This can't be wrong.

Ladies (and gents)...

When you combine butter, sugar, chocolate, cream cheese, and Kahlua, the result just CANNOT be wrong.  It cannot. 


Kahlua Cheesecake Brownies.  They'll make you want to burn your bikini.  They're worth every dimple of cellulite.  The thought of them waiting for you at home will get you through that torturous Pure Barre class or 5-mile run.  (Or, the thought of them will make you skip your workout, grab a brownie, and curl up with a good book.  Whatever.)


Thick, rich, decadent, fudgey, creamy...these brownies are not overwhelmed by Kahlua like some rum cakes that will have you 3 sheets to the wind with one bite.  The hint of Kahlua is in both the brownies and the cheesecake layers giving the brownies a little something special without an alcohol taste.

Are you sold, yet?

Kahlua Cheesecake Brownies

for the brownies:
1 cup (4 half-sticks, or 2 full sticks) unsalted butter
2  & 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 & 1/2 cups Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 TBSP Kahlua
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 eggs
1 & 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
6 ounces chocolate chunks

for the cheesecake layer:
2 (8 oz.) packages full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 TBSP Kahlua
3 TBSP full-fat sour cream
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.   Grease a 9X13" pan.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Once melted, stir in the sugar.  Stir the sugar and butter while gently heating until the mixture is warm to the touch (but not boiling).  Remove the pan from the heat.


Stir in the cocoa, espresso powder, Kahlua, salt, baking powder and vanilla.  Whisk in the eggs until incorporated.

Stir in the flour.


Let the mixture cool for a bit, then fold in the chocolate chunks.


Make the cheesecake layer:  Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the sugar and beat well.  Beat in the Kahlua.  Add the sour cream and eggs, beating until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.


Pour 3/4 of the brownie batter into the prepared pan and smooth.  Pour the cheesecake layer over the top, smoothing with an offset spatula.  Spoon the remaining brownie batter on top.  Drag a table knife through the top, swirling the top brownie and cheesecake layers.


Bake for 35 minutes, or until the cheesecake layer is set.  Cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  (A bench scraper is a great tool for cutting these.)

*base recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion* 


See?  I told you these can't be wrong.

Glorious! Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Layered Dessert

Ooo...you guys are in for such a treat today!  Have you met Glory of the blog Glorious Treats?  Glory makes all kinds of beautiful desserts...from cakes to cookies to cupcakes, you name it.

Glory's book, Glorious Layered Desserts (how perfect is that title?) was just published and it is lovely.  The book is filled with every kind of layered dessert, all perfectly proportioned for individual servings. 

There is just something special about having your own individual dessert, isn't there?


I can't wait to share the recipe for these Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes with you, but first, let me tell you a few of the other recipes in the book...


Nutella & Banana Trifle, Pumpkin Mouse Parfait, Key Lime Coconut Cheesecakes, Lemons on a Cloud...and so on and so on.  See what I mean?  Glorious!

The Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes start with an Oreo cookie crumble and are layered with a cookies and cream no-bake whipped cheesecake filling. 
I whipped them up late yesterday afternoon and stashed them in the fridge for dinner.  You should have seen kiddo's eyes light up when opened the refrigerator door and saw them!


Glory is so generous to let me share her recipe on the blog today...and also to offer a book for a giveaway (more on that in a minute).

Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Layered Dessert

{from Glorious Layered Desserts, serves 4-6}

for the chocolate cookie crumble:
17 chocolate sandwich cookies
3 TBSP butter

for the creamy whipped cheesecake:
1 (8oz) block cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup heavy cream

whipped cream or whipped topping

make the cookie crumble:
Preheat oven to 350.

Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies (cookies and cream) in a larger ziptop bag.  Place the crushed cookies in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in a microwave.  Pour over the cookie crumbs and stir.

Spread the crumbs out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cool.

make the creamy whipped cheesecake:
Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until smooth.  Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla.  Blend until fully incorporated and smooth.  Add (cold) heavy cream and whip until smooth and increased in volume by almost double.

Add in 1/3 cup cooled chocolate cookie crumble and beat until well combined.

assemble:
Place about 2 TBSP cookie crumble into the bottom of each dish.  Top the crumbs with a layer of cheesecake.  Add one more layer of each.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping, more cookie crumbs and a cookie piece.

Store the desserts in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Enjoy within 4 hours of assembly for best texture.

Now that you are captivated by Glory's glorious cookies & cream cheesecakes, who would like a SIGNED copy of Glorious Layered Desserts of your very own?!? 

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me the last dessert you've made.

Entries accepted through 11:59pm CST, April 7th.  US addresses only.  Good luck! 

Resolution: more cheesecake

Eat more cheesecake.  Yep, I think it's the perfect New Year's resolution.  

{It sure sounds more fun than "eat more greens."}

I've had this recipe in my repertoire before I even had a repertoire.  Actually, I'm not sure I have one now.

Bottom line, this was one of the only desserts I ever made when I was a single gal and would invite friends (or a date!) over for dinner.  It won Mr. E's heart...I think it might win yours, too.


What sends it over the top is serving it on a pool of warm fudge sauce.  I think I was about 20 or so and I ordered chocolate chip cheesecake at a pizza restaurant.  (Gosh, those were the days...eating pizza AND ordering dessert...with no guilt, and no thigh anxiety!)  Anyway, they served it on top of fudge sauce and I was completely smitten.

That cool, creamy cheesecake with a bit of deep, dark, chocolate sauce...one bite is sure to elicit sighs of happiness from your dinner guests.


You can absolutely used a jarred hot fudge sauce; that's how I served it for years.  To tell you the truth, though, homemade fudge sauce is so dang easy to make...and you really will feel like a domestic goddess when it's finished.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake with Hot Fudge Sauce

for the crust:
1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. dutch-process cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. salted butter, melted

for the cheesecake:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
1 teaspoon flour

for the sauce:
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 300.

make the crust:

Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, cocoa, sugar, and melted butter.


Press evenly into the bottom and a little up the sides of a 9" springform pan.  (I use a measuring cup to press the crust down.)  Set aside.

for the filling:
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy.  Add in the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.


In a small bowl, toss 3/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips with the flour.  Fold into the cheesecake batter.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the remaining chips over the top.


Bake for 1 hour.  Turn oven off and allow to cool in the oven for 1 hour.  Remove to a cooling rack; run a thin knife all the way around the edge of the cheesecake.  Cool completely before refrigerating.

make the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and corn syrup together until boiling.  Stir frequently.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cocoa.  Add the vanilla and whisk again until combined.

Add the chopped chocolate and let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.  Use a silicone spatula to stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Let the mixture cool and refrigerate.

serve:

Scoop some of the sauce into a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power until warm.  Spoon out fudge sauce on each plate and top with a slice of cheesecake.

{source: for cheesecake, unknown....sauce: adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home}

[note: I use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa for the sauce and crust.  I love the taste and the dark, rich color.  Feel free to use any cocoa powder.]

Resolve to eat more cheesecake in 2014?  Sounds good to me.

Desserts for Dudes: Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

It's true.  Men prefer pie over cake.  And by "men," I mean my husband and my dad, but I feel pretty safe making that generalization based on these two people.

I'm fairly certain that's why there are new and contradictory "studies" in the news every other day.  Who knows what to believe anymore?  Here's what we can believe in: pie.

{Oh, there are cookies involved, too.}

This pie combines two of Mr. E's dessert loves...cheesecake and pie.  Win, win.

Speaking of Mr. E, I told him that he'd have to check the blog this week for another Father's Day present.  The truth is...I really don't treat him as nicely as I should.  This man who is a wonderful father to kiddo...just the right mix of disciplinarian and goofball.  This man who is a devoted and loving husband.  A man who washes the dishes EVERY NIGHT.  A man who has spent hours (days? weeks?) of his life listening to me complain about the deleterious effects of humidity on curly hair.  A man who knows the names behind the blogs I love, and listens while I read their blog posts aloud and describe every recipe.

Here I am with a baking blog, and I rarely make his favorite dessert....pie.  That's no way to treat the man you love!  Well, here's your extra Father's Day gift, Mr. E.  One pie each month for one year. 

{I wonder if he thought I was going to say "sports car?"}

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

for the crust:
1 & 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps
2 TBSP sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted

for the filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

for the topping:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 TBSP cornstarch mixed with 2 TBSP water

Preheat oven to 325.

Stir the crust ingredients together.

Press into a 9" pie pan.  Bake for 8 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.  Add in the lemon, vanilla, and eggs; beat until combined thoroughly.

Pour into the baked crust and bake for 25 minutes, just until set.  Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, combine the blueberries, water and sugar in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Stir in the cornstarch/water mixture, increase the heat and return to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Spoon the thickened berries over the cooled cheesecake filling.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.  Store in the refrigerator.

(adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Pies and Tarts, 1992)

Is YOUR dude a cake guy or pie man? 

---

Don't Judge a Book (or bar) by Its Cover.

You know how sometimes a dessert isn't the most gorgeous thing in the world, but it IS the most delicious?

This is the case with these Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars.  Not that they're *ugly,* but they're not going to win any beauty contests, either.  But ohmygosh...I could have inhaled the entire pan.
(I limited myself to 2.5 per day.)

Here is a universal truth in baking:  Any recipe that starts with this...

...can't be wrong.

{If you ever see a recipe that calls for "chocolate wafer cookies," feel FREE to use Oreos minus the cream filling.  I used Birthday Cake Oreos for these.  What you do with that cream filling is between you and your kitchen walls.  Thank goodness my walls don't talk.}

Alrighty, so after giving the Oreos a good whir in the blender or food processor and adding some melted butter, you'll make a cheesecake filling.

The cheesecake is flavored with vanilla and a touch of almond.  I love that bit of almond.

Then, you'll mix up some raspberry preserves and fresh lemon juice...

...and swirl it all around.

As the cheesecake bars bake, the cheesecake poofs and the raspberry swirl nestles right down into the batter.  Mmmm....

And then you eat.  Cool, creamy, tangy, rich, and sigh.

Never judge a bar by its cover, my friends.

For the full recipe, click on over here.

---

Light(ish) Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

 
Alright, they're not exactly diet food, but if you have a hankerin' for chocolate cheesecake without too much guilt, you're going to LOVE these babies!

These bars are really easy to make, but if your boys are like mine, they'll take one bite and think you are a domestic goddess.  I like that.

Light(ish) Chocolate Cheesecake Squares
{adapted from Everyday Food magazine, Jan 2004}
makes 9 squares

shortening for pan
8 chocolate wafer cookies
8 oz  (1/3 less fat, or reduced fat) cream cheese
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 c. dutch-process cocoa (regular is fine, too)
1/2 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
2 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 325.  Coat an 8x8" baking pan with shortening.  Line with 2 criss-crossed sheets of parchment, coating the with shortening between sheets.  Coat the top sheet with shortening.

{Here is one sheet coated.  Lay another sheet in opposite direction on top and coat that one as well.}

Process wafers in a food processor until finely ground.

{Chocolate wafers....in my store, they are near the ice cream, not in the cookie section.  You can substitute Oreos.  What you do with the cream filling is your secret.}
 
Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. 

Without rinsing the processor bowl, process the cream cheese and sour cream until blended.  Scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Add the cocoa, espresso powder, cornstarch, sugar, egg and egg white; blend until smooth and combined.

{This is the Hershey dutch-process cocoa. It's labeled as "Special Dark."}

Pour into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake 35-40 minutes, just until set.

Cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

Lift out of the pan using the parchment.  Cut into squares. (I love using my bench scraper for cutting bars like this.)

Enjoy!

(Also...there is a new vlog post over at University of Cookie: how to apply luster dust!) :)