Oreo Layer Dessert

I just tried this recipe for the first time and I am already in love with it. First it was super fast to whip up. Second, it is a no bake dessert. Which I love! Third, a lot of the ingredients are stuff that you have around the house already. All I had to buy were the Oreos and Cool Whips. I hope you all enjoy this fun summer treat!!

1 pkg of regular Oreos

1/2 c. of butter

1 lg box of instant chocolate pudding

2-8 oz cool whips

8 oz. of cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

Crush the whole package of cookies either with a food processor, or in a bag and a rolling pin.  Save a 1/2 c. to sprinkle on top of dessert when it's done.  Pour remaining crumbs in a 13x9 pan.  Melt butter and pour into crumb mix.  Stir it up good and press crumbs in bottom of pan to make a crust.  

Make chocolate pudding according to package directions and let it setup in the fridge. 

In a mixing bowl blend cream cheese until nice and smooth and then add powdered sugar, mix.  Then fold in 1-8 oz thing of cool whip.  

Top oreo layer with cream cheese mix, then pudding, then your last 8 oz thing of cool whip, and then sprinkle remaining Oreo's on top.  

Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve. 

Chocolate Drizzled Cheesecake FIlled Strawberries

I saw a recipe for these somewhere (probably a dr. office magazine) but I couldn't find it and had no idea what was in it so I made up my own!!  These are absolutely AMAZING!!  The filling is light and not too sweet and the chocolate drizzle just tops it off.  You could also use the filling as a fruit dip if you wanted. It is extremely addicting!  I used a spatula and scraped the bowl clean!

2 lbs. strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbls. powdered sugar
1/3 c. yogurt (strawberry, raspberry or vanilla)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Wash strawberries and hollow out center with a knife. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered  sugar and continue to beat until smooth.  Add yogurt and extract and whip for about 4 min. until light and fluffy.  Fill a Ziploc bag and snip the corner.  Fill each strawberry.
Melt chocolate chips until smooth and drizzle over strawberries with a spoon.  Refrigerate.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

These were really good and rich, so it was easy giving half of the pan away to family and friends since I couldn't eat very many. But they are so good. Don't be daunted by the steps. Most of it is just cooling time in the fridge. These taste better the day after too after they are set up more.

Oh, and in this recipe, you really have to use the Pillsbury brand brownie mix! The first time I made them I used Duncan Hines mix and the brownie layer was totally uncooked and gooey. Like bad gooey. So I read on the Pillsbury website under the reviews for the recipe, and someone said that she had the same problem with using Betty Crocker, and so it only works with the Pillsbury (trust me on this).


1 box (19.5 oz) Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix (you really have to use the Pillsbury brand!)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I used crunchy and it was fine, although I think creamy is better)
1 bag (8 oz) Heath® milk chocolate toffee bits
1 cup milk chocolate baking chips
3 tablespoons whipping cream (I just used milk and it was fine.)
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs 50 strokes with spoon. Spread batter in pan; set aside.

3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add milk and peanut butter; beat until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of the toffee bits. Spoon mixture over batter; spread evenly. (Spooning the mix over the batter is a little tricky. Just be patient and know it doesn't have to be perfect).

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate 40 minutes.

5. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and cream (or milk) uncovered on High 40 to 60 seconds or until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Serve cold. Store covered in refrigerator.

For higher altitudes, you can click on this link for tips on how to adjust the recipe.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

A few years ago, Celeste's friend and amazing cook brought this cake by. It was incredible, and she gave us the recipe. Celeste asked me to send her the recipe, and I just realized I never did. I went ahead and made it today for my mom's birthday, and it's as amazing as I remember it. Don't be afraid of it--if I can make it so can you! It's easier than cake decorating and yummier too!


Chocolate Mousse Cake

Crust:
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 cup Sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
30 Saltine Crackers, crushed (I put mine in my veggie chopper, worked great!)

beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Fold in cracker crumbs and walnuts. Spread in bottom of greased and floured (or Pam-ed) 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.


Filling (brownie layer):
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter on low heat (I microwaved it). Cool slightly then add sugar and eggs. Beat on low until smooth and fold in flour and vanilla. Pour on top of baked crust and return to oven at 350 for about 22 more minutes.


Mousse:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 pkgs (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 cups whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate. Cool slightly and add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat whipping cream until firm then add to cheese mixture. Pour on top of completely cooled filling (I put my filling in the freezer for about an hour cause I was in a hurry). Let set up in the refrigerator all day or overnight.


Frosting:
2 cups whipping cream
powdered sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder

Whip it until it is a good spreading consistency. Take cake from spring form pan and frost sides and top of cake. Very rich, cut small pieces.

Dulce de leche cheesecake

So I only make desserts for special occasions (usually). We were supposed to have the sister missionaries over for dinner but they cancelled last minute. Anyway, I made this cheesecake and it was fabulous! It's a nice break from plain or berry-inspired cheesecakes. The only changes I would make would be a) to pour caramel sauce over the cheesecake after it is sliced and ready to serve because my caramel sauce ran all over after I removed the springform pan sides and b) I would run a butter knife around the pan before removing the springform sides, otherwise it will probably stick. Enjoy!

One 10-oz box shortbread cookies, such as Lorna Doone.
¼ cup blanched almonds, toasted
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Two 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbsp flour
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 ¾ cups dulce de leche or other caramel sauce (I used Hershey's caramel sauce)
Boiling water, for baking

Preheat the oven to 350. wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with foil. Using a food processor, finely chop the cookies, nuts, brown sugar, and ¼ tsp salt. Add the butter and pulse until just combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 300.

Using a mixer, beat the cream cheese until softened, 2 minutes. Beat in the flour and remaining ¼ tsp salt on low speed. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time, on medium speed. Mix in 1 cup dulce de leche.

Pour the batter into the crust. Loosely cover the pan with foil, set in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to reach a depth of 1 inch. Bake the cheesecake until set at the edges but slightly wobbly in the center, about 55 minutes.

Transfer the cake to a rack; let rest for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining ¾ cup dulce de leche over the warm cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then remove the springform pan and slice.

Chocolate Cheese Cake

Well, we all loved Celeste's recipe for the original cheese cake. But, look what I found!! I'm so excited about this recipe. It was from the Spanish Fork Press, and when I made it, I bought the ingredients an hour before I made it, so my cream cheese wasn't completely room temperature. So, there were little teeny-tiny chunks in it, but it still tasted divine!!!

Crust:
20 crushed Oreos
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (the author likes 1/2 milk chocolate, 1/2 semi-sweet)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsps vanilla
8 oz sour cream
2 - 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp melted butter

Smash Oreos completely in a medium sized bowl. Combine with cinnamon and 1/4 cup melted butter,, press into bottom of greased 9-inch springform pan. (If you don't have a springform pan, just use another shallow 9-inch baking dish. The springform pan makes it easier to serve.) Melt chocolate in microwave--check often, so you don't cook it. Set aside. Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, sour cream. Add cream cheese. Blend in melted chocolate and butter. Pour into crust. Bake at 325 for 55-65 minutes (maybe even more) until surface loses "shine" and contents don't jiggle when jostled. Cool at room temperature a few hours (helps prevent cracks), chill in refrigerator. Flavors blend and texture "mellows" if allowed to "age" at least three days--really.

This cheese cake is shallower than Celeste's cheese cake. That one goes clear to the top of the springform pan, this only goes about 1/2 way. Also, I didn't add cinnamon in my crust. I was a little nervous to. Give it a go!

BEST CHEESECAKE EVER!!! (And I should know!)

So I love cheesecake, even the Jello No Bake kind. But this cheesecake is the best I've ever had (even compared to cheesecake factory!) It isn't spongy or anything, and has a creamy thicker consistency. My old visiting teacher is a gourmet baker and she brought this to me right before we left on a road trip to Utah. It was so good that I knew if we left it that it might go bad while we were gone, so we packed it in a cooler and brought it to Utah with us (which also turned out to be a mistake because everyone ate it!!!). It isn't hard to make at all (even though it may sound hard) and is so worth it!


BEST CHEESECAKE EVER

Crust:
1 pkg Graham Crackers, Crushed
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Butter, Melted

Mix and press in bottom of 9 inch spring form pan (make sure it is a nice one, not a flimsy one, or the butter in the crust will melt out). Bake at 350 for 6 minutes.

4 Egg whites, Beaten Until Stiff
3 pkgs (8 oz) Cream Cheese, Softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla

Cream the sugar, cream cheese and vanilla together. Fold stiff egg whites into cream cheese mixture. Place on top of baked crust and return to oven for 25 minutes.

Topping:
2 Cups Sour Cream
3 Tbsp Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla

Mix topping ingredients together and spread on baked cheese cake. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes at 400. Cool completely before refrigeration.

Best if made the day before. (Carefully ream around the edge of cheeses cake with a sharp knife as soon as it comes out of the oven…this will help to keep it from cracking in the center).

Banana Split Cheesecake Squares

Ok, so I know most of my posts are desserts, but what can I say? I like sugar! Anyway, this is from the Kraft website and I was browsing through it one day and came across it. It got 5 out of 5 stars so I decided to try it. It is so good so you have to make it! Instead of putting the fruit on top of the entire cheesecake, I would cut a square then top each individual square with the fruit- presentation is everything! And I actually omitted the pineapple. I would also toss the strawberries with a little sugar.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (there is a box of these in the baking aisle)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 banana)
1 cup halved strawberries
1 banana, sliced, tossed with 1 tsp lemon juice
1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained

Preheat oven to 350. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Stir in mashed banana by hand. Pour over crust.

Bake 30 minutes or until center is almost set (I did mine for 30 minutes and it was a little over done, the edges were a little brown, so check after 20 minutes and every couple minutes after that). Cool. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with strawberries, banana slices, and pineapple. Keep leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

If this was Rachael Ray's, I'd say YUM-O, but it isn't. This is Paula Deen's recipe and it's so good (and, strangely enough, there is plenty of butter involved!). It's actually quite easy to make, too - see, Stina, you can make homemade cheesecake! And because you bake it in a 9x13 pan, you don't need any fancy springform pans. Here are my suggestions: *Spray the foil inside the pan with cooking spray *I used low-fat cream cheese and it still tasted great *I only used about half of the Streusel topping *Get the caramel sauce in the jar, it's just a little bit more money but you want a good caramel sauce to top this cheesecake.

How good is it? Steve (my brother-in-law) ate two servings, and he's lactose intolerant!!!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel topping, recipe follows
1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.
In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.

Streusel Topping:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.