarch until smooth. Let sit about 20 minutes.

Transfer mixture into a sauce pan, and then add in the remaining milk and sugar. Heat on medium-low, stirring constantly until it is very thick and smooth (about 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the filling to avoid “skin”, and let cool until the mixture reaches room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then press 30-35 wonton wrappers (you can do this in multiple batches) into a mini baking cup pan to form the “cups”. (Be sure that the corners do not fold in after the pan sits for a minute!) Bake the cups for 10-15 minutes, or until the wrappers are golden brown. Remove and let cool.

After the milk mixture has reached room temperature, whisk in the ricotta and cinnamon until smooth. (You can also do this with an electric mixer on low.) Use a pastry bag to pipe the mixture into the baked wonton cups, or use a spoon to scoop it in. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, then dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate, or serve immediately.