Cinnamon Roll Cheesecake

I saw this recipe while scrolling down my Facebook feed. It looked so yummy we decided to make it last weekend. My first reaction was "what do you mean a cinnamon roll cheesecake? How would that even work?" So I took a look and it seemed almost like it shouldn't be able to work, but it looked so tasty... Finally I showed my hubby and of course he said we had to make it. It was easy to make, and the house smelled amazing when we took it out of the oven. The only downside was the unbearable wait for it to cool before we could taste it. Finally came the first bite... it was amazingly good!

Note: the original recipe called for 35 minutes of cooking time, but ours needed an extra 10 minutes. The center should be soft and slightly jiggly when you remove it, but not watery.

Ingredients:

16 oz. of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 Tsp. of vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/3 cup of melted butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

2 Tbsp. of cinnamon

1 canister of refrigerated cinnamon rolls with frosting (for 8 regular sized rolls)

Procedure:

1) Preheat the oven to 325° F. Then beat the softened cream cheese.

2) Add the sugar.

3) Add the sour cream.

4) Add the vanilla extract.

5) Keep mixing until it's smooth.

6) Add the eggs, one at a time until they're full incorporated.

7) Once it's all combined set it aside.

8) In a separate bowl mix together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

9) In a greased springform pan press all the cinnamon rolls until they fully cover the bottom.

10) Spread the cheesecake batter.

11) In a greased springform pan press all the cinnamon rolls until they fully cover the bottom.

12)  Drop spoonfuls of the sugar/cinnamon mixture onto the cheesecake batter.

13) Swirl the mixture in to the cheesecake with a butter knife.

14) Bake for 45 minutes. Or until the edges are firm but the center is still jiggly.

15) Remove from the oven and cool completely. 

16) Top with the icing.  And refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 

Enjoy!

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Then beat the softened cream cheese.

Add the sugar.

Add the sour cream.

Add the vanilla extract.

Keep mixing until it's smooth.

Add the eggs, one at a time until they're full incorporated.

Once it's all combined set it aside.

In a separate bowl mix together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

In a greased springform pan press all the cinnamon rolls until they fully cover the bottom.

Spread the cheesecake batter.

Drop spoonfuls of the sugar/cinnamon mixture onto the cheesecake batter.

Swirl the mixture in to the cheescake with a butter knife.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Or until the edges are firm but the center is still jiggly.

Remove from the oven and cool completely. 

Top with the icing.  And refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 

Now, serve and enjoy!

Stuffed French Toasts

I'd heard about stuffed french toast a long time ago, but I'd never found a bread that I thought would work so I kinda forgot about it. Then a few weeks ago I was in the grocery store and I found a really nice, plump, soft fresh-baked french bread. I brought one home and made toast and sandwiches, which were great, but once I'd tasted this bread I knew I'd found the bread I'd been looking for. So I went back to the grocery store the next day and got two more loaves and set to work.

I've made regular french toast lots of times so the question was what to use as a filling. I wanted something sweet and creamy  so I decided to combine the organic strawberry preserves I always keep on hand with some cream cheese. It was a perfect combination. Everybody at home went nuts for it and we ended up overeating a bit! It's very rich so I don't do it often, but when I do, it's a major hit at my house and I'm sure it will be at yours too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 eggs
half and half
Vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Strawberry preserves
Cream cheese spread
French bread

Procedure:

Mix the half and half with the eggs.
Add cinnamon.
Mix well.
Cut the bread in thick slices.
Make an incision in those slices.
Fill the incision with preserves.
Then fill with the cream cheese spread.
Heat a pan to medium heat with butter.
Dredge the slices in the mix and place them in the pan.
Once they're golden brown on both sides they're ready to serve.
They're delicious on their own.
But I like them even better with sausages and banana slices. Enjoy!

Mix the half and half with the eggs

Add cinnamon.

Mix well.

Cut the bread in thick slices.

Make an incision in those slices.

Fill the incision with preserves.

Then fill with the cream cheese spread.

Heat a pan to medium heat with butter.

Dredge the slices in the mix and place them in the pan.

Once they're golden brown on both sides they're ready to serve.

They're delicious on their own.

But I like them even better with sausages and banana slices.

Enjoy!!!!

Madeleines

My husband has been asking me to make him madeleines for quite some time now. I always had an excuse. But he recently took the Bar exam and I promised him I would make them the day after he finished the exam. So the day came and I baked them for him! He was excited and very happy. He loved them. I will probably bake them more often from now on. Hope you guys enjoy the recipe! 

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup butter

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Butter and flour 12 madeleine molds. Set aside.
3. Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
4. In a bowl or the stand mixer  beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
5. Beating constantly, gradually add sugar and continue beating at high speed until the mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when the beaters are lifted, this should take 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Sift flour into the mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding it after each addition.
7. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter into batter.
8. Spoon batter into the molds.
9. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.

Butter the madeleine molds. 

Flour the madeleine molds.

Set aside. Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.

Add the eggs to the bowl.

Beat the eggs, the vanilla and salt at high speed until light.

Beating constantly, gradually add sugar and continue beating at high speed until the mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when the beaters are lifted, this should take 5 to 10 minutes.

Once the mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in the bowl, start adding the flour, while sifting it.

Sift flour into the mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding it after each addition.

Add lemon zest and pour melted butter into batter.

Mix and pour in to a jug. It's easier to transfer to the molds.

Spoon batter into the molds

 Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.

Pecan Pie

I've heard a lot about how good the pecan pie is. So this past Thanksgiving I decided to give it a try and make it! Let me tell you something, it is amazing! I used Ree Drummond's recipe. I didn't make the pie crust from scratch, because truthfully with my one year old asking for attention I didn't have the time. I used a 9' pie crust. You can use light or dark corn syrup, for this recipe I used the light syrup. The baking time varies with this recipe. Mine took exactly 70 minutes, but it could take more or less time. It's worth every second! This is gonna be a regular, at least once a month at my house! Hope you guys loved it as much as my family. Until the next one! 

I left out an egg... it's 3 eggs not 2 ;)

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of light corn syrup
1/3 cup melted salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 whole eggs beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 9" pie crust


Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Mix the granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt, light corn syrup, melted salted butter, vanilla extract and the eggs together in a bowl. 
3. Pour the pecans in the bottom of the pie shell.
4. Pour the syrup over the top of the pecans. 
5. Cover the top and crust gently with aluminum foil.
6. Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20 minutes. It's important  not to burn the crust nor the pecans.
7. The pie shouldn't jiggle a lot when removed from the oven. If you see it jiggling a lot it's important to put back the foil and bake it for 20 more minutes, until it sets. 
8. Allow to cool overnight.

Add the granulated sugar.

Add the brown sugar.

Add the salt.

Add the light corn syrup.

Add the melted butter.

Add the vanilla extract.

Add the eggs.

Mix it all up.

Chop the pecans.

Add the pecans to the pie crust.

Pour the syrup over the pecans.

Put the aluminum foil gently over the pie. Bake for 30 minutos

After the first 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 20 more minutes.

If it shakes a lot, you need to put the foil back and bake for 20 more minutes.

Put back the foil to prevent the pie from burning.

Enjoy!!