Wild Blueberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake

Wild Blueberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 cups vanilla sandwich cookie crumbs (such as Golden Oreos)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• wild blueberry sauce
• 1/2 cup whole blueberries (can be frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap foil around the bottom of a 9" springform pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, tablespoon of sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.
3. In a double-boiler, melt the white chocolate with the half and half, stirring occasionally until smooth. Alternatively, microwave in 30 second intervals (stirring after each interval) until the chocolate and half and half is smooth.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and light. Add 1/2 cup sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Blend in vanilla and the melted white chocolate. 
5. Pour half of the batter into the pan, then spoon 1/2 the blueberry sauce over the top. It's thick- don't bother trying to spread it. Sprinkle the whole berries over the top.
6. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, and spoon the remaining blueberry sauce over the top. Swirl the jam with a knife to create a marbled-effect.
7. Place the pan in a jelly-roll pan, fill the pan with some water to create a water bath. Bake for 65 minutes, until filling it set (it should still be jiggly in the center). Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour. 
8. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours (overnight) before removing from the pan. 
9. Garnish with extra blueberry sauce, fresh blueberries, white chocolate curls, or whipped cream before serving.  

Wild Blueberry Sauce

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. 
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, allow to boil for one minute, stirring occasionally. 
3. Cool before using in cheesecake recipe, but can be served warm with pancakes, waffles, crepes, or ice cream.

Cakey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet or milk-chocolate chips (your preference)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecan, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 365 degrees.
2. Combine the pumpkin, sugars, applesauce, egg, and vanilla- stir until well-mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, bs, bp, and salt. 
4. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.Stir in chocolate chips.
5. For each cookie, mound about two tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them about two inches apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly brown and firm 
7. These cookies taste best warm from the oven, or straight from the fridge. After they have cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. 

*Don't have pumpkin pie spice on hand? Check your spice cabinet, you probably have all the components for pumpkin pie spice. Make your own and keep it in an old spice jar.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• big pinch of ground cardamom

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Michael's Fav Dessert

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

• 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreos)
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons raspberry sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap foil around the bottom of a 9" springform pan. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, tablespoon of sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.
3. In a double-boiler, melt the white chocolate with the half and half, stirring occasionally until smooth. Alternatively, microwave in 30 second intervals (stirring after each interval) until the chocolate and half and half is smooth.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and light. Add 1/2 cup sugar, beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Blend in vanilla and the melted white chocolate. 
5. Pour half of the batter into the pan, then spoon three tablespoon of raspberry sauce over the batter.
6. Pour the remaining batter into the pan, and spoon the remaining raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl the jam with a knife to create a marbled-effect.
7. Place the pan on a jelly-roll pan, fill the pan with some water to create a water bath. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until filling it set (it should still be jiggly in the center). Then turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour. 
8. Cool, cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours (overnight) before removing from the pan. 
9. Garnish with extra raspberry sauce, fresh raspberries, white chocolate curls, or whipped cream before serving.  

Raspberry Sauce

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. 
2. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick, 
3. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Pumpkin Bars

These didn't last long in our house. 

Obviously. 

Not long enough for me to take a decent picture, anyway.

Michael loves them.

I can't stop myself from eating them.

I love pumpkin bars. 

I want a pumpkin bar wedding cake someday.

Pumpkin Bars

Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe

• 3 eggs
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 2/3 cups white sugar
• 2/3 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning

Icing:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. 
2. In a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, sugars, applesauce, and oil until well-combined. About 3 minutes on medium speed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie seasoning. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture over low speed until well-combined. 
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

*If you want a more cake-like, less dense pumpkin bar: increase the eggs to 4, and double the baking soda and baking powder.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Use a cookie scoop to make uniform balls.

Mine aren't very aesthetically pleasing..

Cut them in half. 

Roll each half into a ball.
The Hancock boys claim these look like lady-parts. Little pervs.

Flatten each ball ever-so-slightly with a fork.

Baking them was a pain. 

I burned two batches.

But I figured out the perfect temperature & time!

325 for 8-10 minutes. Until just golden brown on the bottom sides.

Allow them to cool completely before flipping half the cookies over.

Whip the filling together.

Put a ziplock bag into a glass, then load the filling in it, & cut a corner off.

A little make-shift pastry bag!

Squeeze a dollop of filling onto the middle.

(This was my burnt batch. Still delicious.)

Squeeze that little bad boy together.

Peanut Butter Cookie:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used extra chunky)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup quick cooking oats

Filling:

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Cookies:

1. In  a small bowl, combine the flour, bs, bp & salt. Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add in the peanut butter until well-mixed. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture. Stir in the oats. Refrigerate for two hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Using a cookie scoop, make 24 uniform dough balls. Cut them in half and roll into balls (48 total). Place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly with a fork. They will be small cookies! That's okay! Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

Filling: 

1. Cream 3 tablespoons butter  with the confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the cream until light and fluffy.
2. Fill the filling into a large ziplock bag, cut one of the corners, and squeeze  the filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half, squeeze them together until the filling reaches the ends of the cookie!