Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

A couple weekends ago my grandparents headed home to Chicago. We miss them a lot and really enjoyed having them around for awhile. It became tradition during the time they were here that I would always make some type of dessert for the weekend. For their last weekend I wanted to make something extra special. I gave them a couple options and let them decide. This was the winner and I’m so glad they chose it. I have been wanting to try this recipe for quite some time. The cheesecake base is absolutely fabulous and would be wonderful by itself, but add the brownies into the mix and oh-my-gosh! It is over the top delicious. Everyone really enjoyed it! I can’t wait to use this cheesecake base again.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Brownies:
4 oz unsweetend chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 Cup butter
1 3/4 Cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup flour

For the Crust:
1 1/2 Cups finely ground chocolate cookies (such as teddy grahams)
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/3 Cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

For the Cheesecake:
3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 Cup sugar

For the ganache:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 Cup plus 1 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter, cut into two pieces

Directions
To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with foil, leaving the ends overhanging the sides of the pan. Grease the foil and set aside.

Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on high for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted. Stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add salt and flour. Mix well. spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool in a pan on a wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles. Cool brownies, then cut into 3/4-1″ squares for use in the cheesecake. Set aside 2 cups for the recipe, and will have many extra brownies left over (they freeze well!).

To prepare the crust, combine all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Press onto the bottom and one inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

For the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the cream cheese in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed, scraping down the bowl between additions. Add vanilla and sugar and beat until well combined.

Fold in brownie cubes very gently and pour mixture into cookie crumb crust. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until cake is set 3 inches from edge, but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken. Allow to cool completely.

To make the ganace, put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil, then pour half of the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Working with a whisk or rubber spatula, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles, starting at the center of the bowl and working your way out. Pour in the remainder of the cream and blend it into the chocolate, using the same circular motions. When the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in the butter piece by piece. Don’t stir the ganache any more than you must to blend the ingredients. Let sit until it thickens to desired consistency. Then pour on top of cooled cheesecake and spread evenly. Chill to set.

Source: Annie’s Eats and BrownEyedBaker

Whole Wheat Bread — Revisited

Finally, I can say I have found my everyday, go-to sandwich bread. This bread is absolutely perfect in every dimension. It has a nice hearty crust with a perfectly soft interior. In addition to the taste and texture, the bread is packed full of nutrients. It makes two loaves so I freeze one while we use up the other. Obviously, I can’t say enough about this bread — you just have to make it. It will definitely be your new go-to recipe.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Ingredients
2 1/3 Cups warm water (about 100 degreesF)
1 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast
1/4 Cup honey
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 Cup rye flour
1/2 Cup toasted wheat germ
3 Cups whole-wheat flour
2 3/4 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, yeast, honey, butter, and salt with a rubber spatula. Mix in the rye flour, wheat germ, and 1 cup of each of the whole-wheat and all-purpose flours.

Add the remaining whole-wheat and all-purpose flours, attach the dough hook and knead at low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly flour surface. Knead just long enough to make sure the dough is soft and smooth, about 30 seconds.

Place the dough in a very lightly oiled large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Gently press down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces. Gently press each piece into a rectangle about 1-inch thick no longer than 9 inches. With the long side of the dough facing you, roll the dough firmly into a dylinder, pressing down to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn the dough seam-side up and pinch it closed. Place each cylinder of dough into a greased 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, seam side down, pressing the dough gently so it touches all four sides of the pan. Cover the shaped dough; let rise until almost doubled in volume, 20 to 30 minutes.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer reads 205 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the bread immediately from the baking pans to a wire rack; cool to room temperature.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Sometimes I wonder why I haven’t tried certain combinations before. Like strawberry banana muffins, for instance. Strawberry-banana is by far my favorite yogurt flavor and smoothie flavor, so why hadn’t I tried it in muffins before? Well, I’m glad I finally did. The strawberries create little juicy pockets and double to keep the muffins moist. Yum. If you’re looking for a new muffin to try I would recommend these, especially while fresh strawberries are in season.

Strawberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients:
2 1/4 Cup of flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 Cup fresh strawberries, diced
3/4 Cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with 18 paper liners.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. After mixing, gently fold in the strawberries, making sure to coat them with flour. 

In another large bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs, butter, bananas, and vanilla until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stir until just combined – do not over mix the batter or you will have tough muffins

 Fill the muffin cups with the batter, place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: The Crepes of Wrath

Lemon Bars

Yep, another recipe involving lemons. I had a bowl full of beautiful lemons a couple weeks ago and found lots of wonderful ways to use them. There are so many variations of lemon bars out there and I really tried to pick the perfect one. I ended up going with a Cook’s Illustrated recipe since they have yet to let me down. These were fantastic. We brought these over to my mom’s to share with my grandparents and everyone thoroughly enjoyed them. If you’re looking for a wonderful lemon bar recipe look no further because these are wonderful.

Lemon Bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 Cup all-purpose flour
2/3 Cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra to decorate
1/4 Cup cornstarch
3/4 tsp table salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at very cool room temperature cut into 1-  inch pieces, plus extra for greasing pan

For the filling:
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons
2/3 Cup lemon juice from 3-4 large lemons
1/3 Cup whole milk
1/8 tsp table salt

Directions:
For the crust: adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and line with one sheet parchment or wax paper. Dot paper with butter, then lay second sheet crosswise over it.

Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1 second bursts. Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into an even 1/4 inch layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl, then stir in lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt to blend well.

To finish the bars: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to reblend and pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool to room temperature. Transfer the bars to a cutting board, fold paper down, and cut into bars. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars, if desired.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I love meals that can feed an army. This meal in particular could feed a large crowd, be used for several meals and/or lunches, or be thrown in the freezer and used another day. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad stuffed shell recipe, but the flavors in this one are especially great. In lieu of traditional marinara sauce chopped tomatoes are used. I enjoy marinara sauce with my pasta and was a little nervous. I stuck with the recipe as is and am glad I did. The tomatoes were a perfect topping and let the sausage and spinach really shine through.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
1 12-oz package jumbo pasta shells
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt water and cook pasta shells according to package directions.  Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the sausage to the pan, and cook through breaking into smaller pieces.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, basil, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Add the cooked sausage mixture to the bowl and stir until evenly mixed.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Spread a thin layer of the chopped tomatoes in a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with some of the sausage and cheese mixture (I like to use a pastry bag for easy filling), and arrange in the baking dishes, open side up.  Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.

Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling.  Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Bake, uncovered, for 10 more minutes.  

Source: Annie’s Eats

Chicken Piccata

As a child I used to eat lemons whole. Just like an orange. I have always always loved lemons and other tart things. I especially like the lemon paired with the capers and fresh parsley in chicken piccata. I was surprised at how quickly this came together as well. It’s a quick weeknight meal that sure looks like it took a long time.

The only change I made to this recipe was using chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. I only made enough chicken for the two of us, but I kept the full amount of sauce because I’m always afraid there wont be enough (and my husband likes lots of extra!). I actually though it was perfect since I served it over pasta. It made a perfect pasta sauce. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata
Ingredients:
2 large lemons
6-8 chicken breast tenderloins
salt & pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small shallot, minced or 1 small garlic clove, minced
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp small capers, drained
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbsp minched fresh parsley leaves

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.

Halve one lemon pole to pole. Trim ends from one half and cut crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick; set aside. Juice remaining half and whole lemon to obtain 1/4 cup juice, reserve.

Sprinkle both sides of cutlets generously with salt and pepper. Measure flour into pie tin or shallow baking dish. Working with one cutlet at a timme, coat with flour, and shake to remove excess.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp of oil and swirl to coat pan. Lay half of chicken pieces in skillet (or all if you can fit them). Saute chicken without moving them, until lightly browned on the first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Turn cutlets and cook until second side is lightly browned, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer chicken to the plate in the oven. Add remaining tablespoons oil to the now-empty skillet and heat until simmering. Add remaining chicken and repeat.

Add shallot or garlic to the empty skillet and return skillet to medium heat. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds for the shallot or 10 seconds for garlic. Add stock and lemon slices, increase heat to high, and scrape skillet bottom with wooden spoon or spatula to loosen browned bits. Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until it melts and thickens sauce. Add parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Source: Cooks Illustrated

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Yet again, another recipe that is so much better than store-bought. I love making yeast breads. No matter how many recipes I have tried I continually get a kick out of watching the dough rise. This is the first sweet bread I made and the first time I rolled a loaf up. I did end up with a little air pocket in the middle of the loaf so maybe next time I will try to roll tighter? Regardless, the bread was great. I will be making this again and again!

I halved this recipe because I didn’t want to end up with two loaves if we didn’t enjoy it. Now, I’m really sorry I did. I wish I had another loaf to pull out of the freezer. Don’t make my mistake — make two loaves! I also used all dark raisins instead of half golden half dark since that is what I had on hand. Next time I would like to try it with golden.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 cup warm milk (105-115 F)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 to 6 1/4 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup dark raisins

for the filling:
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of granulated sugar over 1/2 cup of the water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fittened with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 3/4 cup water, milk, butter, remaining sugar, salt, egg and 2 cups of flour. Beat on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and 1/2 cup of the flour and beat for 1 minute. Add the raisins, then beat in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed, adding flour 1 Tbsp at a time, if the dough sticks, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Transfer the dough to a greased deep bowl and turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1.5 hours.

Lightly grease two 9-by-5 inch loaf pans. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each half into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle. Lightly sprinkle each rectangle with half of the filling, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides. Beginning at the narrow end, tightly roll up each rectangle into a compact log. Pinch the ends and the long seam to seal in the filling. Place each log, seam side down, in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough is about 1 inch above the rim of the pan, 1 to 1.5 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350 F. Bake until the loaves are golden brown and pull away from the sides of the pan, 35-40 minutes. Turn the loaves out onto wire racks and let cool completely.

Yield: 2 9-by-5 inch loaves

Source: Williams-Sonoma

Guinness Stew

I hope you are enjoying your St. Patrick’s Day! Since we have had our fair share of corned beef and cabbage lately I decided to make another meal for St. Patrick’s Day. When Joe asked if there was another Irish meal we could have my mind went directly to this. I have wanted to try this for a long time. The flavors in this stew were excellent (and that means a lot coming from a non beer lover). The guinness flavor was very mild and was complimented nicely by the thyme. Another bonus is that the slow cooker did all the work and made the house smell wonderful!

Guinness Stew
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1.5-2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1″ pieces
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large or 2 medium onions, roughly sliced
1-2 baking potatoes or 5-6 red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 16-ounce Guinness
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 15.5-ounce can low-sodium beef broth or stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a bowl toss stew meat with the remaining 2 Tbsp oil, flour, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange the meat in a single layer in the heated skillet and cook until the pieces are browned (2-3 min per side).

Meanwhile, toss all of your veggies into the crockpot. Pour the Guinness and worcestershire sauce over the veggies, sprinkle the thyme on top, and drop in the bay leaf.

Once the meat is browned, transfer it into the crockpot. Return the skillet to the stove and pour in the beef broth. Stir in the tomato paste and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan into the broth.

Pour the broth mixture over the contents of the crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir everything to mix thoroughly.

Cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 4-6. Goes perfectly with some crusty bread.

Source: Vintage Victuals

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Happy St. Patty’s day! I love all holidays and I especially love making cute little holiday inspired treats. I found some green and white sprinkles on sale over the weekend and knew exactly what I wanted to make with them. I normally do not like to bake with boxed mixes, but this cookies were too cute to pass up. I wasn’t sure how the actual cookie would turn out, but they were very soft and chewy — which is just the way I like them.

I also got the chance to try out my silpats. I have had these for quite some time and haven’t used them yet. Boy oh boy did this make baking easier. I can’t believe I didn’t try them sooner.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
1 package chocolate cake mix
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

For the frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp. milk

For decorating:
sprinkles

Directions
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, egg and butter.  Beat on low speed until just combined and all dry ingredients are  incorporated.  Roll the dough into 1- to 1 1/2-inch balls, place on the prepared baking sheets and press down to slightly flatten.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated.  Add vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated.  Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat on medium-high speed until smooth.  If the frosting too thick, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of milk and beat until incorporated.

To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on a work surface.  Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair.  Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down.  Lightly press down so that the frosting reaches the edges of the cookies.  To decorate, place sprinkles in a small bowl.  Dip the sides of each cookie in the sprinkles, pressing down gently and rotating to cover the sides completely.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Roasted Asparagus

There are several things that I make quite frequently and my husband always asks if they are on my blog. Most often I reply by saying no honey, these aren’t really recipes. They are boring. He disagrees and always thinks I should post them. And, you know what? He’s right. I should post the simple, tried and true recipes. Here’s one example. Roasted asparagus is great because the asparagus stays nice and crisp. They also have wonderful flavor from the roasting. In my opinion they are best served with lemon slices. Lemon and asparagus is delicious.

Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
1 lb Asparagus, dry ends trimmed off
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon slices, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place asparagus on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the asparagus and serve immediately.