Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

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Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

How adorable are these? And, being a cheesecake – they’re as delicious as they are adorable. They are a relatively quick and easy dessert to put together, and are super impressive. Everyone loves things served in cute individual portions!

I’ve been making these little guys for a couple years now. While the raspberry swirl is my favorite, I’ve also successfully made them with blueberry and strawberry as well. A perfect sweet treat to wrap up these summer days. Can you guys believe summer is almost over? It seems the older I get, the quicker time flies. Slow down with some cheesecake, ya’ll. Have a  great weekend!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

For the crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

For the raspberry swirl:
6 oz. fresh raspberries
2 tbsp. sugar

For the filling:
1 lb (2 packages) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest from 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened. Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. (Use a small drinking glass to easily and evenly press the crumbs down) Bake until just set, 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

To make the raspberry puree, combine the raspberries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, then pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in the sugar until smooth. Mix in the salt, vanilla, and zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

To assemble, spoon 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner. Dot a ½ teaspoon of the raspberry puree in a few dots over the cheesecake filling. Use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.

Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. (They will look quite puffed initially but will return to normal quickly.) Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes via Annie’s Eats

Bacon Pimento Macaroni & Cheese

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Bacon Pimento Macaroni & CheeseHomemade pimento cheese is one of my very favorite things on this green Earth. I would also say the same for a good homemade macaroni & cheese. So, to combine the two – and then add bacon for good measure, just seemed natural.

I made crab cakes for dinner the other evening, and as I’d mentioned in Monday’s post – I’ve been kind of seafood-ed out lately. So I wanted to do a side dish that was amped up enough to be a meal on it’s own. I kind of threw this together with things I had on hand, and it turned out so unbelievably wonderful. I know it will be one we come back to again and again!

Bacon Pimento Macaroni & Cheese

2 cups elbow macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
2 cups milk
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
5 dashes hot sauce
1 (4 oz) jar pimentos, drained
5 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
kosher salt
black pepper

Preaheat oven to 350.

Fill a large saucepan with water, and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water. Add the pasta, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.

In the same saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, and whisk constantly for about 3 minutes…until the flour mixture is a light amber in color. Add in the mustard powder. Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue to whisk for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese and a few dashes of hot sauce, whisking until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the pasta back into the saucepan with the cheese sauce and toss to coat. Stir in the drained pimentos and cooked bacon.

Pour into a medium sized baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes uncovered, until starting to brown on top and bubbling around the edges. 

Blueberry Crumb Bars

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Blueberry Crumb BarsI’ve still been having good luck getting delicious, local blueberries. But, I know the days are numbered. So with anything else in season right now, I’m trying to make the most of it while I can. We’ve been so busy out on the water, or at the beach this past few weeks I feel like I’ve barely had any time in the kitchen. Which is a blessing and a curse in my book…

One thing I did have time to whip together last week were these delicious blueberry crumb bars. I’ve made them a few times now, and we always love them. They’re a breeze to bring together, and if stored in the refrigerator, are a perfect quick sweet to pair with a glass of milk all throughout the week (if they last that long!). The shortbread crusty is nice and sturdy; there’s nothing worse than a bar that buckles under that first bite, am I right? And the filling is just perfect – sweet with a hint of brightness from the addition of lemon zest.

And I know I sound like a broken record when I say this – but I can’t wait to try them with other fruits. Blackberries, raspberries, or maybe a mixed berry combo? Will have to make another batch before berry season is over. Maybe take them out to the sandbar with us to share…because sadly, I know our days “knee deep in the water somewhere” are numbered for this season too! 

Blueberry Crumb Bars

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Source: adapted from AllRecipes via Smitten Kitchen

Macadamia Key Lime Pie

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Macadamia Key Lime Pie

When I first saw this pie in a recent issue of “Taste of Home” I literally gasped. I bought all the ingredients the next time I went to the supermarket, and them promptly kept on putting it off – for one reason or another. I got around to making it this week, and let me just say that my waistline is wishing that I’d kept putting it off…because I found myself eating close to half of the damn thing by myself!

It’s a no-bake pie, which is always a winner this time of year. Although, I did end up toasting the pie crust for a few minutes – to bring out the rich flavor of the macadamia nuts in the crust. I loved the use of shortbread cookies instead of the traditional graham as well! The filling had plenty of pucker from the addition of fresh lime juice and zest, but was balanced out with a perfect sweet creaminess.

A simple garnish of fresh whipped cream, lime slices, and chopped macadamias makes this one gorgeous pie! Perfect for any summertime soiree, or to brighten a dark winter’s day alike. This one is definitely a keeper!

Macadamia Key Lime Pie

For the crust:
1 cup shortbread cookies, finely crushed
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 lime, zested
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
1 lime, halved and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl combine cookie crumbs, macadamia nuts and sugar. Mix in butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie plate using the bottom of a drinking glass. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream cheese until smooth. With mixer on low, carefully pour in milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture is combined and thickened. Transfer to crust. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

In a small bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; spoon or pipe onto pie. Top with slices of lime and macadamia nuts.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home, June/July 2013