This Week's Concoctions Ending 8/5

I made nothing other than the "Weekly Cookie" this week..

July 30: New York Cheesecake Bars

New York Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:
Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line a 9x13 metal pan with nonstick foil.
2. Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until moist, then transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it down to make a crust.
3. Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar until well mixed. By hand or using the lowest speed of the mixer, stir in the eggs, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and orange extract. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cheesecake might puff up, but it should settle as it cools and chills. Let cool in the pan and then chill thoroughly - 3 hours is okay, but overnight is better.

Crust ingredients

Filling ingredients

Addition of eggs, milk and extracts

Before the oven

After the oven

Thoughts: Very very easy recipe. I'm not crazy about orange extract so I was a little nervous trying it, but you can barely taste it. It was very good. The only change I would think about is making the crust a little thicker.

This Week's Concoctions Ending 7/29

Here are some highlights of items that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

This week was my recipe exchange program and the theme was summer foods. I made tuna macaroni salad. There was a little too much relish...

At work, it was also "summer foods" week so I made a healthier version of pulled pork. It went in the slow cooker and was very tasty. The main difference was it wasn't drenched in sauce.

July 22: Spiced Prune Bars with Penuche Icing

Spiced Prune Bars with Penuche Icing

Ingredients:
Base
1 cup (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (6 oz) prune baby food

Icing
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 scant teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line a 9x13 metal pan with nonstick foil or spray with flour-added baking spray.
2. Make the base: Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer on medium speed, beat the sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat in the baby food. By hand or using the lowest speed of the mixer, stir in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan.
4. Make the icing: In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a gentle but steady boil, reducing the heat if necessary, and continue boiling for 2 minutes, stirring constantly; remove from the heat. Let cool to lukewarm. Stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar, beating with a wooden spoon until the icing is smooth and pourable. Pour over the prune bars and allow the icing to set at room temperature before serving.

Base ingredients

Dry ingredients

Addition of baby food

Addition of the dry ingredients

Before the oven

After the oven

Icing ingredients

Addition of brown sugar and salt

Addition of milk

Addition of vanilla

Addition of confectioners' sugar

Thoughts: The base was very easy to make as was the icing except you have to make sure the pan doesn't get scorched. I was very nervous to try this cake because I'm not a big fan of prunes; however, it tastes like spice cake so it was actually pretty good. I don't like to make homemade frosting because it is generally pretty gross, but I think I'm improving because the last 3 times I've made frosting, it has come out great!

This Week's Concoctions Ending 7/22

I made nothing other than the "Weekly Cookie" this week..

This Week's Concoctions Ending 7/15

Here are some highlights of items that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

"Monster" cookies (oatmeal, chocolate chips, peanut butter, M&Ms)

 Pizza casserole

July 11: Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Blueberry Muffin Cookies

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups (8 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 large egg
3/4 cup fresh blueberries, or 1/2 cup dried
Coarse sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-size bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and creamy. Beat in the lemon zest. Reduce the mixer speed and add the egg. Beat until the egg is blended in. By hand or using the lowest speed of the mixer, add the flour mixture and stir until it is mixed in. If using fresh berries, carefully fold the berries into the dough. If using dried, stir them in.
4. Scoop up tablespoonfuls of dough and shape into small balls. Arrange 2 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges and top. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dry ingredients

Addition of the lemon zest

Addition of the egg

Addition of the flour mixture

Addition of the fresh blueberries

Addition of the coarse sugar

Thoughts: I really wanted to use fresh blueberries vs. dried but if I had used dried, it wouldn't have been so messy. I tried to fold the blueberries in carefully but it is hard to incorporate them without mushing a couple of them open. Some of them also exploded while they were baking. Other than that, it was ok. I don't know if they taste like a blueberry "muffin" but it was good.

July 9: Monster-Size Sugar Cookies

Monster-Size Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups (9 oz) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons (0.8 oz) butter-flavored or plain vegetable shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup or pancake syrup
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Colored sprinkles or coarse sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment or nonstick foil.
2. Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and shortening until creamy. Add both sugars slowly and beat for a full 5 minutes. Beat in the syrup. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract.
4. On the lowest speed of the mixer, add the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Divide the dough into eight equal size balls. Arrange four of the balls on the prepared baking sheet and press down the centers with a drinking glass. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
5. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges are golden, 11-13 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dry ingredients

Addition of sugars

Addition of maple syrup

Addition of egg and extracts

Thoughts: This recipe only yields 8 cookies so I doubled the recipe. Very very easy recipe...you just have to make sure you don't remove the cookies from the cookie sheet too soon because they are large enough that if they are still warm, they'll break. They were very good.

This Week's Concoctions Ending 7/8

Here are some highlights of items that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

A while ago my cousin gave me his recipe for chocolate chip cookies which is a little different than the usual. It uses almond extract!

It was one of my co-worker's birthdays this week and she requested lemon cheesecake bars. Since I actually followed the directions relating to letting the pan cool, it was pretty easy although there wasn't quite enough "topping/icing".

This Week's Concoctions Ending 7/1

Here is the highlight of an item that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

I had my recipe exchange program on Saturday and the theme was "fruits and vegetables". So I made one of my favorites: ambrosia. It was a little different than I have made in the past because I added cinnamon and nutmeg. It was good though!