Tag: dessert

White Chocolate, Strawberry, and Cream Cheese Cookies

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I’ve been looking for a new cookie recipe to celebrate the arrival of this beautiful Spring weather we are having in Virginia and also for an excuse to indulge in strawberries and chocolate. I found this perfect recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to make them ASAP.

As luck would have it, the Annual Foxfield Spring Horse Races are this weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, and my friends and I are joining in on the festivities for our fifth year in a row. We decided to do a potluck tailgate, and I signed up for desserts and cannot wait to contribute these tasty cookies!

I decided to double the batch from the original recipe (which made at least 50 cookies!). i also used 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar mixed with one teaspoon of baking soda to replace the baking powder ( I only used 1 teaspoon of this mixture in the dough) since the Giant near my apartment was all out of baking powder- womp. I do have to say the dough was a bit gooey and difficult to work with at first, but setting them in the fridge for a few minutes before baking definitely helped. The consistency of the cookies ended up being soft and chewy…exactly how I love wanted them!

Ingredients (for a 24-count batch):

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter-softened

4 oz cream cheese-softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 tablespoon flour

5 oz white chocolate, chopped (I used Nestle white chocolate chips)

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Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line pans with parchment paper.
  2. Pour fresh lemon juice over chopped strawberries, drain them after a few minutes.
  3. Whisk together 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
  4. Beat butter with sugar and cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy.
  5. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
  6. Gradually add flour mixture and mix until it’s well combined.
  7. Stir in chopped white chocolate.
  8. Sprinkle strawberries with 1-2 tablespoon flour, toss them until all strawberries are coated with thin layer of flour and then stir them really gently in the batter.
  9. Drop heaping tablespoon of batter onto pan leaving an inch space between.
  10. Set the cookies in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before baking.
  11. Bake for 13-15 minutes( until the edges become golden brown).
  12. Indulge!

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Funfetti Mug Cake for One

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By Natalie Anne ❤

I’ve tried to make a few Mug Cakes before, mainly just Chocolate Chip Cookie-esque ones, but they never seem to turn out how I want them to. However, last night I was craving something sweet to eat while watching the new season of Bates Motel and realized I had about half a bag of Funfetti Cake Mix sitting in my cabinet. So I thought I would try another mug cake, hoping that this one wouldn’t fail me. Spoiler Alert: I finally found a mug cake I like, and this is it!

Ingredients (Adapted from here):

  1. 8 Tablespoons of Pillsbury’s Funfetti Cake Mix
  2. 1 Beaten Egg
  3. 1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil (I used Canola Oil)
  4. 3 Tablespoons of Water
  5. 1-2 Tablespoons of Funfetti Icing

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Whip up the Cake Mix, Egg, Oil, and Water into a good ole Coffee Mug and stick it in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds (I like my cakes/cookies really moist so I only cooked it for 1 minute and 15 seconds!).

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When it’s done, if you want to make it extra tasty, plop a dollop or two of the Funfetti icing on top of the baby cake. Or if you’re feeling really ambitious, while everything is still hot, mix the icing fully in with the mug cake and you’ve got a warm, gooey Funfetti mug of wonderful deliciousness!

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There ya go, in less than five minutes you’ve got a warm mug of Funfetti in your hand and a new trick up your sleeve!

Red Curry with Chicken and Avocado + Jasberry Rice Pudding with Mango

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by Myles Katherine ❤

Curry is one of my favorite dishes to make because you can improvise using whatever vegetables you have in your house. I could hardly wait to try the Red Curry from my Try the World Thailand Box (read more about Try the World here) because I’ve heard such great things about it. For dessert, Jasberry Rice Pudding with sliced mango. My sister made the Jasberry Rice Pudding with Banana slices earlier this week. If you don’t want to sign up for the subscription boxes, you can still order these ingredients (like the Jasberry Rice and Nittaya Curry Paste) from their online store!

I adapted the recipes to serve 2 instead of 4, and used chicken instead of beef. I also didn’t have fish sauce so I used soy sauce for the salty flavor. 🙂

RED CURRY WITH CHICKEN AND AVOCADO

Ingredients:

From the Try the World Thailand Box

– 2-3 TBSP Nittaya Thai Curry paste (can be substituted with other curry pastes)
– 1 cup cooked Jasberry rice (can be substituted with white or brown rice)

From Your Pantry

– 1 14.0z can of coconut milk
– 1 TBSP soy sauce or 1 TBSP fish sauce
-2 TBSP Tamarind Concentrate or 1/2 TBSP Tamarind Paste
– 1 TSP sugar

Fresh Meat & Produce:

-4 Fresh Kaffir Lime Leave (optional)
– 1 Russet Potato, peeled and diced
– 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced
– 1 Large Carrot, cut lenthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thin
– 1/4 cup basil (with stems)
– 1/2 pound boneless white chicken, sliced
– 1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
– 1/4 red bell pepper, sliced, for garnish
-1/2 avocado, diced

Directions:

  1. Heat a skillet over moderate heat. Combine 3 to 5 tablespoons of the thick coconut cream from the tops of the can with the curry paste and lime leaves. Transfer to a pot and cook until fragrant and browned, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots and basil leaves and continue to boil until reduced by a quarter, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the chicken, onion, garlic, soy sauce or fish sauce, tamarind concentrate and sugar. Reduce the heat and let simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, about 20 minutes.

4. Add the avocado and mix in until warm. Transfer to two plates, garnish with bell peppers, and serve with the cooked rice.

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JASBERRY RICE PUDDING WITH MANGO
(adapted from Try the World – serves 2)

Ingredients:

From the Try the World Thailand Box

-1/2 cup Jasberry Rice

From Your Pantry

-1/4 TSP salt
– 1/2 13.7 oz can coconut cream, stirred
– 1/8  cup brown sugar
– Fruit (optional), for garnish

Directions:

  1. Bring the rice, salt and 2 and 1/4 cups of water to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and let simmer for 35 minutes. Strain, then return to the pot. Stir in 1/2 cup of coconut milk and the sugar and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and let simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes. Let cool.
  2. Transfer to two bowls, add the remaining coconut milk, and garnish with fruit.

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Caramel Toffee Crunch Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate and Graham Cracker Crust

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By Natalie Anne (recipe adapted from Yammie’s Noshery)

I’m always so nervous to make cheesecake because I feel like its never going to be as rich and creamy as I hope for. But this recipe blew me away. It was a bit of a process all together, but so incredibly worth it. I was home visiting my parents for Thanksgiving and I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin pie, so I decided to try something a little more non-traditional plus this recipe made my mouth water and I couldn’t wait to try it.

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First I prepared the graham cracker crust:
3 cups of graham cracker crumbs (about 2 packages of crushed graham crackers)
1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter (1 cup), melted
1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (I strayed from the recipe and used dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate and I wholeheartedly recommend it)

Preheat the oven to 300º. Combine everything (except the chocolate chips) and press into a springform pan lined with parchment paper. Push all the way up the sides and press in firmly. Spread the chocolate chips over the pressed mixture. Set the springform pan on a baking sheet (just in case it drips). Bake for about five minutes or until the chocolate chips are melty. Smooth them out with an offset spatula. Throw it in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

Next I made the Homemade Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar and syrup. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Once it is caramel colored, add the butter and stir until the butter is melted. Add the cream and stir until it’s all combined. Bring it back to the heat if you get clumps and stir it until they’re dissolved. Store in the refrigerator if not using right away. Makes about 3/4 cup.

*Now this was my first time making homemade caramel and I was entirely convinced I was doing the entire wrong, until I started to see the caramel color slowly come out of the sugar and syrup. I was so excited, and it tasted so heavenly. It wasn’t too thick to work with and remained light and creamy.I definitely recommend making this caramel sauce instead of using a sticky store bought one.

Cheesecake Filling:
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup caramel topping (recipe below)
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and sour cream for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add the vanilla and caramel and beat well. Add the eggs and beat just until combined. Pour into chilled crust. Wrap the springform pan with a couple of wet dishtowels (this helps the cheesecake to cook more slowly and evenly). Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The center will still be jiggly, but never fear, it shall set in the end. Turn the oven off and open the door about 4 inches, but leave the cheesecake in for about 30 more minutes (this helps the cheesecake to cool more slowly and evenly and prevents cracking). Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 more minutes. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Finally the Whipped Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup caramel (from your homemade wonder)
1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee Bits

Beat the whipping cream and sugar in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
Spread the caramel slowly across the cheesecake. Sprinkle the toffee bits evenly over top. Dollop the whipped cream along the edges of the cake and garnish with more toffee bits.

And there you have it, the most scrumptious cheesecake you will ever indulge in!

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❤ Natalie