Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
It’s National Blueberry Month and National Cheesecake Day- why not combine the two?
Posts Tagged ‘Cakes’
Two layer cheesecake with cranberry orange compote
Growing up our Thanksgiving table was full of the usual items like turkey, gravy, stuffing and cranberries….from a can (insert sound of record scratching or nails on a chalkboard here.) If I close my eyes I can still see the indentations in the jelly-like stuff and the wobble every time someone bumped the table leg.
Although I actually admit to eating and liking the cranberry jelly then, I now find myself hoarding bags of fresh cranberries when they appear in stores. Well-suited to the freezer, cranberries are versatile (desserts, meat dishes) healthy and just plain delicious.
Below is recipe for cheesecake composed of two layers; one a traditional Philly cheese and the other a blend of sour cream and Greek-style yogurt. It’s the perfect carrier for the tangy, sweet cranberry orange topping. Enjoy!
Two layer cheesecake with cranberry orange topping
Graham cracker crust
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 3 ½ oz. graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
First layer
- 2 – 8 oz packages Philadelphia cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Second layer
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream
- 2/3 cup thick Greek-style yogurt
- 2 ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry orange topping
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 t cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- ½ teaspoon grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 375. Finely grind the graham crackers in a food processor. Melt the butter and pour over the graham cracker crumbs. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Beat the ingredients for the first layer together thoroughly. Pour over the base and smooth on top. Place on baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until just set. Set aside for 20 minutes to firm up.
Mix the ingredients for the second layer and spoon evenly over the first layer. Return to the oven for 10 minutes then take out and cool.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
For the topping, stir sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; add cornstarch mixture and simmer. Add cranberries, cook until beginning to pop, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in orange peel. Cool completely.
Cheesecake recipe adapted from Fiona Beckett’s Cheese. Cranberry orange topping courtesy of Epicurious.
Buttermilk cupcakes
Last week as I was looking through my semi-empty refrigerator I spotted a rather large, unopened container of buttermilk I purchased some time ago. With the expiration date looming I realized I was in a race against the clock before I would be forced to throw it out. The challenge? Find recipes using one ingredient – buttermilk – but NOT introduce new ones into the mix. It was a challenge I accepted (although only the cat was around to witness and she’s keeping quiet for now.)
After scouring recipes, sites and my cupboards I found a few options, one being a Devil’s food buttermilk cake recipe printed on the side of an unopened box of cake flour. A friend recently mentioned that the recipes on boxes of products (eg., cake flour, chocolate chips) are somewhat foolproof because they’ve been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer to ensure a quality outcome.
The outcome of my leftovers was a tasty batch of cupcakes and the satisfactory feeling that something so good isn’t all that bad (except for the buttercream frosting piled on top.) Despite it’s name, buttermilk is lower in fat and calories than regular milk and high in potassium, vitamin B12 and calcium. It’s also more easily digestible than whole milk and contains more lactic acid than skim milk.
All good news given the amount still left in the rather large carton in the fridge. If I’ve learned anything here it’s to buy the smaller carton next time or give the cat a treat!
Deluxe Devil’s Food Cake/Cupcakes
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 t clear vanilla
- ¾ t almond extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups Pillsbury softasilk cake flour
- 1 cup dutch processed cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder (valrhona)
- 2 t baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups buttermilk
Heat oven to 350 F. Place paper cupcake fillers in a pan (approx. 24-30)
Beat sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 t clear vanilla and ¾ teaspoon almond extract in a large bowl with electric mixed on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat eggs on at a time. Mix cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; beat into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk on medium speed. Beat 1 minute longer. Pour into cupcake liners.
Bake 18 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely.
Makes approx. 24 – 28 cupcakes.
Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (1 cup) cut into cubes, room temperature
- 2 pounds powdered sugar (8 cups)
- ½ cup milk (start with ¼ cup, add more until desired consistency)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 oz. melted bittersweet chocolate, cooled
In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and milk, alternately then add vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until fluffy and smooth. Melt chocolate until smooth. Cool. Add to the buttercream.