Day 18: Mini cheesecakes with cranberry topping

Who doesn't love cheesecake?! These are bite sized cheesecakes and they are great! The best part about these little yummy bites is that they can be made in plenty of different variations. They are traditional cheesecakes that have a graham cracker crust but all of that could be changed up. We top ours with a cranberry jam type topping because its festive for the holidays but they could be topped with lemon curd, any other type of fruit, or possibly even chocolate. Now that sounds good to me! We also came up with an idea a few minutes ago to make the crust with peppermint Oreo cookies. I kinda wish we had thought of that about an hour ago but oh well! If you are a cheesecake lover, you will never return to the Cheesecake Factory again (well, at least for cheesecake) once you taste these.

Here's how you make them!

Mini-Cheesecakes with Cranberry topping- Makes 2 dozen 1 3/4 inch cheesecakes

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until evenly mixed. Spoon 2 rounded teaspoons of crumbs into mini muffin tins and press into bottoms and up the sides.

Soften cream cheese. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar about 3 minutes until smooth preferably with a whisk beater. Beat in the egg, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat until incorporated. Add the sour cream and beat until the mixture is blended.

Fill each graham cracker lined depression almost to the top with batter, using a spoon or a piping bag. Set the mini muffin pans on baking sheets in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. For even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking period. The cakes will puff up but deflate on cooling, leaving shallow hollows perfect for filling with topping. Cool completely in the pans on wire racks. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Fill sink with a few inches of hot tap water. Carefully dip each pan into the water for about 30 seconds, being careful not to allow the water to get to the top of the pan. Use small metal spatula to slip in between the sides of the cakes and the pan to pop out the cakes. There is no need to run the spatula around the sides. The hot water makes unmolding easy.

Cranberry Topping-
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cranberries
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

In a small saucepan, combine all the topping ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stop stirring, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute, swirling the pan occasionally. The mixture will be thickened but pourable. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Use a small spoon to place about 4 berries with the glaze onto each of the cheesecakes.

Since they need to be refrigerated and cooled for about 3 hours before they can be removed, I don't have a picture of them not in the tins.

So here is what they look like in the tin without being topped. I'll post a picture tomorrow of the final product so you can see how good they look.

It's almost Christmas break! Enjoy your night xoxo

Day 17: Pecan Tassies

Today I reached a monumental 2,000 page views so thanks to everyone who has supported and followed the blog! We made pecan tassies today. If you've ever had pecan pie, they are like miniature versions of that. My mom has made these forever. My aunt provided her with this amazing recipe. My mom keeps telling me this funny story about how she made over 100 of these shortly after I was born. She offered to bake them for my cousins' grandfather's 65th birthday party. She tells me how their grandma said that I must have been such an easy baby for her to be able to make all those cookies after I was born. I always laugh every time I hear that story. I mean it's not surprising that I was such a perfect baby ;) hehe just kidding! I love these so much. They actually might be my favorite of our wide variety of cookies. Maybe it's because the smell resonates me due to that time when the house was probably engulfed in the satisfying smell of pecans, butter, and brown sugar.

One thing that we add to enhance our pecan tassies is chocolate chips. Chocolate is one of my favorite things in the world so basically chocolate makes everything taste better in my eyes. Adding the chocolate, also reminds us of my grandma's chocolate pecan pie which also happens to be one of my favorites. The pecan tassies are like eating a pecan pie but not feeling as guilty afterwards because it's just a bite rather than a slice. To give it the chocolate flavor, we place about 3 chocolate chips over the filling before we put on the pecans so that the pecans cover up the chocolate.

Here's the recipe!

Pecan Tassies-

Shell: Makes 2 dozen
1 cup flour
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

Put into food processor and combine until lumpy, grainy, and sticky mass. Then form into one ball. Separate into 1 1/2 inch balls and press into small muffin tins.

Filling: Makes 4 dozen
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix together and spoon into crust, about 3/4 full. Top with chopped pecans and pat down a little. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and take them out of tins with a sharp knife.

We usually make both chocolate and regular pecan tassies so to distinguish the two, I decorate the chocolate ones with some melted chocolate. I melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave at 20 second intervals. Once the chocolate is melted, I fill it in a piping bag and pipe the zigzag design on to the cookies. Aren't they pretty? :)

By the way, I tasted one and they are the bomb! So if you are looking for a really good Christmas cookie, this is your cookie! I highly recommend them! Enjoy the rest of your night and see you tomorrow.

Day 16: Peppermint Bark

Only 8 days left until Christmas Eve, the last day of our project! :( Today we made one of my favorite little treats, Peppermint Bark. I love it because it combines two of my favorite things, chocolate and peppermint, into one beautiful, heavenly concoction. It's also great because it's really easy to make and the final product is very appealing, a nice confection to add to that Christmas cookie platter! My mom never really used to make the bark until I expressed my affection for it to her. The last time I remember her making it was for my sweet sixteen dinner that we had at my house. My friends, family and I sat down to a 6 course meal, prepared by my mother, where she made little treats for after dinner and one of them was the peppermint bark. Now that was a good meal. Every time I eat the bark, it reminds me of winter and the holiday season which brings me joy. I love this and I am so glad we are adding it to the cookie platter this year.

Here's how you make it.

Adapted from Bon Appetit  Magazine:

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark- Makes about 36 pieces

17 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12x9 inch rectangle on foil. Microwave half of white chocolate at 20 second intervals until completely melted. Then add the rest of the chocolate to temper the chocolate. The heat of the already hot chocolate will melt the rest of the chocolate, this avoids burning the chocolate. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using spatula or knife, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Do the same process of tempering with the semi-sweet chocolate then add the cream and the peppermint extract and mix well. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour chocolate mixture in long lines over the set white chocolate and spread layer evenly. Refrigerate for about 25 minutes, until firmed and cooled.

Rewarm the remaining white chocolate. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over bark, and spread to cover. Sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm about 20 minutes.

And there you have it! A yummy holiday treat!

P.S. Make sure to have the last layer of white chocolate be really warm before you put it on the rest of the bark so that it doesn't immediately cool and simultaneously sprinkle the peppermint candies because they won't stick if the white chocolate cools too quickly. Also wait to get the bark to room temperature before cutting it because it separates if you don't.

Day 15: French Macarons

I wasn't kidding when I said special treat yesterday. Yes, it's true. Today we attempted to make the infamous french macarons. Not only did we attempt, but I think we almost succeeded. I say almost because most of them turned out beautifully but as the batter sat out longer waiting to bake off in the oven, the more deformed they became after we removed them from the oven. So lesson learned. They also are not completely perfect because the buttercream that the recipe called for just didn't turn out as great as we had hoped but sandwiched between the macarons, they tasted pretty good. Since they turned out pretty well, I think its safe to say that my mom and I are "officially" bakers and truly appreciate all the professional bakers out there who make these confections on a regular basis. It was one of the most time consuming and precise processes I have ever experienced in the kitchen. To be completely honest, I would rather buy macarons than make them myself because its just a lot easier and the bakeries do them pretty well (probably better than mine). I'm happy that we took on the challenge of making them, though. I'm glad to say that we made them and they turned out well.

We made a vanilla bean macaron. My hands still smell like vanilla bean and I literally cannot stop smelling my hands because the scent is so delicious and pleasant. I like the vanilla because they are very simple yet yummy. If we were to ever make these again, the only thing I would change is the buttercream. We would need to try a new filling, maybe chocolate or raspberry?

We adapted the recipe from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook. I'll give the ingredients and some basic instructions but if you're interested in the detailed instructions and some good tips, check out the cookbook. It is an amazing cookbook filled with recipes for delectable pastries.

Vanilla Macarons-

1 3/4 cups + 2 1/2 tablespoons almond flour/meal
1 3/4 cups+ 1 tablespoon +2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/4 +1 1/2 tablespoons egg whites
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons egg whites
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water

Vanilla Buttercream Filling-

3 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon sugar
 1/4 cup + 1/2 teaspoon egg yolks
1/4 cup + 2 1/4 teaspoons whole milk
8.8 ounces of unsalted butter, room temperature

Honestly, the instructions are very long and detailed, so if you are interested in trying this recipe,  search the internet for Bouchon Bakery's macaron recipe and you'll find it or go out and buy the cookbook if you're in need of a new cookbook.

Aren't they just so beautiful?! I think they are so pretty, I just love them! Honestly, I think that they appeal so much to us because of how they look rather than how they taste, although they are quite scrumptious. The recipe said that to give it the chewy yet light and airy texture you're looking for in a macaron, they should be put in the freezer for at least a day before being served to get to that texture.

So, so pretty! I hope you enjoyed reading about our fun little challenge today. Sunday Funday, right? :) enjoy the rest of your day!

Day 14: Mincemeat Pies

Now I know what you're thinking... Mincemeat? Are they crazy? That sounds disgusting! But mincemeat does not consist of actual meat. It's a pie filled with a mixture of dried fruits and nuts. Although the name makes it sound unappetizing, it's actually delicious. It originated in Europe during the 15th and 16th century. Back then, they actually made the pies with either beef or beef fat. It got its name for the ground or minced meat that used to be in the mixture. But don't worry, we don't put meat in ours. Traditionally, it is made into one normal sized pie, like an apple or pumpkin pie. We make them into individualized pies that almost resemble that of an apple turnover. My mom has loved mincemeat since one of her high school friend's parents served her the pie. She started making them 15 years ago and has been making them ever since. The mini ones are a nice twist on the traditional mincemeat. We also add a glaze to the pies because glazes just make everything better, right?!

Here's the recipe.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine:

Dried Fruit Mincemeat-

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit such as pears, apricots, apples, prunes, peaches, and figs (about 3/4 pounds in total)
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries (about 3 ounces)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons brandy
3/4 cup pecans (about 3 ounces)

In a food processor coarsely chop mixed dried fruit and dates with spices, salt, and sugar. In a heavy saucepan combine dried fruit mixture, cranberries, and 2 cups water and cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until the fruit is tender. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until combined well. Stir cornstarch mixture into dried fruit mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in brandy and cool mincemeat.

The dough we use for the pie is Melissa D'Arabian's dough from her Petite Orange and Raspberry Pochettes. 

Here's how you make it:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour

Beat the butter and cream cheese in a bowl with a mixer until light and creamy. Slowly add the flour, mixing just until a dough forms (do not over mix). Divide the dough into two balls, then flatten each into a disk. Wrap plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out disk of dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out rounds using a 3 inch cutter. Top each with about 1/2 teaspoon of mincemeat filling. Brush the edges of the dough with water, then fold the dough over to make a half moon and press to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork to better the seal and to give it a nicer look. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

And here's what they look like! Then we glazed them with a confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla glaze, kind of like a royal icing.

After Glaze! Don't they look super pretty :)

I hope this makes people who once feared mincemeat, not as scared anymore because of the unappealing name. They actually are really yummy! Enjoy the rest of your weekend and come back tomorrow for an extra special treat! xoxo

Day 13: Wheat Thin Sandwiches?

We have passed the half way point in the project! Yay!! Today we are making wheat thin sandwiches... That sounds weird doesn't it? But actually they are so good. My mom and I discovered these sweet and salty sandwiches of deliciousness at my cousin's pre prom party about two years ago. We saw these little squares covered white chocolate and tasted them. They were so good, I mean we couldn't stop eating them good. We had absolutely no idea what they were but we knew we needed to figure out what they were. We dissected them as a scientist dissects a frog. We pulled apart the two crackers and found the peanut butter inside. So we discovered one ingredient but we couldn't figure out what the crackers were so we kept eating them and eating them until finally someone realized they were wheat thins! We were so proud that we finally solved the mystery of the curious, addictive chocolate squares. Ever since that day we've been wanting to make the scrumptious treat. So when we planned this project, we decided to test them out. Since we don't have a recipe or anything for this, we are going to "play it by ear" as they say.

What you'll need:
(Quantity depending on how many you wish to make)
Wheat Thin crackers
Peanut Butter
White or Milk Chocolate, melted

Sandwich two wheat thin crackers together with peanut butter. Put them in the refrigerator to let them cool or to speed up the process, put them in the freezer. They need to cool so that they peanut butter does not melt once they are dipped in the hot, melted chocolate. While they are cooling, melt the chocolate of your choice, milk or white (we used white). Once the sandwiches are cooled completely, dip them in the chocolate and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the chocolate set before serving.

We sprinkled them with sanding sugar because it's not Christmas unless everything is decorated with red and green looking stuff. Am I right??

They are really good, just as good as we remembered! I'll see everyone here tomorrow but if not enjoy your weekend!

Day 12: Pretzel Turtles

Turtles are a very popular candy that my mom and I love. A few years ago, we found a recipe for pretzel turtles that looked absolutely delicious so we tried it out. It was made of pretzels, a dove caramel chocolate, and a pecan. They were a hit but we always found them to be extremely messy and they didn't look very pretty which is an important factor to food (duh!). We made them for years because they tasted so good but we were always disappointed in how they appeared. A week or so ago, we found a recipe on Ree Drummond's blog for pretzel turtles that looked 10x prettier than the ones we made and they looked pretty simple to make. So today, we tried making Ree's pretzel turtles. We weren't sure what to expect since we have never made them before but they turned out pretty well. Although they were much more laborious to make than the others.

Here's how you make them!

Adapted from Ree Drummond's Pretzel Turtles:

Pretzel Turtles-

24 whole mini-pretzel twists (we used pretzel waffles)
24 whole individually wrapped caramel squares, unwrapped
8 ounces milk chocolate, melted
24 whole pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet and put in oven for 5-6 minutes until they're lightly toasted. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pretzels neatly on the pan, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped caramel. Place the pan into the oven for 4-5 minutes or until the caramels have softened (not melted). Gently press a pecan half onto each caramel, just enough for the caramel to fill the pretzel. Set them aside to cool completely. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. When the pretzel/caramels are cooled, remove from baking sheet. Spoon small dollops of chocolate all over the baking sheet, then lightly drop each pretzel onto the middle of each dollop (make sure they are centered). Allow them to cool completely before serving.

They look gorgeous. We drizzled the tops with white chocolate to make it just a little prettier and more "holidayish".

Although they look really good, I have to say they don't compare to the other pretzel turtles we make. They have a great flavor but the texture of the caramels are too chewy while the chocolate is too soft, making it difficult to enjoy the flavor of the candy. Sorry Ree, but I think we'll probably stick with our turtles next year, although yours truly are beautiful. Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow!