Red Velvet Poke Cake

This recipe is so light and fluffy, it's worth all three seconds that it takes to make it... PROMISE!

What you'll need...
Red velvet box mix (plus necessary ingredients)
2 boxes of cheesecake flavored instant pudding
4 C of milk
8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 pkg Oreos, crushed

Directions:
1. Make and bake the cake, as directed, in a 9"x13" pan.
2. Using the round handle of a kitchen utensil (about 1/2" diameter), pole holes in the cake down to the bottom of the pan.
3. Mix the pudding mix and milk, then immediately pour/spread evenly over the cake, filling in the holes as much as possible.
4. Let everything firm up in the fridge for an hour or so.
5. Spread thawed, whipped topping over top of cake, then top with crushed Oreos.
6. Cut and serve.

This is so good that people thought I bought it at a store and re-plattered it.  FALSE.  Sure, I made it with a box mix, but I could've dug out my food coloring as much as the next girl.

Grown Up Ice Cream Cake

 I've made ice cream cakes before, from ice cream sandwiches.  They're super simple, and everyone loves them.

However, when I saw this recipe, I knew I needed to try it.

Ingredients: (Bottom Layer)
Your favorite brownie mix and its ingredients
Andes Candies (or their baking chips)

Directions:(bottom layer)
Mix as the box directs, adding about 1/2 bag of Andes to the mix. (or chop about 15 Andes candies)
Bake at the appropriate temperature, but use a 9x13 pan so you get a thin layer of brownie.
This will take about half of the time that an 8x8 or 9x9 would take, so make sure you watch your brownies.
*A little underdone is best, so you get a fudgy layer in your cake.*
Let completely cool in the freezer.

 Ingredients: (Ice Cream Layer)
1.5 quart of mint chocolate chip ice cream
Directions:(ice cream layer) 
Completely soften ice cream until it can be stirred with a spoon without resistance.
Spread ice cream evenly over brownie layer.
Put back into the freezer to re-harden.

 Ingredients: (Ganache Layer)
1 C dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C heavy cream
1/4-1/2 tsp mint/peppermint extract
15-20 Oreos, crushed

Directions: (Ganache Layer)
Combine chips and cream in microwave safe container.
Heat until soft

Whisk smooth, adding in the mint extract to taste.
Let cool to room temperature.
Spread over ice cream layer.  Add crushed Oreos across the entire layer.
Place back in freezer.

Ingredients: (Whipped Layer)
8 oz whipped topping, thawed
Green food coloring/gel (optional)
Remaining Andes candies bites (or 15-20 Andes shaved or chopped into pieces)

Directions: (Whipped Layer)
Add a hint of food coloring to the whipped topping. Spread over ganache/Oreo layer.
Sprinkle remaining Andes candies pieces across the top.
Place back in the freezer until ready to serve.

Before serving, it's best to take it out of the freezer to soften for about 5-10 minutes to help with cutting.  As you can see by the above picture, I didn't completely freeze each layer before adding the next one, so it's not as clean and crisp as it could be.

Know what?

Didn't matter.  Still amazing, and my ten guests easily plowed through most of it without issue.

Awesome summer treat, or specialty cake for special occasions.

Cheesecake in a Jar!

There have been a ton of posts on Pinterest lately that have included cooking in Mason jars.  Obviously, I loved creating a cocktail in one, why not cook??

I'm not a huge cheesecake person, but I love chocolate and peanut butter, so when I found this recipe for a peanut butter cheesecake on an Oreo crust with a Nutella topping, I was sold!

So, first of all, start with 12 (4oz) mason jars.  (And, yes, they are oven safe.  My mother pestered me, worried, several times over about this.)

Oreo Crust Ingredients: 

16 Oreo Cookies, ground in a food processor
3 Tblsp Butter, melted
Pam Baking Spray (spray all jars with it)

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Ingredients:
12 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
7.5 oz container Creme Fraiche (or sour cream)
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Nutella Topping:
1/2 Cup Nutella
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream   

Crust Directions:

1. Decimate the Oreos in a food processor, and place in a separate bowl.

2. Melt butter and then drizzle over the Oreo crumbs.

3. Mix well.

4. Divide the Oreos among your Pam-ed jars, then press the crumbs down firmly.

5. Place the jars in a lipped pan, and then place them in the fridge to chill out (literally) while you make the cheesecake.

*For those gluten free-ers, just omit the crust.  Still amazing!

 Cheesecake Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Using your mixer, blend the cream cheese, creme fraiche/sour cream, and sugar until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla, cream, and peanut butter, and beat until smooth.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just blended.
5. Add your cheesecake filling to your prepared crusts.  I filled mine up to the threads (where the lid screws on).
6. Fill the pan that your jars are sitting in with water.  The jars should have between 1/4" and 1/2" of water surrounding them (basically enough to cover where the crust is).

7. Bake your cheesecakes for about 30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and onto a cooling rack or safe surface to help them cool.
9. Once the jars have completely cooled, you can put the lids on and transfer them to your fridge.



From there, they can sit for a night or more.  There's something about time in the fridge that generally helps cheesecakes
The cheesecakes rose nicely in the oven, but they did settle back down as they cooled, leaving enough space for the topping.

I made my cheesecakes on a Friday morning and didn't take them out of the fridge until Sunday morning.  They were perfect.

When you're ready, put the Nutella (1/2C) and heavy whipping cream (1/4) in a microwave safe bowl/measuring cup.  Zap it for a minute or two, stopping twice to stir it.

Once the Nutella and cream have combined for a tasty topping, add it to your cheesecakes, filling the jar the rest of the way.  Then, return to the fridge to set until you're ready to serve up these delicious bad boys.

I left a slight gap at the top so I could place a cupcake cover over the top as a lid before closing the ring around the jar.

These are the perfect size for a picnic, or an individual portion for yourself for days to come!

Literally.  I ate one a day for about 5 days.  AMAZING.

Post-lunch snack at my desk!

Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Oreo Cupcakes

Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend...if you're actually getting  along weekend.  As this is being posted, I'm visiting Thomas, who's in Phoenix for work this month.  As part of his birthday party/'stache bash this year, I made the chocolate cake (that everyone loved), but I also made Oreo Cupcakes and dark chocolate mustache toppers.  The oreo cupcake recipe was originally here.  It is fabulous, promise!

Now, the one thing I had NO IDEA about, was creating a milk and flour roux for the frosting.

That's right.  Roux the frosting.

I don't know that it made a huge difference, as opposed to making any other type of frosting, but it was a new experience for me. 

 

Then we just added crushed oreos.

Okay, so maybe this dessert was more for me than anyone else.  I did make the mustache toppers though, with a lollipop mold from Michael's.  Sweeeet... 

Happy Halloween!

What I really wanted to make was Dark Chocolate Graveyard Pots de Creme.  Then I thought about making 45 servings of it and I freaked.

Turns out that Jello Instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding will calm you when you need it.  even if you're making  8 boxes of it.  (Yikes!)

You kind of also need to have an office slave assistant who is willing to take the cream out of your Oreos (one at a time), so that you can also have her nicely mash said Oreos without all of that nasty cream getting in your way!

You'll also need an assistant to write RIP on your tombstones (in this case, Sandies shortbreads).  Since this labor is (technically) free, you will be grateful no matter how they turn out.  It's the thought that counts!

Then, insert a layer of pudding into your serving cups, followed up the Oreo "dirt", a tombstone, and maybe a fake flower or skeletal arm to make people pretend that it truly is a graveyard.

Or not.  However, for a tasty dessert, people will certainly humor you to get at that pudding!