Cheesecake Cherry Pie

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Cheesecake Cherry Pie
Ingredients:
Double Pie Crust

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 6-8 tablespoons ice water

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3 cups sour cherries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Instructions:
 To make the pie crust, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt until well combined.  Work in oil and butter, using a pastry blender or two forks, until well incorporated and mealy.  Drizzle in a tablespoon of water, and lightly toss dough together with a fork.  Continue until you can form a dough ball and form two discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight.  (This is what I did.  Feel free to chill the dough as long as you'd like.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Roll out one pie dough round on a lightly floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, as thin as you can; fit into pie plate.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in egg until well combined - about 1-2 minutes.  Pour cheesecake filling on top of pie dough.
In a large bowl, stir together cherries, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch until combined.  Place cherry mixture on top of cheesecake mixture.

Roll out additional pie dough round and place on top of pie.  Flute the crust edges.  Brush with egg wash, if desired.  It will give the crust a shiny appearance and more color.  (I used 1 egg whisked together with 1 tsp milk and a pinch of salt.) Cut a few slashes into the center of pie.  Bake 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Bake an additional 30-40 minutes, or until deep golden brown and bubbly.  Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 9 servings

Crock Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake

Wild Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

 







Wild Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar + 3 tablespoons, divided use
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, divided use
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup wild blueberries
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

Streusel
1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line 12 muffin cups with liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; whisk in 3/4 cup granulated sugar until combined.  In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, 1 egg, sour cream, water and vanilla until combined.  Gently stir flour mixture into egg mixture until almost incorporated.  Stir in blueberries until just combined.  Place batter into muffin cups, making little wells in the centers (this is where the cheesecake filing will go).
In a medium bowl, whisk together additional 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 egg, and cream cheese until well combined.  Place a spoonful of cheesecake mixture into the center of each muffin cup (you will have leftover filling).

To make the streusel, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Knead in butter, using fingers, until well incorporated, and small clumps form.  Sprinkle streusel over muffin batter.  Bake 30-35 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes before transferring muffins to wire racks to cool.

Makes 12 muffins

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake

1/2 cups ground amaretti cookies
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon curd
1 half pint Driscoll raspberries

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, mix together cookie crumbs and melted butter until well combined.  Press into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.  Bake 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy - about 1 minute.  Beat in vanilla and cream until combined.  Beat in egg yolks until well combined - about 2 minutes.  Pour batter over prepared crust.  Swirl lemon curd throughout cheesecake batter.  Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until light golden brown around edges, and no longer wobbly.  Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to cool in oven for 10 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and cool 1 hour.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours  or until ready to serve.

Makes 10 servings

Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

1 cup half-n-half
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup fat-free half-n-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart strawberries, stemmed, halved
4 ounces (1/2 a package) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
4 whole reduced fat graham crackers, finely ground
1 tablespoon melted margarine spread (such as Earth Balance), or butter

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, bring half-n-half, sugar and cornstarch to a boil, whisking frequently. Strain into a large mixing bowl; whisk in fat-free half-n-half and vanilla until combined.

Blend up strawberries in a food processor until pureed; strain into mixing bowl with half-n-half mixture. Whisk until well combined. Cover and chill overnight.

To make the cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until well combined and smooth. Beat in graham cracker crumbs and melted butter/spread until combined.

Freeze cream in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers' instructions. Place ice cream in a freezable container. Swirl in cheesecake mixture. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

2 cups finely ground chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
3 large eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, warmed
8 large peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat bottom and sides of a springform pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter until well combined; evenly press into bottom of pan. Bake 8 minutes or until crisp.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until creamy - about 2 minutes. Beat in granulated sugar and vanilla until incorporated. Beat in melted chocolate until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Pour batter over crust, and swirl peanut butter into the mixture. Bake 55-60 minutes or until well risen, set, and only slightly jiggly. In the last five minutes of baking, sprinkle peanut butter cups over the top.

Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Lightly cover and refrigerate until cold - about 4 hours - or until ready to serve.

Makes 12 servings

Chocolate Cheesecake-Filled Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

T onight I have to make this a snappy post because I still have a few things to pack, and I have to get up early tomorrow morning to move. I'll update about our new place as soon as I can. Hopefully we won't have any internet difficulties. That's my worst nightmare.

Friday we signed the lease and moved most of our stuff over, but tomorrow is the actual big moving day. I'm excited!



Anyway, so today was my sister, Kristin's, baby shower. It was a lot of fun, but I had no idea how much work goes into them. Food, cake, punch, decorations, games... My poor mom and sister Rachel. They worked so hard on this shower. All I did was make cupcakes.

Yowza. There's a baby in there.

Hello baby! I can't wait to meet you.

Here's some of the food. We had veggies, fruit, ham roll-up thingies, mints, nuts, punch, and mini quiches. I have to tell you something you don't know about mini quiches.
Okay, okay, so you know how good those things are, right? How many would you eat? Maybe four? Or more? Guess what. There's five grams of fat in one mini quiche. Can you believe that? Those are dangerous! I think maybe we should have written the nutrition facts on a little card and placed it in front of them.


Strawberry punch. No booze. Oh, and white cake... I was informed a few days ago that someone else was bringing a cake, too. Hmm.
You can't have too much cake, right? :)

I ate this. It was a strawberry the size of my fist.

These are my cupcakes on display. I love that rack! I need to invest in one of those.

This is the center of the cupcake. Cheesecake filling. Mmm.

Presents. Lots and lots of presents. It took my sister an hour to open all of them.

These are little gift boxes that my sister Hannah made. She made forty of them and people forgot to take them home when they left.

We played some games. Baby animal guessing, and nursery rhyme games. Then we played this game where you had to guess what kind of melted candy bar was in the diaper. I didn't know this one. Do you? 

 


So that was the shower. I just realized I don't have any pictures of myself, but that's okay. I was the one taking all of the pictures. I don't like having to ask people to take my picture. I guess I need to get over that though.



These cupcakes are basically the devil's food cupcakes, but a little bit improved, I believe. They have a cheesecake filling composed of cream cheese, egg, sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Then they're topped with the same chocolate frosting. VERY rich, very delicious. The ultimate cupcake? I think so. More "Ultimate" news coming later this week.

*** Please vote for Sugar Plum as best baking blog on Saveur! ***

Chocolate Cheesecake-Filled Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Cake
2 cups cake flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup buttermilk

Cheesecake Filling
1 (8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Chocolate Frosting:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with liners.

To make the chocolate cake, in a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat oil, butter, granulated sugar and vanilla, until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in melted chocolate chips until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.

To make the cheesecake filling, in a medium bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar until creamy - about 1-2 minutes; beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. Stir in graham cracker crumbs until combined.

Divide 1/3 of the batter into muffin cups. Place a spoonful of cream cheese mixture into the centers; cover with remaining batter. Bake 17-19 minutes, or until just set, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, salt and milk; bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil 1 minute or until thickened; remove pan from heat and strain mixture into a small bowl. Cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer.

Beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute, in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed. Beat in "chocolate pudding" mixture until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in melted chocolate until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread or pipe frosting on to cupcakes.

Makes 24 cupcakes

S'mores Cheesecake Bars

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S'mores Cheesecake Bars

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup marshmallow cream
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with foil; coat with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well combined; pat into bottom of baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

In a medium bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together cream cheese and marshmallow cream until fluffy - about 1 minute. Beat in cocoa powder, vanilla and eggs until combined - about 1 minute. Stir in melted chocolate until combined. Pour filling over crust, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until set, and no longer wobbly. Remove from oven.

Preheat oven broiler. Evenly top cheesecake with mini marshmallows. Broil for a few seconds until marshmallows start to brown. Cool on a wire rack (drizzle with additional melted chocolate, if desired). Place in the refrigerator or freezer until well chilled - about an hour or two. Lift out foil from dish and slice cheesecake into bars.

Makes 12 big bars

Crumb Topped Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Crumb Topped Blueberry-Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar

Filling:
12 ounces cream cheese, (1 1/2 packages) softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1 pint fresh blueberries

Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds, toasted
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9-inch pan with foil and grease bottom and sides using preferred method.

To make the crust, in a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until creamy, about 1-2 minutes; reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just combined and crumbly. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden around edges; remove from oven.

To make the filling, in a medium bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together cream cheese and sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in lemon juice, zest and almond extract until combined. Beat in eggs until combined, about 1 minute; pour filling over the top of crust, and evenly sprinkle with blueberries. Return pan to oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until set.

To make the topping, in a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, almonds, cinnamon and salt, until combined; knead in butter using fingertips or a fork, until ingredients are well incorporated and start to clump together. Sprinkle the crumbly mixture evenly over the cheesecake filling. Return pan to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for an hour before lightly covering and chilling for 2 hours, or until cold. Lift foil out of pan and slice cheesecake into rows, 3x5, to make 15 bars.

Makes 15 bars

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk (2%)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced strawberries
1/3 cup strawberry preserves

Bring cream, granulated sugar and corn starch, to a boil, in a large saucepan, over medium heat, whisking frequently; remove pan from heat and whisk in milk, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla bean pod. Infuse for ten minutes, before removing vanilla bean pod and placing cream in a large mixing bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 3-4 hours, but preferably overnight.

In a medium mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined, about 1 minute; beat in graham cracker crumbs until combined. Set aside.

Bring strawberries and preserves to a boil, in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently; remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until cold.

Pour ice cream base into ice cream maker, and process according to manufacturer's direction. In the last 5 minutes of processing, add graham cracker-cream cheese chunks (breaking up the mixture using your fingers) and strawberry mixture to ice cream, and allow to finish churning.
Scrape ice cream into a freezer-proof container, and freeze for 2 hours, or until ready to serve.

Makes 8-10 servings