Cheesecake Cups (no bake)

INGREDIENTS

SCALE

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp salted butter, melted
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Optional toppings: raspberries, strawberries, whipped cream, broken cookies, graham cracker crumbs, etc.

---

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until it's evenly distributed.  Put approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each glass or serving dish. 
2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), pour the whipped cream in and beat on high until stiff peaks form (around one minute for me). 
3. Scrape the whipped cream into a second bowl, then combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix until completely smooth and creamy.
4. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and stir until completely combined and creamy. 
5. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag (if you like) and pipe it into the cups. Or divide it evenly among your cups and spoon it in. 
6. Top with fresh fruit (optional), cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

https://rosebakes.com/no-bake-cheesecake-cups-recipe/#tasty-recipes-52042-jump-target

Pecan Tassies

A friend from Rochester, NY made these for a farewell luncheon she put on for me when we moved to Boston. I am not a pecan pie fan, but I fell in love with these. They are so easy, I don't know why I wait until Thanksgiving to make them. I think I ate 90% of them myself--I was just so easy to pop one in my mouth while on the go with the kids! :) (FYI: they taste even better with a dollop of whipping cream on top, but do that just before serving!)

Pecan Tassies
(thanks to Emily Owsley!)

3 oz. cream cheese
½ c. butter
1 c. flour

1 egg
¾ c. brown sugar
1 Tblspn. softened butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
dash of salt
2/3 c. finely chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese, butter, and flour.
Form into ball, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Mix together egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and finely chopped pecans.
Roll out dough 1/8” thick and use 3-inch circle cutter.
Place circle of dough in mini-muffin cups.
Fill with brown sugar-pecan filling.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish with whipping cream.

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars

I don't like pumpkin anything--but I like these! But I was asked to make these last year for the teachers at the elementary school. They were really good, so I saved the recipe. I am glad I did because I am in charge of the Teacher Appreciation Committee this year and so we made them again. Good, easy, makes a lot and cut/present well. I think they are "relatively" low fat, too!

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars
(this recipe came from Nestle)
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28459

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup finely shredded carrot
Cream Cheese Topping (recipe follows)

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin and carrot; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; mix well.
Spread into prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Cream Cheese Topping over batter; swirl mixture with spoon.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
FOR CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:
COMBINE 4 ounces softened light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in small mixer bowl until thoroughly blended.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake

We went up to Flower Mound to visit some friends from business school and Jessica served this one morning for breakfast. Jessica originally got the recipe from another business school friend, Catherine. Seems like most of my good, tried and true recipes have come from business school friends! Anywa, this was YUMMY! Even Marc, who doesn't like cake, breakfast, or anything sweet but not chocolate, loved this! I made it myself this weekend and took it to an evening baby shower.

(Disclaimer: I tried to do some serious multi-tasking and doubled this recipe--one for the cake walk at Fall Fest and one for a baby shower and did it all while hosting playgroup at my house. Guess with 5 little ones running around, I was bound to make a calculation mistake. I did. I put 1c. of extra flour in--oops. So to those who were at the baby shower and thought the cake was quite dry.....it was. But I promise, if you follow the directions and can do math better than me, it will turn out great. It really is yummy!)

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Cake
(thanks to Jessica--and ultimately Catherine--for sharing!)

Crumble and set 1 cup aside:
2 ¼ c. flour
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. butter

Mix:
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ c. sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg

Use a 9” pie pan; push up a little on the sides.

Filling (Catherine 1 ½ times following recipe and so did I!)

Beat, add to center:
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ c. sugar
1 egg

Top with:
½ c. rasp preserves (swirl)
frozen raspberries

Sprinkle 1 cup of crumble on top.
Add almonds to top (optional).
Bake @ 350º for 45-55 minutes.
Cool to room temperature

(or serve warm so that the cream cheese "filling" oozes out, makes a mess and tastes that much better! :)

Banana Cake

I got this recipe from a "roommate" from BYU. It is easy, yummy, and presents well. Thanks Angie!

Layered Banana Cake
(thanks to Angie Gubler-Coons, who got this recipe from her mom)

Cream together:
2 sticks butter
1 C. sugar

Then add:
2 eggs
1 C. mashed bananas (usually takes 3! My trick is to freeze bananas as they go bad and then when I need them, just let them defrost before using. They look like black slugs, but create much more juice, leaving the cake more moist)

Sift together:
1 ¾ C. Flour
½ tsp. Salt
2/3 tsp. Baking soda

Then add:
5 Tblspn. Buttermilk
1 tspn. Vanilla
Mix until just barely combined

Grease and flour two 9” round cake pans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

**I usually double the recipe and make 4 layers because they come out rather thin. Four layers make a nice size cake. Then I usually just generously frost between the layers, but not around the outside of the cake. Makes it look more “rustic” or “artsy”!

FROSTING:
Cream together:
8 oz. cream cheese
6 Tblspn. Butter

Then add:
3 C. powdered sugar
1 tspn. Vanilla

juice of ½ a lemon

Cream Cheese Streusel Bars

These are REALLY good. I got the recipe from "Light & Tasty", whose premise is to take a recipe and then use all low/no fat ingredients to make it "light." However, I used good ol' FULL fat ingredients--maybe that's why they were so good.
Wish I would have taken a picture of these--they turn out picture worthy--we just ate them too fast. You can click on the link to see the recipe and picture on it's own site.
FYI: I doubled the recipe and used a jellyroll pan, which worked great!

Cream Cheese Streusel Bars
(Light & Tasty, April/May 2007)
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Makeover-Cream-Cheese-Streusel-Bars

1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, cocoa and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping; press remaining crumb mixture into an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 8-12 minutes or until set.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk, egg and vanilla until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Top with reserved crumb mixture; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 15 servings.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

This is an old fall-back, and one of Addison's favorite dinners. I love it because it only calls for 3 ingredients which I usually have on hand, always turns out well, and presents well. It is great for company--easy to figure out portions and it looks pretty on the plate. Like a little chicken package.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

(thanks to Tiffany Ririe, a neighbor in Boise, ID who brought this dinner to me when Addison was born)

Chicken breasts, pounded thin
“Onion & Chive” cream cheese
Bacon

Spread thin breast with cream cheese
Roll up chicken breast
Wrap 1-2 pieces of raw bacon around chicken
Secure with toothpick
Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until done.Turn on broil for the last few minutes so bacon becomes crispy

2 Pies!

Because I am trying to avoid chocolate, I am compensating by trying out new desserts to curb my sweet tooth. Here are 2 pies I made this weekend...both were great!

Sweet Banana Cream & Berry Pie
(thanks to Silvia Winert, a friend here in Cedar Park)

NOTE: I changed the name from "Banana Cream" to this--it is not a traditional banana cream, but a great twist on the traditional classic.

9 inch Baked Pie Shell
3 medium bananas
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla

Bake pie shell. Slice 2 of the bananas; arrange in pie shell. Beat cream cheese in small mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until well blended. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into pie shell. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Slice remaining banana; arrange on pie.

Whipped Cream Topping
1 cup cold whipping cream
¼ cup powder sugar
1 tsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
spec of salt
1 box raspberries

Beat all the ingredients until soft peaks form . When whipped cream is firm fold in a box of fresh raspberries. Top the pie with the whipped cream and enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas & Lemon Bundt Cake

I know everyone has a recipe for Chicken Enchiladas. And everyone thinks theirs is the best. And noone bothers to try a new enchilada recipe. At least this was me...until my neighbor brought me dinner one night and it happened to be HER chicken enchilada recipe. I've never made my old recipe since...these are GREAT!

Chicken Enchiladas
(thanks to Cheri Taylor--the best neighbor!)

1-2 Tblspn. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped/shredded
8 oz. cream cheese
1 can chopped green chiles (slightly drained)
12-14 corn tortillas
2 cans (10 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)

Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add coriander and pepper. Add cream cheese and green chilis. Cook over medium heat and stir until blended and cream cheese is melted. Add chicken and stir thoroughly. Spoon chicken filling onto tortillas; roll up and place seam side down in a greased 9 X 13 pan. Pour enchilada sauce over the top & sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

MY PERSONAL NOTES:
I never have coriander, so I just omit it.
I cook my chicken by: bring water to boil and put raw chicken breasts in water. Boil for 6 minutes. Turn off stove heat, cover pot and set timer for 12 minutes. Then drain and let chicken cool before handling.
Corn tortillas crack easily, so warm them in the microwave for about a minute before using.
I never grease my pan.
I don't use 2 full cans of enchilada sauce.
This recipe freezes well--just cover with plastic wrap first, then foil.

Lemon Bundt Cake
(Good Housekeeping, March 2006)

3 lemons (2 Tblspn. grated peel, 3 Tblspn. juice)
3 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk (make your own by putting 2 Tblspn. vinegar in 1 c. measuring cup then topping off with regular milk)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour bundt pan.
Grate 2 Tblspn. lemon peel and squeeze 3 Tblspn. juice.
Mix flour, salt, and baking soda.
In bowl, with mixer on low speed, blend sugar and butter. On high, beat 3 minutes.
On low, beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk.
Fold in lemon peel and juice.
Spoon into prepared bundt pan.
Bake 60-70 minutes.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto rack.

Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
4 oz. cream cheese
2 Tblspn. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In bowl, with mixer on low speed, blend sugar, butter and cream cheese. Beat in juice and vanilla. On high, beat until fluffy. Spread over cake.

Good cake, but the frosting makes it! I just licked my plate clean--YUMMY!

Italian Crockpot Chicken

I apologize to those who already have my cookbook and are seeing a lot of recipes you already have. Just thought I would expand my posts and post any and all recipes I make that I think are worth sharing--not just new.

This recipe couldn't be easier and is a family favorite!

Italian Crockpot Chicken
(thanks to Paige Storheim, a friend from Rochester, NY)

1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. cream cheese
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
4 chicken breasts (raw or frozen)

Put all together in a crockpot on low for about 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Serve over rice.

Chicken Bundles & Chocolate Mint Crinkles

I have made both of these recipes before, but don't think I have shared them. I am sure everyone has their own version of each, but I think these are quite good.

Chicken Bundles
(thanks to Veronica Haymore, a friend from Rochester, NY)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces (or I use 6 tenders--they cook faster)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (I prefer "onion & chive" flavor)
1 Tblspn. butter
salt
pepper
1-2 Tblspn. chives (I omit, since I use the flavored cream cheese)
1 can crescent rolls
6 Tblspn melted butter
Italian breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 Tblspn. butter, salt, pepper and chives (optional). Stir in chicken.
Separate crescent dough into rectangles (2 triangles pressed together so no holes are showing).
Spread each rectangle with 1/4 chicken mixture. Roll dough around mixture and pinch edges to seal.
Put melted butter in one small bowl, and bread crumbs in another.
Roll chicken bundles in butter and then in breadcrumbs. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Serve with gravy. (I never do this, because I am not a huge gravy fan--and I don't tell Marc it's an option! Shhhh!)
Makes 4 chicken bundles--but can easily be adjusted for more!

Chocolate (Mint) Crinkles
(Family Fun magazine, Dec/Jan 2008)

3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 6-oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips (I use mint chocolate chips--only because I am a sucker for mint anything)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, cocoa powder and sugar; beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
In a medium-sized bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix in the wet ingredients, then stir in the chips. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in confectioners' sugar. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 12 minutes.
I re-dust with powdered sugar while cooling--more for aesthetics than anything.
Makes 25 to 35 cookies.
(of course, I double the recipe--why go to all the work and then run out of cookies too fast?)

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

It was a cold, rainy day here in TX. Perfect soup weather. I have torn out a bazillion potato soup recipes, looking for the perfect one. This soup turned out nothing like I was expecting. It is not a cheesy, thick, hearty potato soup--definitely different than the bacon/cheddar cheese/potato soup I am used to--but definitely good in it's own right. The key ingredient is the dill weed. I love dill--it reminds me of the summer we spent in Finland....every day we would walk down to the produce market at the marina and you could smell the fresh dill at every produce stand. People would buy huge armfuls of fresh cut dill (like a massive bouquet of flowers) and use it generously in a lot of Finnnish dishes. Marc commented on how good the dill was in it, too--maybe that's why we liked it so much.
The other great thing about the soup is that it is SUPER easy to throw together....seriously. Because the potatoes are just frozen hashbrowns, there is no peeling & dicing of potatoes or any other prep work involved. I even bought a bag of cubed ham in the deli dept and just threw it in. Nice.
But because this was not a thick, hearty soup, I made grilled sandwiches and a green salad to go with it. A great meal on this cold day.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup
(Quick Cooking, Nov/Dec 2003)

6 cups water
6 boullion cubes (OR 7 tsp. chicken boullion granules)
2 pkgs. cream cheese (I used fat-free and it turned out fine)
1 pkg. (30 oz) frozen cubed hashbrown potatoes, thawed (I didn't thaw mine)
1/2 c. chopped onion
**note: I used OreIda hashbrowns that had onion and peppers already chopped up in it, so I omitted the 1/2 c. onion
1 1/2 c. fully cooked ham, cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dill weed

In a large pot, combine the water and boullion. Then add the cream cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 18-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
About 12 servings.