Cheesecake Bars!

Holy man...it's been WAY too long since I've had time to post on this blog.  I am FINALLY done with rotations...this last one was brutal. I've barely had time to cook, barely had time to pinterest & get ideas! But don't worry people, now that it's time to start studying for boards, I'll be looking for procrastination ideas-such as cooking & sharing my recipes with you all! yay!

So for my last day on rotation I wanted to try something super easy to bring in-and have leftovers that Curt could take to work.  Found this EASY recipe for cheesecake bars.  It was based on a box of chocolate cake mix, but made a second batch with funfetti cake mix & they were even better.mmmm.

Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:
 (for base)-
1 box cake mix (I used chocolate fudge & a funfetti cake mix-two separate pans, not together!)
1 egg
1 stick butter, soft

(for cheesecake)-
 2 (8oz) cream cheese, soft
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Beat cake mix, egg, and butter until it turns into a thick dough, & press in a greased 13x9 pan
-In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, add sugar, eggs, & vanilla & beat until smooth
-Pour cheesecake layer over cake mix base
-Bake for 30-35 minutes or until edges start pulling away from the edge of the pans
-Cool completely

Other- With the chocolate cake mix, I threw in some mini chocolate chips in the cheesecake layer, and with the funfetti cake base I added sprinkles into the cheesecake layer.  Feel free to add any toppings as well- frosting, chopped candy bars perhaps, chocolate shavings, even fruit!  I'm super excited to try these with a red velvet cake mix base. mmm.  Enjoy everyone, and check back soon for more recipes!!!

cake mix base, cheesecake top

Funfetti on the left, chocolate fudge on the right...mmm

Chocolate Tres Leches cake...yup!

HAPPY EASTER everyone! And happy return of my blog after a gazillion days off! (sorry, exaggerating. you KNOW what happens when you exaggerate...(Dane Cook reference)) Sorry..been busy- rotation (slave labor) and real work and moving into a new apartment- where does time go? Remind me what sleep is?

Hope you guys all got to enjoy Easter with family, friends, or someone special at least! I was lucky enough to spend all day with Curt & Jethro and got to try a new recipe for a work picnic we had today at a park by the lake! My boss LOVES Tres Leches cake a ton, so I found a recipe for CHOCOLATE tres leches cake! heck yeah!  and- it was a hit! easy, moist, and delish.  Here you go, if you are up for some pure yumminess!


Chocolate Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients-
-1 Devils food cake mix (& ingredients to prepare per box)
-1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
-1 (5 fl oz) can evaporated milk (or 3/4 c)
-3/4 c 1/2 and 1/2
-1 tsp vanilla
-3 tbsp cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp cinnamon

easy, right? (and cheap!)

Directions:
-Prepare & bake cake according to box in a 13x9 pan
-Combine milks (sweetened condensed, evaporated, and 1/2 and 1/2)
-Slowly whisk in cocoa and cinnamon & whisk until blended and add in vanilla

looks...interesting.

-Remove cake from oven & pierce with a metal fork/skewer or end of a spoon
-Pour 1/2 of milk mixture over the cake & let soak for 5 minutes (ish), then pour remainder over cake

ooo yeah! Chocolate!

-I made this the day before & the milk mixture really soaked in overnight- so it was super moist and DELISH- so much that I had to sneak a sample at breakfast.  I didn't frost it, the first time I've EVER made ANY cake without frosting, but this was good without--- a glaze or light frosting or maybe some whipped cream would probably be tasty if you so choose.

super moist & sweet & chocolate & GOOD.

Hopefully I can update the blog with the few recipes I've been saving up to add...and have a great Monday!

Cherry Blossom Mini Cheesecakes!

With all this warm weather, I've been eating a LOT of ice cream.  And you KNOW how much I love my ice cream....one of my favorite Culver's sundae ever was their Cherry Blossom sundaes (cherry pie filling & chocolate..mmm none of that maraschino stuff)- which were the sundae of the month every April & they stopped producing in 2006 :( 
(why can I remember that but not remember things like do you store Cefprozil suspension in the fridge? when is generic Diovan coming out? What are important counseling points on glycopyrrolate including what the brand name is?. ugh.)
Anyways! My point was- that sundae was delish & I REALLY miss it! So here is my dedication to the sundae- introducing my cherry blossom mini cheesecakes- I consulted many of my recipes & miss-mashed them to create this recipe here:

Cherry Blossom Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients---
Crust:
-1 1/4 c crushed chocolate cookies (I use oreos & scrape out the cream...and eat some of the cream so it's not wasted!!!)
-3 tbsp butter
-1/4 (ish) c mini chocolate chips

Cheesecake:
-2 (8oz) cream cheese, room temp
-3/4 c white sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
-Hershey's syrup

Directions:

-to make the crust- crush chocolate cookies; melt butter & mix in cookie crumbs. let cool slightly & stir in chocolate chips.  Press a spoonful of this mixture in the bottom of a lined cupcake pan- makes 18 (or so) cheesecakes

chocolate!

---I dropped a cherry from the pie filling on the top of the crust layer on every cheesecake

-Cheesecake- preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Beat the cream cheese until smooth, mix in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla
-Spoon some of the cherry syrup from the pie mix into the cheesecake batter & swirl (didn't measure, and mine didn't even look pretty it just all turned pink....can't say presentation is my strong suit)

I thought this was SUCH a great idea! but my skills were lacking!

-dispense batter evenly amongst cupcake pans

mmm chocolate. cherry. cheesecake. what's not to love?

-bake for 20 minutes
-let the cheesecakes cool
----top with cherry pie filling & drizzle Hershey's syrup over the top

these are kinda messy with the Hershey's syrup but oooo good stuff!

-store in refrigerator and ENJOY!

Coco-Oat Chunk Cookies

mmmmm whipped up a new cookie recipe last night- and it's my first baking in over 2 weeks since I got sick- and let me tell you these are some yummy cookies!  Easy, tasty, and nice & chewy.

Coco-Oat Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
-1 c butter, softened
-1/2 c white sugar
-1/2 c brown sugar
-1 egg
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 c all-purpose flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 c quick-cooking oats
-1 c flaked coconut (sweetened)
-hershey's milk chocolate candy bars

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Cream butter & sugars in bowl until light & fluffy
-Beat in egg and vanilla
-Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture & mix well
-Stir in oats & coconut

-Drop onto cooking sheets (I lined with parchment paper) (the dough is a little sticky, but you can roll into      balls too and flatten slightly)
-Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned
-Break candy bars into squares
-Place a chocolate piece into the center of each warm cookie

 

-Cool cookies, and EAT! 

These are awesome warm and are still nice and soft & chewy the next day....as for day 2, there aren't any left to test (haha)

Chococaramelly Brownies

Clever, ey? Ok....no.  This is why I couldn't do marketing or anything that involves any creativity other than creatively trying to convince people to take their medications appropriately.  Basically I set out this morning with the goal of dressing up a box of brownie mix, and yes I scrolled through pinterest looking for ideas, and even turned to my allrecipes.com and Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk recipes and finally something clicked- Chocolate Caramel Brownies!  these are chocolate-y caramel-y fudgy bites of goodness....luckily they are rich so you only need a small piece...but I can't say that I stopped at only one.  See if you can resist:


Chococaramelly Brownies


Ingredients:
-1 box brownie mix (and ingredients to make according to box- water, oil, eggs)
-12 Ghiradelli chocolate-caramel squares (or other chocolate candy with soft caramel-like carmello bars)
-1 jar caramel ice cream topping

3 things??? done.

Directions:
-Preheat oven according to box
-Prepare brownies according to box
-Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray
-Pour about 1/4-1/3 brownie batter in pan to cover the bottom
-Place 12 chocolate caramel candies on top of batter

mmm could eat just this!

-Pour remaining batter over chocolate
-Pour some caramel topping over brownie mix (I didn't measure, I just dumped some on)
-Take knife and swirl caramel into the brownies

Can't say I'm a master marble-r

-Bake according to box
-Let cool & eat!!!!

the pic doesn't do it justice!

Nice & gooey on the inside

I was kinda sad back when I was grocery shopping as the Ghiradelli chocolates were on sale at Walgreens- after 3 Walgreens & no milk chocolate caramel, I gave in and just bought dark chocolate caramel squares.  Did I save ANY money? no....gas prices aren't the best. Did I save ANY time? no....thank goodness Jethro & I can both contain our bladder.  But honestly the dark chocolate was great! Made the brownies a little more rich- and healthier, right?!?! haha.

Enjoy :)

Say Happy Birthday with Chocolate Chip Cupcakes!

This past weekend Curt's brother, sister-in-law and nephew were in town on vacay and it was his sister-in-laws birthday.  I had been thinking of what cake to make & was scrolling through pinterest thinking maybe I'd try something new, or try something easy like box cake but with some fun decoration.  I decided instead that I would make one of my favorite cupcakes- chocolate chip- and decorate the cupcakes to look like a bingo board, since she loooooves bingo.  So, here is the recipe, with pics of course :)


Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients:
~1 package yellow cake mix
~1 (3.4 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
~1 cup milk
~1 c vegetable oil
~4 eggs
~1 c mini chocolate chips (I usually dump in a little more)

yup...this is it!!!!

Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350
~In mixing bowl, combine cake and pudding mixes, milk, oil, and eggs

super easy-dump it all in!!!

 ----->beat on low speed until moistened, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes

~Stir in chocolate chips

~Pour in lined cupcake pans

~bake 20-30 minutes

~cool & frost cupcakes! 

sorry mom- not homemade frosting, but this is one of my faves!!!

 
Here you can see my attempt at a bingo board- the problem was that I didn't want white frosting on chocolate chip cupcakes, and we couldn't find a white frosting writer (although we didn't try too hard), so I improvised and put a Nilla wafer on top, then used a frosting writer.  Hey, I tried! and they tasted pretty darn good!!!!

WELCOME!!!

Hello friends, family, and random people who may have found my blog!  As many of you know, I LOVE food and I love to cook up new recipes & old faves.  After teasing people on facebook with statuses announcing yummy food, I decided to start an outlet to share my food adventures AND share recipes with you all.  Chances are, I may not post as often as I should or want, but I'll try my best to keep you interested and your bellies full. 

To start, I'll entice you with a recipe I just came across this past week and it turned out with positive results- so here it is folks!!!!

Cookie Dough Truffles
(eggless! so moms abound can't yell at you about salmonella poisoning!)

Ingredients:
-1/2 c butter, softened
-3/4 c packed brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
-1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
-1/2 c mini chocolate chips
-1 1/2 lb chocolate candy coating  (& any decor ideas!) (I wound up just using 2 (12 oz) bags of milk chocolate chips to coat and they turned out yummy)

Directions:

-Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. 
-Beat in vanilla. 
-Gradually add flour and sweetened condensed milk-alternating (as in, add a little flour, little milk, so on) & beat well.  The recipe says 2 1/2 cups of flour, I had to add a little more in because the dough was sticky.  -Stir in chocolate chips.
-Shape into 1-inch balls.  I had to put the dough in the fridge for like 10 minutes so it was easier to roll into balls. 
-After rolling into balls, I put them in the freezer, covered, for about a half hour- this made them easier to dip in chocolate, which is the next step. 
-Melt the chocolate and then dip the dough balls in, and place on a tray for chocolate to harden. 
-Once all are complete, put the truffles in the fridge- they must be kept refrigerated. 

If I had tips on dipping the dough balls into the chocolate, I would give them but I cannot say they looked pretty when I finished them!  I put each ball in the chocolate, and covered it with chocolate and put a fork under it to lift it out of the chocolate, letting some extra chocolate drip.  I then put a large cookie sheet down, covered it with wax paper, then put on a wire drying rack- this worked, but after refrigeration when I tried to remove the truffles some of the bottoms ripped off. 

The end result though...TASTY!  Not guilt-free, but can hit the sweet tooth.  Hope you guys enjoy this and any recipe to come :)