Eclair Torte

My friend Brooke brought this over when we had dinner with her last week. Emi and I loved it so much that in the days following it, we were craving it. I decided to make it yesterday. It is a pretty easy recipe to make but a little frustrating that it takes so long!!!! :-D Brooke found it on Real Mom Kitchen.
As I've mentioned before, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate so I didn't put chocolate syrup on mine and I think its just as delicious (if not more so) without it! :-D Be sure to give it a try!

ECLAIR TORTE
1 cup water
½ cup butter (no substitutes)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk (I didn't use all 3 cups. I used more like 2 cups)
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Chocolate syrup

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil. Add four all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Beat until smooth. Spread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, remove puff from pan and place on a serving platter.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, pudding mix, and milk until smooth. (Now if you're not careful doing this you can end up with chunks of cream cheese in the pudding mixture. I beat the cream cheese first. Then add the first cup of milk to it a little at a time. Then add the rest and pudding mix) Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread with whipped topping; refrigerate. Drizzle with chocolate syrup just before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. 12 servings.

Lime Meltaways

I found this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod a couple of days ago and have been desperately trying to find a reason to make them. I love lime and I also love lemon flavored desserts so I was more than a little eager to try this out. Emi and I went over to his sister's house for a delicious dinner and I volunteered to bring these babies. They were a success and I promised my sister-in-law that I would post the recipe. This was pretty easy, but I was a little confused about the two logs that I was supposed to roll the dough into. I just guessed and since they tasted really good and everyone liked them, I'm guessing I did it right. :-D

LIME MELTAWAYS
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
Grated zest of 2 limes (I used 2 ½)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, cream butter and 1/3 cup powdered sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice, and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and beat on low speed until combined.
3. Between two 8 by 12 inch pieces of parchment paper, roll dough into two 1 1/4-inch diameter logs. Chill at least one hour.
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place remaining 2/3 cup powdered sugar in a resealable plastic bag. Remove parchment from logs; slice dough into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.
5. Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly 8 to 10 minutes. While still warm, place cookies in the sugar-filled bag; toss to coat. Bake or freeze remaining dough. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Cupcakes Anyone?

When I saw this recipe on Sadie's Kitchen, I knew that I had to try it. Now don't throw any stones at me, but I'm actually NOT a huge fan of chocolate, but for some reason this just struck a chord in me and I knew it would be PERFECT for a little get together I had at my home yesterday. Sadie found this recipe at kraftfoods.com and featured it on her blog a couple of days ago. I tried it out for myself and it was a huge success. It was VERY easy to put together and VERY yummy. My only change is I couldn't find mini oreos at the store so I used regular ones, and it worked out just fine. Top them off with some cool whip and you're good to go. Now what am I going to do with all the leftovers?

MINI OREO SURPRISE CUPCAKES
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
(for the cake mix you will need vegetable oil and 3 eggs)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened (I used Great Value fat free cream cheese)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
48 Mini Oreo Bite Size Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
1-1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; set aside. Mix cream cheese, egg and sugar until blended.
3. Spoon 1/2 of cake batter evenly into 24 paper- or foil-lined muffin cups. Top each with about 1-1/2 tsp. cream cheese mixture and 1 cookie; cover with remaining cake batter.
4. Bake 19 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
5. Frost with cool whip. Top with remaining cookies.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Snickerdoodles with Sour Cream

I LOVE snickerdoodles, but have never made them until about 20 minutes ago. They turned out great, despite my confusion on the cookie dough texture. I will post a picture tomorrow.

Snickerdoodles with Sour Cream

Ingredients
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups plus 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1 cup unsalted butters
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Mix cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar; taste to make sure the cinnamon is not too strong and add more sugar to taste. Reserve.
3. Combine the remaining 2 cups sugar, vanilla, salt and butter in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the previous egg has been incorporated.
4. Beat in sour cream.
5. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder together and beat into the butter until they are just incorporated.
6. Mix in the walnuts.
7. Roll, press or scoop the batter into balls the size of golf balls or large marbles; size isn't too important, just make sure they're all the same size.
8. Place on cookie sheets spaced well apart.
9. Generously butter the flat bottom of a glass or other flat-bottomed object like a measuring cup or small pan. *I used all of my butter for the cookies, so I just used vegetable oil on the bottom of a glass
10. Press the buttered surface into the cinnamon sugar, then use it to flatten each cookie ball. A layer of cinnamon sugar should stick to the cookie. If not, sprinkle some on. Repeat with all cookies.
11. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until cookies are puffed and golden and their bases lightly browned.
12. Let cool for a few minutes, serve and savor the flavor of awesome snickerdoodles!

Butterscotch Crunch Cookies

I made this last night when our friends came over for dinner. I'm not sure that everyone liked them because not many of them got eaten, but Emi and I really liked them! It might have been because everyone was WAY too full from the actual dinner though. One thing though, these are not meant to be a soft cookie. They have more of a texture of a rice crispy treat, and that is because... well you use rice crispies in them. Yum!

Butterscotch Crunch Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup butter (softened)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup butterscotch chips

Step 1: In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Add in vanilla and egg and mix well. Add salt, flour, and baking soda. Mix well. Stir in the crisp rice cereal and butterscotch chips.

Step 2: Drop dough by the rounded teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet.

Step 3: Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cheescake

Grading scale: A

I made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving yesterday as we always have pumpkin pie and cheesecake on Thanksgiving. Plus I have been telling my dad if he loses any more weight that I will have to stuff him up with cheesecake. Thankfully, he hasn't lost any more weight, but I made the cheesecake anyway.

This was pretty easy to put together and I actually took a shortcut because I don't have the right baking supplies to put this together. The only trouble that I had is I pulled out my hand mixer and lo! and behold, I broke it when I made the bread bowls last time. (JUST MORE EVIDENCE THAT I NEED A KITCHENAID STAND MIXER) I ran over to our friends' house and borrowed theirs. I bought a pre-made graham cracker crust (I know I am horrible aren't I?) and then made the filling and just cooked it in the crust, but I will give the instructions as they are. I think next year I will buy a springform pan and bake it as it says, crust and all, but it still turned out awesome!!! If anything, it was a little too sweet. If you do go the shortcut route, make sure you get as big and as deep as a pre-made graham cracker crust as you can.

The Ultimate Cheesecake

Crust:
3 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 40 squares)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 pint sour cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (I use a 10-inch springform pan b/c it is all I have and it works great) with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and 1-inch up the sides on the pan, use your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake's center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.