New York Style Cheesecake and Strawberries

YUM!

The directions for this are quite lengthy (but easy), so I'm just going to put the link here for you to use.  This is by far the best cheesecake I've ever made.

Pavlova

I made my very first pavlova yesterday. Why haven't I made one before now? I have no idea!! I have very fond (and yummy!) memories of my Grandma Woodford making these for desserts often (with whipped cream and peaches) when we'd visit when I was a child.

Most recently, Tim and Steph had a GORGEOUS one on their blog, and since I needed to make several desserts for an event at our house last night (and pavlova is naturally gluten free, which makes it okay for Rebekah S), it seemed like the perfect dessert to try!

Not nearly as artistic as the one Steph made and Tim decorated, but edible nonetheless =)

Here is the recipe that Steph shared with me:

The Best Pavlova (adapted from allrecipes.com)

-4 egg whites (room temp)

-1 pinch salt

-1 cup sugar (divided)

-1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

-1 tsp lemon juice

 

-1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
-1/2 cup icing sugar

fruit of choice

 

1. Preheat oven to 250 F/150 C.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Draw a 9 inch circle on the paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form.  Add **3/4 cup** of sugar 1 Tbsp at a time, while continuing to whip.  Make sure sugar is completely dissolved.  Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch; lightly fold into merigue with lemon juice.

 

3. Spread a layer of meringue to fit circle on parchment paper, making the edges a little higher than the center.

 

4.  Bake for one hour and fifteen minutes.  Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for additional 30 minutes (I leave it until it's cool, but probably doesn't matter).  When cool, the meringue should be hard (and lightly browned) on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside.

 

5.  In a large bowl, combine the cream and icing sugar, and whip until thickened.  Decorate with fruit of your choice!  

Here's mine after it baked and cooled.  If you've never had pavlova, it is a delicious, light dessert that is crispy on the outside and has a soft marshmallow-like center.  

All dressed up...

It's About Time!

Raspberry Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies(recipe from Bonnie Sharp)

Cookie jar full of goodness!

I first had these cookies Years ago (made by my sister in law's mom) and loved them, but had never gotten the recipe or known where to find the raspberry chocolate to make them! When Bonnie posted the recipe on Facebook, I hunted down the chocolate (can be found at some Target stores, but I found mine at Wal-Mart), and Finally made them! It won't be the last time!

Ingredients:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened ( 8 ounces)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup hershey's extra dark chocolate with raspberry flavor. They come in a bag of individually wrapped squares of chocolate. * I couldn't actually find the dark chocolate, I just found milk chocolate ones with a "raspberry meltaway center". They worked great!
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Directions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with butter, egg and sugar until light and fluffy. Melt 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of raspberry flavored chocolate. Mix into batter. Stir in flour and baking soda, along with 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Drop from tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fingers. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake!! When cool, melt 1/4 cup of raspberry flavoured chocolate and drizzle over top of cookies. (I used at least twice this much) I usually put them into the fridge or freezer for 5 minutes to harden the chocolate drizzle.

Oreos, Ice Cream and Peanut Butter...

Oreo Frozen Peanut Butter Dessert(kraftfoods.com)

Perfect dessert for a hot summer day!

Ingredients:

30 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 2-1/2 cups)

3 Tbsp. Butter, melted

1 cup Peanut butter

1-3/4 qt. (7 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)

6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make It

MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Freeze until ready to use. Microwave peanut butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir. Swirl peanut butter into ice cream; spread over crust. Freeze 30 min.
MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute.
SPREAD COOL WHIP mixture over ice cream layer; top with nuts. Freeze 4 hours. Remove from freezer 10 min. before serving; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly before cutting. Freeze leftovers.

Lemony Goodness

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes
(kraftfoods.com)

I'm not usually a huge lemon fan, but these, paired with the cream cheese frosting, have just the perfect amount of lemon!

The perfect sunny, summer dessert!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350.

Directions:

Beat first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

Bake 21 to 24 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

See how delicious they look right out of the oven?

Beat cream cheese, butter and juice with mixer until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended. (I used more than 16 oz of powdered sugar)
Spread onto cupcakes.

ENJOY!

World's Easiest Strawberry Pie

Easy, Delicious Fresh Strawberry Pie
(recipe from Robin, via Andrea)

Sooo good

Ingredients:

One graham cracker pie crust
Six cups of sliced strawberries
Cool Whip
1 cup of water
2/3 cup of sugar
4 Tablespoons of strawberry jello powder
4 Tablespoons of corn starch

Directions:

Mix water, sugar, jello powder and corn starch in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil for one minute. Add strawberries to mixture, stir till will coated.

Pour strawberries into pie shell. Refrigerate for several hours until set.

Top with Cool Whip. Enjoy!

Easy, Creamy Deliciousness

Chocolate Ribbon Pie
(kraftfoods.com)

I love this because it's so easy and only needs a few ingredients!

Ingredients:

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. milk, divided

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1 Oreo Pie Crust (6 oz.)

2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

Directions:

Beat cream cheese, sugar and 1 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in half the COOL WHIP; spread onto bottom of crust.

Beat pudding mixes and remaining milk with whisk 2 min. (Mixture will be thick.) Pour over layer in crust.

Refrigerate for two hours or until firm. Top with remaining Cool Whip and 2 Tbsp. shaved chocolate just before serving.