SRC - Stawberry Cheesecake Parfait

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  This month I was assigned the blog  This Mama Cooks.  I spent a lot of time looking at all the recipes on this blog, there were so many I wanted to try.  At first I was set on making the plantain chips  as I have been kind of obsessed with plantain chips recently, then I realised it would be better to make something that Randal would also try so I moved on to the tandoori chicken  as we both love indian food, but as soon as I found the strawberry cheesecake parfaits  I was sold, it looked so good and I knew we both would love it, I didn't make them as healthy as the original recipe though I must admit as the husband only likes full fat dairy products, so we went with regular cream cheese and vanilla yogurt which is why mine looks a little more yellow, and Randal made some whipped cream in place of the cool whip.

1 lb strawberries, sliced
1 tbsp sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup whipped cream
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

Place the strawberries and the one tablespoon of sugar n a bowl, mix and set aside.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese, yogurt, icing sugar and almond extract until smooth.  Fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble, layer the strawberries, graham cracker crumbs and cream cheese mixture and repeat the layers.

An InLinkz Link-up

Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse Cups with Strawberry Sauce

I found these cheesecake cups over at Barbara Bakes and I knew I had to include them in our Valentines desserts.  The original recipe included homemade chocolate heart cups, but with everything else I was making I just didn't have time for that so I bought some chocolate cups.

Cheesecake Mousse:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Strawberry Sauce:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Fresh strawberries and blackberries

To make the cheesecake mousse, in the bowl of an electric mixer, add the cream cheese, sugar and salt and beat until smooth.  Add in the vanilla and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy.  Pipe into chocolate cups and refrigerate.

In a medium saucepan, mix together the frozen strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Add fresh berries and stir to coat, drizzle over the cheesecake cups.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

There will probably be a lot of dessert recipes posted here in the next few weeks, as I have to decide what I will be making for the United Way 2012 bake sale at Randal's office. These raspberry bars from Ginger Berry were one of the first recipes I tried this year and we both liked it, but if I made this for the bake sale I would make a few changes. The raspberries really make this and there just wasn't enough of them, so next time I would make a raspberry puree and swirl that into the cheesecake rather than some of the brownie batter.

Brownie layer

200 g dark chocolate

200 g unsalted butter or margarine, softened

250 g caster sugar

3 eggs

1/2 C plus 1.5 Tbs plain flour

3 Tbs cocoa

Cheesecake layer

400 g cream cheese

150 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

120 g raspberries

 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then set aside to cool slightly.

Cream the butter and sugar for the brownies together until pale, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in the chocolate, then the flour and cocoa. Spread most of the batter into the pan, reserving a few tablespoons. 

For the cheesecake, beat all of the ingredients, except the raspberries, together until smooth, then pour all of the batter over the brownie base. 

Dollop the extra brownie mixture over the top, then use a knife to swirl the layers together. Top with raspberries and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Peanut Butter Truffle Mousse Cheesecake

I am so excited to join the crazy cooking challenge this month.  For those of you who do not know what that is, it's a group of food bloggers who are challenged every month to find the ultimate recipe for that month's theme, make that recipe and then all post them on the same day.  Previous months have included fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies and fruit smoothies. 

 I was so happy when I found out that this month's theme was cheesecake, as I have never actually made a cheesecake before (my husband is the cheesecake maker in our house!) so I thought this would be the perfect challenge for my very first crazy cooking challenge.


As soon as I found out the theme I went searching through food blogs pinning all the cheesecakes I would love to make.  In the end I was torn between two - a cherry crumble cheesecake and a peanut butter truffle mousse cheesecake.  I couldn't decide between them so I sent the links to my husband and gave him the deciding vote.  So in the end the cheesecake I made was the Peanut Butter Truffle Mousse Cheesecake from In Katrina's Kitchen.

To put it simply, this cheesecake is amazing.  It starts out with a peanut butter Oreo crust, a fluffy cheesecake filling, topped off with peanut butter truffle mouse, and decorated with whipped cream and a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup, and if that wasn't enough it's finished with a warm peanut butter sauce.  Randal took this to his office and from what I hear everyone loved it.  I am already planning to make this again because I want to try it using Nutter Butter cookies for the crust instead of  Oreos, and as neither Randal or I are cool whip fans I want to make the mousse with real whipped cream (those would be the only changes I would make to this recipe).

Crust
2 cups crushed peanut butter Oreos
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake
4 (8oz) bricks of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cups sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Truffle Mousse
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp milk
2 cups icing sugar
1 large tub Cool Whip
Reeses Cups

Peanut Butter Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap a 9 inch springform pan with foil.

Mix together the crushed Oreos and melted butter and press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake for 7 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the cream and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.

Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust. Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan (or something large enough to fit the cheesecake pan) pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches half way up the cheesecake.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes until the edges are set, but the center still has a jiggle to it. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
Then remove the cheesecake from the water bath and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack before refrigerating overnight.

To make the peanut butter mousse, in the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese, peanut butter and milk until smooth. Beat in the icing sugar followed by the cool whip.  Cover the cheesecake with the mousse and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. 

To make the peanut butter sauce combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until melted and combined.

We topped the cheesecake with fresh whipped cream that my husband made, but you could also use any leftover peanut butter mouse, and peanut butter cups and a drizzle of the peanut butter sauce.

Below are the other cheesecakes from this Challenge. If you like the look of mine, please click my thumbnail (number 21) to vote. 

Linked to: Michelle's Tasty Creations, Mom On Timeout, A Little Nosh, Two Yellow Birds, Made In A Day, The Ease Of Freeze, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Five Little Chefs, Something Swanky, House Of Hepworths, Mandatory Mooch, Little Becky Homecky, Kitchen Fun, Blissful and Domestic, Craftionary, Rattlebridge Farm, Tutus and Tea Parties, Six Sisiters Stuff, Cheerios and Lattes, Addicted To Recipes, A Pinch of Joy, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, Pamela's Heavenly Treats, Create With Joy, Eye Heart, Flour Me With Love, Family Fresh Meals, Serendipity and Spice, Happy Homemaker, Skip To My Lou, Chef In Training

 

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I found this recipe over at doughmesstic and this turned out to be one of my favourite things I made for the bake sale.


Vanilla cupcakes
3 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 Vanilla Bean, scraped
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1¼ c. buttermilk
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 teaspoons bourbon
strawberry jam
fresh strawberries

Cream cheese frosting
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crumb topping
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs

To make the vanilla cupcakes, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

Put the butter, sugar and vanilla bean in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mix in bourbon and vanilla, With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

To make the cream cheese frosting beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

To make the crumb topping, melt the butter, mix in the sugar and graham cracker crumbs.

To assemble cupcakes, using the cone removal method, add some strawberry jam to the inside of the cooled cupcakes. Top with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle the crumb topping around the edge of the frosting, cut fresh strawberries in half and place ontop.