Candy Cane Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I realize that I'm not a very good writer. Half the time when I want to post a recipe, i have no idea what to say except, this is good, try it! But this recipe deserves more then that, its that good. I made these cheesecake bars over the holidays and everyone raved over them. They are smooth and decadent and i wish i had more! I may need to run to the store and get the ingredients to make them again. Anyways, I wouldn't recommend waiting until next Christmas to try these. If you can't find candy canes, you can go without them or you can use mint chocolate for the topping if you want some minty flavor.

Candy Cane Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
20 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground coffee beans
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Filling:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature
Glaze:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (see Note)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil.

For the crust: Pound chocolate cookies in plastic baggie. Mix with melted butter, sugar, coffee and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Blend the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream together until smooth. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour the melted chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a bit wobbly in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a rack.

For the Glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water and stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Take off heat and add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

Cut into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature.

Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Note: To crush the candy canes, remove wrappers and place in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and break the candy up into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or so.

Lemon Orzo Soup

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while now but I lost the website where I got it from. I've been searching and searching but no luck. I gave up today and decided to just post it anyways, I think I remember everything. I am going to make it again in a couple of weeks and if this recipe is wrong, i'll tweak it! :) Anyways, I believe this is my favorite soup of all time. I remember getting this soup as a kid at this restaurant near my fathers house. It was a wonderful little greek place that had the best saganaki in the world and the best soup! :) If I can learn to make saganaki, i'll post it on here too, but it seems complicated. Also the soup at the restaurant had rice in it, but I like it better with orzo noodles. Anyways make this soup, its amazing on a cold winter's day!

Creamy Lemon Rice (Orzo) Soup
8 cups chicken stock
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup orzo (or rice)
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 eggs
3-4 lemons
salt and ground pepper

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add the chicken breasts and cook on medium high for about 20 minutes. Remove chicken on a cutting board, let cool then cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

While chicken is cooking whisk eggs until frothy in a medium bowl. Add lemon juice of the lemons, whisking well. Set aside

Add 1 cup orzo and chopped celery to the chicken stock. Cook for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Add chicken back to pot. Reduce heat to medium.

Next take one ladle full of hot stock at a time and add to egg mixture, whisking as you pour. Keep adding hot broth until the egg mixture is warm. Remove soup from heat and add the egg mixture to the soup. Let sit for about 10 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Tuna Snack Dip

You know those days at work when everyone brings in some kind of baked good or side dish for a birthday or something? I love those types of days! Tons of new things to try and munch on all day during work. This recipe comes from a co-worker of mine. I kept going back to it all day. I love tuna and this dip is great on butter crackers. Also, this dip does very well sitting out for a long period of time. So that means its great for parties! Maybe think about this one for New Years Eve!

Tuna Snack Dip
8 oz. Cream Cheese - Softened
6 oz. Can of Tuna, drained and flaked
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
2-3 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1/8 Tsp. Black Pepper
3-4 Drop Hot Pepper Sauce
1 Celery Stalk - finely chopped
Dried Parsley Flakes as desired to decorate

Mix all ingredients except parsley, place in a decorative bowl, sprinkle with parsley and refridgerate. Serve with crackers or cocktail rye bread. Super Easy!!!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving has come and gone and i'm sad cuz its one of my favorite holidays. Yeah the turkey is always good but its the side dishes that I always look forward too. My all time favorite are these stuffed sweet potatoes. I really don't care for sweet potatoes plain but when they are stuffed with pecans, brown sugar and toasted marshmallows, even the pickiest eaters will love them! Too bad they are only made once a year! Yummy!

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
6-8 large sweet potatoes, with skins
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 cups pecans, toasted and coursely chopped
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400˚
2. Place potatoes on baking sheet. Pierce potatoes in several places.
3. Bake in 400˚ oven until fork-tender, about 55-60 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, stir together butter and sugar until well blended. Gradually stir in pecans, marshmallows and flour until mixture forms loose crumbs.
5. Remove potatoes from oven. Cut a slash lengthwise in each potato. Using oven mitts, gently push together ends of each potato to open the slash. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Stuff opening with marshmallow mixture. Return to oven.
6. Bake in 400˚ oven until stuffing is golden brown and melted, 5-7 minutes, taking care not to let the marshmallows burn. (I find that the marshmallows melt before this time is up. I like to add more to each potato when there is about a minute left.)

Cheesecake Brownies

I apologize again for my delay in posting new recipes but I have been incredibly busy, between work and planning my wedding! :) I know that isn't an excuse.....

Anyways to make it up to you, I am posting some brownies....also some cheesecake. No wait even better, brownies and cheesecake combined into one wonderful morsel of yummyness. These are so yummy if you let them sit out for an hour to get to room temperature. Enjoy!

Cheesecake Brownies
recipe from Baking Bites
1/2 cup butter
2-oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisking steadily, pour chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl and stir until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and prepare cheesecake mixture.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled. Brownies can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.

Makes 16 large brownies.

My Stepmom's Mashed Potatoes

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I had to post my stepmom's mashed potatoes recipe. However, this is really more of a technique than a recipe. There are tons of ways to make mashed potatoes and none are any better than the next. But for some reason, this recipe just tastes better then any other mashed potato I've had.

Simple Mashed Potatoes
serves 4 or 5
• 5 or 6 large Yukon gold potatoes or 8-9 Mini Yukon Gold Potatoes (this potatoes seems whip better and doesn't end up too starchy)
• 1 stick of butter
• Milk (I can't give a measurement because I just pour it in)
• Salt and Pepper for Flavor

If you are using large potatoes, cut them in half.

Put the potatoes (not peeled) in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling cook until potatoes are tender (about 25-35 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes).

Put a stick of butter in a large bowl.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and put immediately in the bowl with the butter.

Salt and pepper and dont be stingy with the salt because the potatoes suck up the seasoning. (Seasoning is very important or you will have some bland potatoes!)

Pour in some milk. You can do this in increments because you dont want to add too much milk. You can always add more milk but you can't take it out!

With a hand mixer, mix the potatoes until smooth. If they are too thick, add more milk. Also, taste the potatoes. If they seem too bland, add more salt!

I find that mashed potatoes seem to get cold pretty quick. I like to just cover with a paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds immediately before serving.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

There are some days that I just don't want to have a heavy dinner. This dish is light yet incredibly satisfying. It has a lot of flavor and besides that, I love shrimp! You can use any kind of pasta you like but I love the curly noodles, cellentani. I'm sure linguine or fettuccine would go well with this also.

Shrimp Scampi with Pasta
16 oz. box of any kind of pasta you desire
2 Tbsp. of Butter plus and extra 4 Tbsp. of butter
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil plus and extra 4 Tbsp. of oil
2 Shallots, Diced
10 cloves of garlic, diced
1 pkg. grape tomatoes - cut in half
1 Lb. uncooked shrimp, deviened
3/4 cup white wine
1 Lemon, juiced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Red Pepper flakes, salt and pepper for flavor
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to a boil, add a handful of salt & the pasta. When pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water (you can use this later if the pasta is too dry) Drain the pasta, then set aside.

Meanwhile, in another pot or large pan, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute shallots, garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes until shallots are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, add to pan. Add grape tomatoes to pan. After about 2-3 minutes, remove shrimp and grape tomatoes from pan and set aside. Add wine & lemon juice and bring to a boil. Let cook down 2-3 minutes. Add remaining 4 Tbsp. butter and 4 Tbsp olive oil. When butter has melted, return shrimp and tomatoes to pan, along with chopped parsley and cooked pasta. If the pasta looks dry, add some of the reserved pasta water to pan. Stir well and season with salt and pepper and more red pepper if you like. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, top with grated parmesan cheese and serve. Goes great with a Caesar salad.