Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Remember that post I did on some of my recipe fails?? When I started making my own jam for the filling of these mini cheesecakes, I was super close to adding another entry to that list! Everything was going swimmingly until.....I decided to add more cornstarch! My jam wasn't thickening fast enough and I was in a hurry because I had to bring these babies to my sister-in-law's house. With just the slightest shake from the box, an avalanche of cornstarch clumps dumped into the hot strawberry slurry. I was left absolutely stunned. Crap crap CRAAAP!! I tried to push the jam through a fine mesh sieve to save it, but no dice. I learned a good lesson: Always measure/sift your cornstarch in advance. Have a little on the side or maybe even mix it with water so you have your thickening agent ready to go just in case you need it! I mean... I already knew that but...I get a little impatient in the kitchen sometimes.
What does one do in a such a desperate situation? QUICK! Time is limited and your strawberry supply has dwindled! Buy a dessert from the store? HELL to the NO! Run to the fridge and pull out some strawberry jam?! YES!! It will totally save your ass. It saved mine.
As I took my first bite to test my improv, I closed my eyes and was instantly beamed onto the steps of my back porch. If I remember correctly, I was wearing a cute sundress from anthropologie paired with flip flops and freshly pedicured toes. I was dipping a buttery graham cracker into a creamy sweet strawberry milkshake and it was hot outside. Yes...these little cheesecakes brought that summery feeling I've been so desperate for. I'm sooo over thick winters sweaters and boots right now. Aren't you? If you wanna go ahead and make your own jam for this recipe, DO IT. You'll totally get extra credit points...but then I might call you teacher's pet. BTW! There's something brown on your nose!
Fully Loaded Granola Bars
SNACKS! It's about the only thing I have time for this week. My schedule has been SUPER hectic and I've been running around like a CRAZY woman! With all this chaos, I can still hear my kitchen screaming, "STOP NEGLECTING ME, TRACY! Get in here and make something! You'll feel better!" You know what? My kitchen is right. I don't have lots of time, but I need to make something that will take my mind off my TO-DO lists. Armed with a cup of coffee, I whipped up these FULLY LOADED granola bars this morning while Cooper ate his breakfast. I'd have to say that it was time well spent because they are AWESOME. I love the crunch of the oats & almonds and am digging the tang of the dried apricots! A few of them got a little crumbly, but I don't mind. They'll be making their way into a bowl of yogurt for my afternoon snack today.
If you don't have a lot of time and you want to get your butt in the kitchen, make these! You'll have 12 little bars to snack on throughout the week --or day if you're a pig like me! A runny nose will be wiped, a granola bar will be eaten, an email will be sent, and another load of laundry will be going into the washer the second I finish this paragraph. But it's all good because I have a nice big plate of chewy/crunchy granola bars to fuel me today.
Caramelized Banana Loaf Cake
WANTED: A simple banana dessert that could easily pass as a snack or breakfast item. Must have a juicy caramelized layer because I'm looking to impress the internet. Bonus if you're easy to make and require very few ingredients. I'm a working mom so it's gotta be quick. Must be OK with toddler fingers poking at you and multiple chunks taken out of you by the hands of a greedy baker. You must pair well with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Please don't be too ridiculously sweet. If you're up to the task, I'd love to talk to you. No weirdos please! Well...maybe.
FOUND!!!!!!
And oh boy was it good.
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Mini Ginger Almond Cheesecakes
"I've never had almond cheesecake before!" my neighbor exclaimed after she stuffed her THIRD mini ginger almond cheesecake into her mouth. "Same here," I muttered through my mouth full of cheesecake. We were standing around a plate of mini ginger almond cheesecakes on my kitchen island as if we were two college students huddled over a bong. You can be rest assured, we were just making sure to test each and every cheesecake for quality assurance! One bite after the next, I fell in love with the whipped cream & cream cheese ALCHEMY. Oh the fluffiness! The creaminess! And that thick spicy salty gingersnap crust? It slayed me. How many minis add up to an actual slice of cheesecake? Who cares!?
So...another faux cheesecake recipe that prevents me from making an official cheesecake! I've never made a real cheesecake and I kind of have no desire to when I find simple recipes like this one. I love the cream cheese aspect of cheesecakes....how it's subtly savory and a little thick. But the thought of eating a whole slice of cheesecake makes my stomach turn. It's just too rich and dense for my bones. I like creamy desserts that are light & fluffy with a little bit of savory crunch, and these little minis do just the trick! Now you'll have to excuse me. I have one last mini cheesecake calling my name......
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Orange Walnut Cake
We've had a slew of gray mornings in the past few weeks. A few Saturdays ago, I decided to make this cake to summon the sunshine. Even if it didn't work, at least the taste of the cake would give the illusion of a warm sunny morning. All I had to do was whip out an orange and my zester and the sun immediately peered through the clouds and heated up my kitchen island. The last time this happened was during my cocktail hour a few weeks ago. There's something about citrus in my kitchen; it has the power to cut through clouds the same way a good dish washing soap cuts through grease.
Walnuts, oranges & olive oil...the foundation in which dreams are built uopn. The walnuts are ground-- not chunky and add a fantastic texture to this cake. The orange perfumes this treat and the olive oil adds that hint of earthy greenness in a way only olive oil can. The sweet Greek yogurt and the orange zest to the side add some fun, but honestly the powdered sugar on top of the cake is enough. This is the perfect cake for breakfast or as a snack in the afternoon with a good book and a huge mug of tea. Bring on the sun!
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Winning Hearts & Minds Chocolate Cake
The other night, Casey and I had a discussion about chocolate cake. He seems to think that the best part of chocolate cake is the frosting. I disagree. I think the CAKE in chocolate cake is the best part. I'm actually one of those people who scrapes the frosting off chocolate cake and leaves it to the side of my plate. Does that make you think less of me? I hope not... It's just too much chocolate for me to take! I always make sure to give Casey my extra frosting. This is love.
This cake is the perfect compromise for both of us. A cake that needs NO frosting because it's moist, delicate, fluffy and oh so fudge-y. Frosting on top of this cake would be absolutely insane. I do believe that a light dusting of powdered sugar spruces it up and makes it cute! Slightly sweetened whipped cream makes is decadent but somehow even lighter! Who would have thought that was possible? See the heart on top? I made this sweet little cake for our Valentine's Day last year and in the course of a few days that cake disappeared hunk by hunk from the kitchen counter. It's no wonder Molly decided to serve this cake as her wedding cake. Hope you win some Hearts & Minds this Valentine's Day! XOXO
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FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!
Today I'm opening up the vault and letting you in on a few of my cooking & baking FAILS! I've got a bunch of pretty pictures wasting precious space on my hard drive because the recipes were bunk or I failed at executing them! It's time to clear up some space!
Ahhh mistakes....We all make them! The most important thing is to learn from them! That's the only way to get better. Here's some failures for ya....
This Lentil & Bulgur Soup sounded too good to be true! I was attracted to the recipe because the ingredients list was short. Little did I know the soup would be short on taste! I tried to add more vinegar to the recipe to wake it up. Unfortunately, the vinegar only made it worse. Parmesan cheese didn't even help it. How lame is that? FAIL.
The Joy of Almond & Coconut Candies
Valentine's Day is coming up! Want to impress a loved one?? You should totally make these Almond Joy inspired candies. Not only are they super easy to make, you won't be that person scrounging around for an overpriced bouquet of long stem roses at the last minute. Are you that person? Don't be that person! Don't wait til the last minute. People always know. I hope you at least write something sweet & thoughtful in your card!
By the way, I overheard your sweetheart saying that they're not really into roses! They were telling their coworker how much they dig coconut! They especially love it covered in chocolate! They also LOOOOVE salty, crunchy roasted almonds and guess what?? There's one waiting in the middle of EACH. ONE. OF. THESE. CANDIES. Make a batch of these and you'll totally seal the deal. You'll make up for that god awful ratty teddy bear you bought last year. You know why? Because people are always impressed when you make candy. ALWAYS.
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