Cherry Cheesecake Crumb Bars

The holidays are totally meant for splurging. Splurging on plane tickets to visit friends and family. Splurging on gifts for your special someone. Splurging on Grandma's famous fill-in-the-blank and so on. In my family, we really go for it. We cook up a storm, drink tons of good wine, and indulge in sweets of all kind. We don't discriminate. Chocolatey. Minty. Creamy. Rich. You name it; we ate it. And it was glorious. So now, I'm trying to get back into the swing of my normal relatively healthy self. So in honor of the New Year, my favorite fruit recipe. 

You didn't think I was going to give you a healthy recipe, did you? You know better than that. I like this because you could swap out the cherry for almost any fruit: peach for the summer, apples for the fall, and so on. Essentially, if you have had it in a pie, you can swap it for the cherries in this recipe. I found it on Brown Eyed Baker - she is just a whiz! Anyway, make it, and then go eat some celery. Or run a mile. Or lay on the couch, whatever. I don't really care what you do. I'm not a trainer anymore. Happy New Year!!

Cherry Cheesecake Crumb Bars
For the Crumble:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 egg

For the Filling:

24 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 (21-ounce) cans cherry pie filling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. 

2. Make the crumble (always tough for me). Make sure your butter is COLD! In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a fork or pastry cutter if you are fancy to cut in the butter, and then the egg. This dough won't totally come together, it will be crumbly. Press half of dough firmly into the prepared pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown. Set on a wire rack to cool.

3. Make the cheesecake filling: In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Spread the cheesecake mixture into an even layer over the crust. Spoon the cherry pie filling in an even layer over the cheesecake mixture. Sprinkle the remaining crumble dough evenly over the cherry layer. 

4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown. Cool completely and serve. You can store these bad boys in your fridge until you are ready to serve as well.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

You know, ever since I was a child, this has been my favorite time of year. And twenty-five years later, here I am, sitting on my couch, wearing slippers watching The Polar Express. Some things never change. But when I was a child, it was Christmas lists. It was toys. It was reindeer. And, sadly, while I still hope every year that Santa will squeeze his way into my tiny apartment in Boston, my priorities have since changed... sort of.

This time of year, really, should be special. It should be cherished. We should give a little more and take a little less. We should be gracious and kind. And I get that. And I am happy to do that. But I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The first time I hear  Carol of the Bells, my heart starts to flutter. A house lit up with bright lights makes me feel giddy. And baking holiday treats for people I love, well, it goes without saying, it makes me soar.

The first treat this year? Well, I'm glad you asked. Cranberry Bliss Bars. And more than eating them yourself, you might like spreading a little joy around you. Or then again, you might not let them cool completely and eat them out of the pan. Your call. Secret's safe with me. But whatever the case, you won't be disappointed.

Cranberry Bliss Bars
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries 

Frosting
1 (12 ounce) can ready-made vanilla -or- cream cheese frosting (Feel free to make homemade, but I was running out of time so used store bought)
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Melt butter and then cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, blend butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add all other ingredients except white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Once the mixture is almost fully incorporated, add 1/2 cup chips and 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
3. Batter will be thick. Spread into a 9x13 pan and bake 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. Allow to cool thoroughly.
4.  When cool, frost and top with remaining cranberries, chocolate chips and pistachios.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Right now in the Bean, it is pouring rain. I might even venture to say it is chilly outside. And on television, I just saw a back-to-school commercial. I mean it is July, and at my new job, we are planning our holiday menu! Is it just me, or is this summer flying by? I haven't even been to the beach and suddenly I find my mind wandering to cozy sweaters and warm coffee drinks.

But before I get carried away with my lusty thoughts for autumn, I want to hold on to the summer just a little longer. Lazy days, hazy afternoons and long evenings. Roof tops, grill food and late night walks.

Dripping ice cream cones, sangria and the best fruit the year will offer. So before you get carried away thinking about the rest of the year to come, hold on to your summer for just a few weeks longer. Found this gem on Annie's Eats and would highly recommend the combination between sweet blueberries, smooth cream cheese frosting and zesty bright lemon.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
¾ cup cake flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of  1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the frosting: 
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon
Additional fresh blueberries, for garnish

1. Preheat your oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
2. In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Using a spatula gently fold the berries into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large, unlabeled star tip to frost these cupcakes.) Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Berry Yogurt Trifle

I read somewhere, you can sleep when you're dead. Oh my gosh can I please sleep before then? Because I am exhausted. I've said before that 2012 has been quite a year, and in not a lot of time, many things have happened. I am trying this new thing where I take life as it is served up to me and enjoy every second of it.

In the past three weeks, I moved my parents away from our Virginia house and road tripped back to Boston with my sister, took an impromptu bus trip to Brooklyn and had a fabulous New York Brunch, celebrated an early St. Patrick's day in Hoboken, took a painting class, ran a 10 mile race with my roommates, had a nine-day social week with my Jules where we met new "friends" (not really) at trivia, attempted to bowl at Flatbread, hit up happy hours we've never been to, and basically exhausted ourselves completely.

And in the upcoming weeks, I'm going to Florida, doing another half, helping my very good friend run the Boston Marathon, experiencing my first Boston St. Patrick's Day including a 5K and potential pub crawl, taking a trip to Baltimore to see friends from college, going to several concerts and basically soaking up every little drop of life I can. Wow, okay, right, you can sleep when you're dead. But you can cook when you're alive, and this dish takes almost no time and is absolutely fantastic. So, um, stay awake? And try it?

Berry Yogurt Trifle

5 cups cubed angel-food cake

1 (8 ounce) container non-fat vanilla yogurt

1 cup thawed whipped topping

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon flaked coconut, toasted

1. Combine yogurt and whipped topping. Place about 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom of a glass bowl and top with half of the berries. Follow with a layer of cubed cake, then remaining yogurt/whipped topping and finally remaining berries. Sprinkle with coconut and serve. Fresh is best.

Cherry Crumb Bars

On the way to the gym this morning, at approximately 6:37, Julia and I were lamenting January. Maybe it was the windchill putting the temperature in the teens or perhaps it was the cool darkness filling the streets, but whatever the case, it was decided, January tends to suck. I mean, yes, a new year, a fresh start and of course, Martin Luther King three day weekend, but all in all, who needs January?

But Julia brought up a good point: you need to do things in January (and all year for that matter), that fill up your bucket. Stay away from the things that drain it. For me, as always, it's good friends, good food and the combination of the two that gets me going. So grab a group of gals (or guys), whip up a batch of these Cherry Crumb Bars, and take on January... and maybe February too.

Cherry Crumb Bars

1 (18 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 1/4 cups rolled quick oats , divided

1/2 cup butter at room temperature, divided

1 egg

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch pan.

2. Combine cake mix, 6 tablespoons butter and 1 cup rolled oats. Reserve 1 cup of this for crumb topping.

3. To remaining mixture, add egg; mix well.

4. Press into pan. Pour cherry filling over crust; spread to cover.

5. In large bowl add remaining 1 cup crumb mixture, 1/4 cup oats, 2 tablespoons butter, nuts, and brown sugar. Mix well. Sprinkle over cherries. Bake 30-40 minutes until just golden brown.

Baked Apple Crisp

I have now been in Boston for three months to the date. It has been exciting; it has been terrifying; it has been eye-opening. I miss my friends from home terribly, but I've made some great ones here already. I hate not seeing my parents but up here I can see my sister. I left a job that was comfortable and started one that tested new skills. Everything changed but really, everything stayed the same. It's true what they say, you know. Things happen when you least expect it. When you feel like you're about to give up, you usually find a breakthrough. When you think you've had enough, you sometimes get a second wind. In order to get to this point, you have to surrender to discomfort and maybe even failure. But it will turn up. It will, I promise.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When life is uncertain, ground yourself in the things that fill you up. Friends, family, sport, books, whatever. To me, among other things, the methodical whirl of my mixer is certain. The knowledge that butter and sugar warm is the best combination ever is certain. The happiness that comes out of watching others enjoy my masterpiece is certainty. In a world full of ups and downs and scary dark corners, take comfort in what is for sure. Perhaps this simple apple crisp is just that. It was for me.

Baked Apple Crisp

4 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (about 5 small/4 medium)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Butter the bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan.

2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tende. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

Supreme Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

For some reason, there are certain to me that are quintessential New England. Sort of like those things you have to do or have when you're up here. For example, when in New Hampshire, go to the white mountains. When in Vermont, go see Ben and Jerry's.

Well, when in Maine, I always always have to have blueberry pancakes. I'm so not a pancake person; give me waffles or an omelet or a bagel anyday. But put me in Maine, and bam. I want need blueberry pancakes. So what's a girl to do? Ummm find a bomb recipe and make it herself.

Supreme Blueberry Pancakes

2 cups Bisquick Mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries
Blueberry Sauce (optional, recipe follows)


1. Preheat electric griddle or frying pan to medium high heat. Stir first six ingredients until well blended. Gently fold in the blueberries.
2. Use 1/4 cup measure to scoop and pour pancakes onto the hot greased griddle. Cook until little bubbles start to form around the edges of the pancake. Check to see if bottoms are golden brown and then flip. Cook until opposite side is golden brown.
3. Optional toppings: maple syrup, butter, cinnamon and sugar, blueberry sauce

Blueberry Sauce

1/4 cup sugar
1.5 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp +2 tsp water
1 cup blueberries


1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Add blueberries, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve alongside pancakes.

Blackberry Apple Upside Down Cake

Every time life gets a little bit more hectic than usual, the one thing that suffers the most is my cooking. Honestly -- the self proclaimed "foodie" has been eating Hamburger Helper, Old El Paso tacos and canned Sloppy Joe mix. It's been... interesting. As you can imagine, there has been no baking in the kitchen, and though it makes me sad, it gives me the opportunity to revisit some of the things I've made in the past.

This Blackberry Apple Upside Down Cake is perfect for the end of August because it uses summery blackberries and apples, which peak in the fall. It's elegant enough to be on display but really, it's perfect served alongside a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!


Blackberry Apple Upside Down Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup fresh ripe blackberries**
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches high) over low heat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with brown sugar; drizzle honey over brown sugar. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture, overlapping as needed; sprinkle with blackberries.
2. Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter over blackberries in pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in pan over cake.

**Make sure you test a few of your blackberries before putting them into your cake. I've made this recipe with too-tart berries and it was ruined! Also, swap blackberries for cranberries for a more autumn-y feel.

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Right now, I'm in beautiful downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Up until now, I've never really considered myself a Florida person. Well, that may have changed. Maybe it was the fact that I was wearing flip-flops and jeans, or maybe it was putting my toes in the ocean, or maybe it was dining outside, but whatever the case, I am loving it here.

We are relaxing, eating great foods, sleeping in and forgetting about work for just a few short days. Did I mention I am loving it? Tonight, my mom, dad, 30-year-old sister and my 23-year-old self sat around a restaurant table and laughed about old family memories. Vanessa and I went swimming after it got dark out and my parents laughed at us as if we were still the five and twelve year olds that will always be their little girls.

Though we are so far away from where we live, tonight, it really felt like home.

Though I don't have any way to tie this next recipe to the way I am feeling, I can tell you that this is the sort of recipe that will bring your family together. Something to sit around and enjoy slowly, laughing at times that have passed.

It's a beautiful ice cream, completely untouched by any unnatural coloring. The ingredients are simple and the recipe is perfect. Each bite, like a bite of creamy rich blueberry cheesecake...down to the graham cracker crunch.

So when you feel like slowing down a little bit, try this slow churned ice cream. It makes about two quarts and it's truly fabulous (you could halve it and still have a lot). The recipe is from Cooking Light but you'd have no idea. Really -- think rich! I promise. Okay enough, here it is.


Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
4 large egg yolks
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup half-and-half
3 cups fresh blueberries, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs


1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Combine milk and half-and-half in a medium, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. 2. Gradually add half of hot milk mixture to cheese mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan. Cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°, stirring constantly. Place pan in an ice-filled bowl. Cool completely, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine blueberries, powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and cool completely.
4. Stir blueberry mixture into milk mixture and refridgerate everything together in a covered bowl for a few hours.
5. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, and add graham cracker crumbs the last 15 minutes of churning. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.


Enjoy....and happy weekend!

Fall into Winter Salad

I have always been a ranch kind of gal. Ranch on my carrots, ranch on my cheese fries, ranch with a side of lettuce...

Salads were always an iceberg-y mix of croutons, cheese, bacon bits and hard boiled egg topped with gobs of creamy, tangy ranch.

How I've evolved.

This salad is nothing like that nutritional monster I used to consume. This salad is rich in flavor, texture and color. It's sweet, savory and a perfect side as we move out of a harvest fall and into a chilly winter. Try it with your next meal!

Fall into Winter Salad


What ya need:
1 bag field greens
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup sugar glazed pecans
1 cup granny smith apple, diced
1 pkg. Kraft Good Seasons Basil Vinaigrette
1 cup feta cheese crumbles


What ya do:
1. Toss the first four ingredients together. Meanwhile, prepare dressing as directed on the package. Top greens with dressing and garnish with feta cheese.


And that's it! Happy Monday! One project down, three papers, two presentations and one exam to go!

Butterscotch Apple Cake

Now, I know I've been going pumpkin crazy on you all lately, but truth be told, pumpkin isn't the only seasonal flavor out there.

 Fresh figs or cranberries always go hand in hand with the bite of October and November, and before we know it, chocolate peppermint and eggnog will be everywhere.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, there is one fruit, perhaps above any other, that is made for this time of year.

You've definitely had it. Think piping hot cider at a football game, or fresh picked off the tree, juicy but not too sweet. It's true, folks, apples are in season, and now more than ever, you should head out to a farmer's market, pick up a bushel and hop to it.

Now, this is where you need to pay attention. Not all apples are created equal. Take the red delicious. What a lie! There is nothing delicious about waxy plastic. Or my favorites, honeycrisp, pink lady and gala. Perfect all alone, but out of this world with a spoonful of peanut butter.

And then there is the granny smith. That brilliant green one that almost always is available in cafeterias, gas stations and convenience stores. Not my favorite to eat out of my brown bag lunch, but a powerhouse when it comes to baking. And thus, the following recipe uses grannies.

Last weekend was my Mom's birthday. Ever since I can remember, we've had the same dessert for her special day: Baskin Robbin's Turtle Pie, with a chocolate graham crust, pralines & cream ice cream, a thick layer of caramel sauce, chocolate hot fudge, whipped cream and some pecans to garnish.

She loves this pie. She might even prefer it to homemade anything. Alas, she has a baking/blogging daughter, who almost refuses to buy desserts anymore. So, for her birthday, I wanted something that she would love and that reflected nature's harvest (not that chocolate cake wouldn't), and when Alex sent me a recipe he found online, I knew it was the one.

And WOW. This Butterscotch Apple Cake is out of this world good. I've never had apple cake like this before. Everything about it is perfect. The cake is delicate (and I made it healthier without anyone having a clue), the apples are soft and sweet, the butterscotch and white chocolate chips melt ever so slightly and if you pair this with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream and warm caramel sauce, well, forget it-- you're putty in my hands!

So, seriously, seriously, make this cake. Make it for your family, friends, or someone you love. Because they will love this cake, and therefore, they will love you back. Your house will smell like a bakery, with major hints of spicy apples and cinnamon.

 Oh--Heaven! Anyway, enough of this epic novel I just wrote, you came here for the recipe!

Butterscotch Apple Cake

What ya need:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups finely chopped, peeled apples

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butterscotch/white chocolate (butterscotch = necessary, white choc= nice touch)

Garnish: caramel sauce and ice cream

What ya do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together applesauce and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; Slowly add dry mixture into the wet mixture and beat well. Stir in vanilla, apples and pecans. Use yer muscle!

 2. Spread half mixture evenly in a greased 9 x 13 -inch baking pan. Sprinkle about a quarter of your butterscotch/white chocolate chips over top. Top with remaining batter and again top with chips. Bake for 55 minutes.

3. Cool completely in pan. When ready to serve, cut, top with caramel sauce and serve along with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Oh, and put on something cozy and prepare for a little taste of heaven.

Happy Birthday Ma!!

"I wish I was 52 again!!" --Really? 52?

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

There are a lot of fancy desserts that take a lot of time to make. You have to be precise. You have to be careful. You need to take your time.

Well guess what? I don't have the time right now! I want decadence now. I don't want to have to chill it overnight, let flavors merry or bake for an hour.

Well, sometimes I do, but I didn't this time.

You guys know Alex. He's my close (boy)friend. He is hungry. Almost always. And, well, what Alex wants, Alex (sometimes) gets. He finds me recipes all the time because he is really great like that. A few weeks ago, he got really excited about a recipe he found through Stumble Upon.

"Cheesecake? I love CHEESECAKE."

He does, he really does. And though sometimes he doesn't love fruit, when you stuff it with something delicious, even the most finicky eaters will succomb!

So I whipped them up. You can do it the easy way or the hard way. This time, I opted for easy, but I think if I make them again, I will try it with a more homemade twist. Anyway, read on for my newest addition to the recipe collection, Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries.

Oh, and I apologize if the pictures aren't all that exciting. I had to take them late at night with no natural light. You know how much of a drag that is.

Guess what? The boy loved them. So did his roommates and some friends they had over on Friday night. He shared! How sweet. Anyway, my one piece of advice is eat these in two days or so... by the third day, the strawberries get a little tired of being stuffed, and they start to get a little mush-mush. But it shouldn't be a problem... you will want to gobble them up!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

What ya need:

2 quarts of fresh Strawberries (the bigger, the better)

1 box Jello No Bake Cheesecake (or, you can use your favorite cheesecake recipe…next time!)

Crushed Graham Crackers (but if you get the Jello No Bake, these are included)

Milk & White Chocolate for dipping and drizzling (Chocolate Wafers/Bark work best)

What ya do:

1. Wash the berries and hollow out the centers with a small paring knife. Leave enough so each strawberry can hold it’s shape.

 2. Mix the cheesecake according to the directions, but you do not have to chill it before you use it. Put the cheesecake in a piping bag and fill each strawberry until slightly overfilled. 

 3. Pour graham cracker crumbs into a bowl and coat the top of each strawberry with grahams.

 4. Melt the chocolate in the microwave stirring after every 30 seconds until no lumps remain. Dip each strawberry in the chocolate and put on wax paper to cool. 

 5.Top with a drizzle of white chocolate and serve! Store these babies in the fridge, and enjoy!!

 

Blackberry-Apple Upside Down Cake & Happy Anniversary

Wednesdays.

Who needs them? Certainly I don't. Nothing to look forward to on Wednesdays other than Thursday and Friday.

This Wednesday, however, was different!

Meet Sue and Dick, my awesome roommates (parents). Today is THEIR day! On this day, August 25th, 2010, they have been married for 37 years. Holy cow. That's a lot of togetherness.

My parents are best buds. They are that couple who doesn't often attend other social engagements, although invited, because they are too busy hanging out with one another.

They go on dinner dates every weekend, always.

They go out to breakfast Saturday and Sunday without fail.

Like I said, best buds. And they're still chugging along. So here's to you Mom and Dad. A new cake, showcasing the late summer produce and the perfect compliment to a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.

It's beautiful too. I don't think I've made something this pretty yet...in my humblest opinion. 

 The vanilla cake is so perfect with the caramelized fruit baked into the bottom of the pan. I gasped when I first saw it.

They deserve it, for sure. And enjoy it, they did. So here's the recipe for one 9-inch cake that serves about 8.

What ya need:


3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 cup fresh blackberries (cranberries would work too)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


What ya do:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a lightly greased 9-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches high) over low heat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with brown sugar; drizzle honey over brown sugar. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture, overlapping as needed; sprinkle with blackberries.

 2. Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Spoon batter over blackberries in pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in pan over cake.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla and you’ve got yourself one mighty fine dessert! Happy Anniversary!