Peanut Butter Cheesecake

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Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Cheesecakes are one of those sweets that I don’t mess with very often, and not just because I run the risk of eating the entire thing myself. They’re kind of time consuming with the whole chilling process, and results can be a mixed bag – raise your hand if you’ve had a cheesecake with a giant sunken hole in the middle? *raises hand* And again, the risk of the I’ll eat the entire thing factor…

On the other hand, they’re relatively easy to make using just a few ingredients. And, well – when it’s done right, it’s hard for any other dessert to touch it in my book. When I found this basic cheesecake recipe years ago (word to Ina), I stuck with it. It’s never let me down, and it’s easy to tweak the flavor profile and turn it into something completely different. All my boys are huge fans of peanut butter, so I thought that would be a welcome twist…

Turns out I was right! Rich, thick, and silky – this cheesecake packs a wallop of peanut butter flavor. I topped it with a simple chocolate drizzle, and crushed up Butterfinger bars. But, chopped up peanut butter cups would be an awesome choice as well…I mean honestly, when is it not?

I haven’t been in the kitchen much these past couple of month – with so much going on with boating and beaching (half the time we were cooking dinner on the beach itself!), and just summertime livin’ in general. I’m sure many of you can relate, in one way or another. But this is the time of year where I really love getting back in the kitchen, and spending more time on recipes and cooking in general. Now that chillier temperatures have arrived, I’m looking forward to doing just that. And, this cheesecake was a great place to start!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

For the crust:
18 Oreo cookies, finely ground
4 Tbsp butter, melted
small pinch salt

For the filling:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping:
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp shortening
1 cup crushed Butterfinger bars (or peanut butter cups)

Place one oven rack in the middle position, with one rack below. Preheat oven to 350. Place a 13×9 baking dish on the bottom rack and fill with water – this will act as our water bath.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crust with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the sour cream, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well-mixed, but not overbeaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Place on the top oven rack above the water-filled baking dish, bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake should still jiggle a little in the center (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes.

Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Un-mold and transfer to a cake plate.

To make the drizzle, microwave the chocolate and shortening in 30-second intervals until melted. Drizzle over the cooled cheesecake and top with crushed peanut butter candies before serving.

Raspberry Mascarpone Tart

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Raspberry Mascarpone Tart

Is it just me, or have the berries this year been especially good? From the berries that I’ve picked myself, as well as my standards I pick up every week in the grocery store – they’ve all been exceptional. This simple tart really gives them an opportunity to shine as well!

I just used my standard pie crust for the tart base, and it turned out fine. I found that if I chilled the dough really well in the tart pan before blind baking – it reduced the shrinkage factor. I think those mini Phyllo shells would also work wonderfully,  and single serve would be great for get-togethers.

The filling is super simple – sweet and rich from the mascarpone, with a little tang from the addition of cream cheese. Then to top it off, a pile of gorgeous red ripe glazed raspberries. A drizzle of chocolate ganache would be a another nice addition, but I didn’t feel it was necessary. I wanted to really let the berries shine, and shine they did…

Fresh Raspberry Mascarpone Tart

1 pastry crust, rolled out
8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream

For the topping:
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup apple or strawberry jelly (not jam or preserves!)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Roll-out dough on well-floured work surface, to about a 13 to 14 inch circle or big enough to fit an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Ease dough gently into pan, pressing against the bottom and sides, folding remaining dough over the edge. Roll over with a rolling pin to cut off excess dough. Line with foil. Fill with raw beans or pie weights and bake 10-12 minutes. Remove beans and foil and return to the oven. Continue baking for another 5 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Set aside to cool.

For the filling, add cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute until creamy, reduce mixer to low and add the confectioner sugar and cream, as well as vanilla. Add in the mascarpone last, beating until just combined. Carefully add the mascarpone mixture to the cooled tart shell. Place into refrigerator to chill while you prepare topping.

Add the jelly to a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s completely melted. Let cool for 5 minutes. Carefully pour the syrup over the berries and toss gently to coat.

Gently pile berries on the top of the tart, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at Driscoll’s Berries. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Toasted Coconut Macadamia Muffins

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Coconut Macadamia Muffins

We had alot of snow days this year. So many in fact, that to make up the days (and ensure that our kids weren’t in school until the 4th of July!), they’ve extended the school day by 45 minutes until the end of the year. They’re going in 15 minutes early, and getting out 30 minutes later. So, our morning routine has been squeezed a little tighter lately.

Enter a good, homemade muffin. I ended up with a half a can of coconut milk the other day, so I thought a coconut muffin would be a good use for it. I also added plenty of toasted shredded coconut, and some macadamia nuts for a little decadence and crunch. They turned out so wonderful, and we enjoyed them for breakfast all week long! The tropical flavors really taste like spring.

Speaking of spring, have you guys seen the new spring prints from Hen House Linens? They’re absolutely gorgeous. I can never say enough wonderful things about their linens, they wash and wear wonderfully.  I use them everyday in my home, just not for the staged photos that I share here…but at my table – morning, noon, and night. The lovely ladies over in the hen house have graciously offered up a set of 4 dinner napkins for giveaway. To enter, just leave a comment telling us what is your favorite thing about spring! Contest will run today to April 9, at 11:59 PM. (Congrats to winning entry #22 – Lisa!)

henhouselinens

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend, fun-filled with egg hunts and lots of chocolate. We’re looking forward to dying our eggs and having a small egg hunt in our new backyard for the first time, and of course attending the Annual Easter Decoy & Art Festival here on the island. This is the weekend that everything really starts to open-up again here on our little island – spring is definitely in the air!

Coconut Macadamia Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted and divided
4 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 cup coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt into medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Mix in 1/2 cup of toasted coconut flakes and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and coconut extracts.

Add flour mixture, alternately with Coconut Milk, ending with flour. Beat until just incorporated. Do not over mix or muffins will be tough. Gently fold in macadamia nuts.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire rack and cool completely.

Source: adapted from A Taste of Thai

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

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Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Spring is definitely in the air here on Chincoteague Island, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The marshes are starting to return back to their vibrant green color, we have a family of bunnies that live in a thicket right next to the house, and we’ve been treated to a handful of almost 70 degree days.

But, in places like sunny Florida – it’s springlike temperatures pretty much all year. I had the opportunity to work with a couple of different wonderful Florida based companies this week in my kitchen, and it was the perfect way to kick-start spring around here! First off, Natalie’s Juice Company. Their sales rep, Brandy, was at the Ocean City Food Show that we attended weekend before last. She is so sweet, and sent me home with a wonderful sampling of their juices to take home. They are wonderfully fresh and flavorful. The least pasteurization that’s allowed, so it really is like drinking juice directly from the fruit. They’re wonderful!

In additional to that wonderfulness, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association generously overnighted me a huge box of glorious, juicy, ripe, red strawberries. The possibilities are endless, right? Look for another great strawberry recipe next week. I can’t thank you enough, Sue!

So naturally, I couldn’t help doing something together with the two of them! These strawberry lemonade cupcakes immediately came to mind. I took my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, and added in a bit of lemon zest and good lemonade. Then I roasted the strawberries to release some of the moisture, and intensify the flavor (a trick I learned from my buddy, Annie). Added 3/4 of them to the cupcake batter, then pureed the remaining amount to add to the buttercream frosting, along with a little more lemon zest and lemonade.

All I can say is “wowza!”. They are absolutely perfect. Light, tender, and moist – bursting with the fresh flavor of strawberries and lemons. I garnished with a slice of strawberry and lemon, which I thought was so simple and pretty. So, if you’re feeling like a taste of spring…definitely make these soon!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
zest from 1 lemon
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup good lemonade (Natalie’s is the best…IMHO)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
sliced strawberries and lemon wedges, for garnish

For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
zest from 1 lemon
4-5 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 cup remaining roasted strawberries, pureed
1/4 cup lemonade
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Toss strawberries with 1 Tbsp sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until strawberries are soft and have released most of their juice. Remove from the oven, and scrap into a small bowl to cool. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy in color. Add in the sugar and lemon zest, and beat for 2 minutes more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for one more minute.

Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Combine the buttermilk, lemonade, vanilla and lemon extracts in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer. Roughly chop 3/4 of the roasted strawberries and fold into the batter.

Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter and lemon zest over medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and carefully add in the confectioners sugar. Add the vanilla extract, lemonade, and roasted strawberry puree. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth and frosting is combined.

Frost cupcakes as desired (I used Wilton 2D) and garnish with a slice of strawberry and lemon right before serving (the acid in the lemon tends to break down the frosting after an hour or so, so watch yo’self!).

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at Natalie’s and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. I was provided with complimentary products to review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.