Tag: Cream Cheese

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

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Having been assigned to bring a dessert to a luncheon today, I quickly started to explore cookbooks for something pumpkin, since it is officially Pumpkin Month here in Pumpkinville. As I leafed through The Cake Doctor, I came across a Pumpkin spice cake, which I used for the cupcake base (making a few adjustments) and then just added a little cream cheese surprise for the middle, topping it off with cream cheese frosting. The result received many compliments.

Preheat oven to 350.
1 Duncan Hines Yellow or Spice cake mix*See below
1 package (3.4 oz) french vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup pumpkin, canned puree of pumpkin, not pumpkin mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teas cinnamon
1/2 teas ground ginger
*because I didn’t have a spice cake mix, I used a yellow one and added an additional 1 teas of pumpkin pie seasoning to the mix, if you use spice cake mix, I would leave this out.

Cream cheese filling
1 8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teas vanilla

Frosting
1 (1 lb) box of powdered sugar (equals about 3 1/2 cups)
8 oz (1 stick) softened butter
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (add a little at a time, as it might not need all of this, but might need a little more, depending on how thick you like the frosting.

Cake:
Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes on medium. Set aside

Cream cheese filling:
Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well. Beat until no more lumps appear.

Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Add enough batter to liner to cover bottom. Drop about a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into middle of the batter. Cover this mixture with more of the pumpkin batter until cupcake holder is about a little more than 1/2 full. Bake in preheated 350 oven until cupcakes test done. About 20 minutes, depending on your oven. I always take mine out when the tops look a little shiny but still feel done to the touch. Let cool and continue using batter and filling until all is used. (You will probably have some of the filling left over, but just keep covered in fridge for another use or you can actually add it to your frosting ingredients, as it is just cream cheese and powdered sugar.)

Frosting

Beat all ingredients until smooth and then frost cooled cupcakes. Keep covered in fridge. Remove from refrigerator about an hour before serving time.

Breads · Breakfast · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Muffins & Toast

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IMG_4880This week, I have had the blessing of being invited to two different friends homes, one for lunch, the other for breakfast. At both homes, I came away with great recipes that I wanted to share. Debbie, who had the luncheon served cheese muffins which were just so good. Actually, anything with 3 cups of cheese is good, but these were gooey and ever so yummy. She served them with cucumbers with dill and cherry tomatoes and fruit.

Today, I was at  Connies, a new friend,  for breakfast where she served blueberry stuffed french toast.  Walking into her home, the aroma of grilled bread permeated the house and we sat down to warm blueberry syrup as she carried a platter of the scrumptious french toast over to us. Because Randy and I tend to usually eat toast with peanut butter in the mornings, or a bowl of cereal, this was a real treat. Unless we are celebrating something special like, we went for 2 days without eating dessert, or we actually walked past the fridge without opening it for 1 whole hour the evening before, when we will allow ourselves to splurge on toasts, sausage, eggs and hash browns.

Connie and Debbie, thank you both for serving dishes which were both new to me. Am excited to post them to share with others.

Cheese Muffins (taken from Pioneer Woman)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tables sugar

1 tables baking powder

1/2 teas salt

3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (let it cool for a few minutes before using)

(I did add about 1 tables parsley flakes, 1/2 teas dry mustard and 1/2 teas garlic powder to the dry ingredients)

Whisk together dry ingredients, then stir in cheese.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, milk and butter together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine. Divide mixture between 12 greased (well greased) muffin tins. The hostess used paper liners but the muffins tended to stick to the paper liners, so when I made these last night, I just eliminated the liners and heavily greased (with Pam) the muffin pan. After about 5 minutes of taking out of the oven, they came out very easily after running a knife around the edges.

Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 and I could have eaten all 12 with a slab of butter on top of each one.

Blueberry French Toast

As I sit here writing the recipes, it just dawned on me that if you are a busy mom who is always in a hurry in the mornings, you could even buy the frozen french toast and use it.

Make your french toast according to your favorite recipe. When you have the amount of slices you need to serve the number of people who will be gracing your table, spread about 1 teas of softened cream cheese on half of one side of the toast. Place about 4-6 blueberries on the cream cheese and using the spatula, fold the piece of french toast in half covering the cream cheese and blueberries. Allow to sit in the skillet or griddle for a minute to allow the cream cheese to almost melt. Serve with heated blueberry syrup.

 

 

Cakes · Desserts · Holiday Fare

Carrot Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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The thought of going a full day without posting something sweet just makes me crazy. When I found this in the same old Tea Time  Magazine that the Bittersweet brownie recipe came from, I saved it for when I had the energy to shred 2 cups of carrots, but now that you can buy them in the store already shredded, I love to make any type of carrot cake. This one combines the flavor of cream cheese in the cake. So…when you are thinking, “I need to eat more veggies” hiding them with cream cheese is a great way to eat healthy. At least in my world.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 ( 8oz) cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teas ground cinnamon

6 large eggs

1 teas vanilla

1/2 teas lemon extract (or orange extract) (I used the orange because I added orange zest to the batter)

2 cups shredded carrots

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325. (I added orange zest along with orange extract) Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Using mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5-7 minutes.

In small bowl, combine flour and cinnamon. Add 1 cup flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Add 2 eggs, beating just until yellow disappears. Repeat procedure with remaining flour and eggs.

Stir in vanilla and lemon (or orange) extract, carrots and pecans. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Glaze

2/3 cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon orange juice

Add enough powdered sugar to make glaze spreading consistency.

In small bowl, combine sugar and orange juice, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Breakfast · Cakes · Holiday Fare

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Strusel Coffee Cake

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Tomorrow morning we are having several friends over for breakfast and I wanted to serve a coffee cake.  I found two different ones so I combined them and it is in the oven at this moment. Cannot wait to try a bite (or a huge piece)

The cake portion is from Taste of Home

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin

1/4 cup oil

1/2 teas vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

2 teas ground cinnamon

1 teas baking soda

1/2 teas salt

Filling:

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 tables sugar

Topping (this is from a new cookbook that a friend of mine just completed, thank you Mary)

Crumble Topping

 1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 teas ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter, cold

Directions

In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 13×9″ baking dish.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, egg and sugar until smooth. Drop by tablespoons over batter and swirl into pumpkin mixture with a knife. Combine topping ingredients and cut up butter with pastry blender or 2 forks until mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle over cake mixture and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Serves 12-15

Fruit · Salads

Frozen Strawberry Salad

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In 2002, after moving back to Dallas from California, our house became the meeting place of several ladies groups for luncheon’s. I loved the opportunity to not only cook for a large gathering, but to grab the chance to show friends how much fun it can be to have people in your home. Cooking for a crowd is so much fun. It allows you to make different recipes that you possibly wouldn’t make when you normally cook for just 2 or 3. This salad was a winner, because it could be made ahead of time and frozen. It is easy to double or triple, whatever the need be. Remember this come holiday season. It is taken from “Miss Daisy Celebrates Tennessee” a cookbook given to me years ago by a sweet friend, Simone, who knew my love of new cookbooks.

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large bananas, sliced

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 (14 oz) can pineapple chunks, drained

1 (16 oz) package frozen strawberries, thawed

1 (8 oz) carton whipped topping, thawed

Assemble all ingredients. In large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add bananas, pineapple, strawberries and whipped topping. Stir in pecans. Pour into a 9×13 dish. Freeze

When ready to serve, cut into serving sizes that you need.

Serves: 12-15

 

Breads · Desserts · Fruit

Cream Cheese Blueberry Shortcakes

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My neighbor puts all her magazines on my front porch when she is finished looking through them. I subscribe to Southern Lady, Southern Living, Taste of Home and Paula Deen, but benefit from of all the ones Nancy receives as well. Today, opening the front door, I saw a new Martha Stewart magazine on the chair. Looking through it I saw so many great recipes, but to be honest, most of them I will never make. Many are really way to healthy or way to complicated for my liking, but this one, this one, well, it will be made this weekend. Anything with blueberries, butter and cream cheese, catches my eye.

Non-stick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tables granulated sugar
3/4 teas salt
1 3/4 teas baking powder
1/4 teas baking soda
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 oz cream cheese (2 oz cold and 6 oz room temperature)
4 oz blueberries (about 2/3 cup) (more for the serving plate)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus more for serving
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
Coat 2 parchment-lined baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Incorporate butter and cold (2 tables) cream cheese into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to freezer and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 with racks in upper and lower thirds. Transfer flour mixture to another large bowl. Add blueberries and stir buttermilk into dough, gently folding with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms. Do not over mix. Divide dough into 8 even mounds, placing about 2″ apart on baking sheets. (4 per sheet)
Bake, rotating halfway through until shortcakes are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
Meanwhile, beat together remaining 6 oz cream cheese and powdered sugar with mixer until smooth. Gradually add whipping cream, beating just until mixture becomes smooth and thick, about 1 minute.
Do not overbeat. Serve alongside shortcakes and more fresh berries, with powdered sugar for sprinkled over shortcakes with berries on top.

Desserts · Fruit

Key Lime Bars

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

When you can’t have Houston’s Key Lime pie, go for these. These bars can even be frozen for later use or when you are just wanting to get them out of sight so you don’t eat the whole pan. Then you can just take a couple out (or 5) whenever you have a craving for them.
1 1/4 cup flour
30 vanilla wafers, broken into pieces
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
In a food processor, combine the four, wafers, powdered sugar and pecans. Cover and process until nuts are finely ground. Add butter, cover and pulse until crumbly.
Press into an ungreased 13×9 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-18 min or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, combine the following:
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tables milk (or cream)
1 teas vanilla
Beat these ingredients until well blended and spread over cooled crust.
Key Lime Layer
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup lime juice
Combine sugar and flour; whisk in eggs and lime juice. Gently pour over cream cheese layer.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until filling is set. Cool on rack. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until chilled.
Before serving, sprinkle a with powdered sugar. Cut into squares.
Yields: 3 dz small squares

Cookies · Desserts

Lemon Tassies

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I couldn’t wait to share these with you. Going through my Martha Stewart Cookie Cookbook today looking for my usual Chocolate Biscotti recipe, I found these. They just sound to good not to bake today. I am so glad I listened to my heart yesterday that said, “go ahead and pick up that pretty little lemon, you just might need it this week” So I don’t have to run to the store to get lemon zest. It is already here.

For the crust:

2 cups flour

10 tables (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/4 cup plus 2 tables sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 teas vanilla extract

2 teas finely grated lemon zest

1/4 teas salt

Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:

8 oz room temp cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

3 tables finely grated lemon zest

1 tables fresh lemon juice

1/2 teas vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Coat two 24-cup mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.
Make crusts: process flour and butter in a food processor until mixture is the consistency of fine crumbs. Add sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Process just until combined and sandy in texture. Do not over process.

Divide dough into quarters. Divide each quarter into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place each ball in a muffin cup. Press into cup, stretching dough up the sides. Set each muffin tin on a baking sheet.
Bake crusts 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned all over. Tap down any puffed centers of the shells with the end of a wooden spoon. Transfer muffin tins to wire racks to cool.

Make filling by combing cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon zest, juice and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Using a 1″ round melon scoop or a spoon, fill the cooled crusts with filling, evenly dividing the filling between the 24 crusts.

Bake the cookies until filling is set and just beginning to color at the edges, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks again to cool. Tassies can be refrigerated in airtight containers up to 3 days.

Makes 4 dozen tassies

 

Cakes · Fruit

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

When I saw this recipe on Just A Pinch, I could only imagine how good this would be until this morning. Just ate my first one. Yum! They gave it as a layer cake, but had to make cupcakes because I wanted to share some and didn’t know quite how many I would eat before actually getting them out the door. So glad it made 29 cupcakes. I could have 5 of them all to myself. With this new computer, I have not figured out how to get the pics from my phone to this blog, so cannot post a picture yet, but will learn as soon as my daughter gets here next week.

Recipe worth sharing:

1 white Duncan Hines Cake mix

1 small box strawberry jello ( not the sugar free)
1 cup of sweetened, undrained mashed strawberries

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

Mix all ingredients for cake and pour into 2 9″ greased cake pans, 1 9×11 pan or cupcake liners.

Bake until cake or cupcakes tests done.

When cooled, frost with the following:

1 stick butter, softened

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 box of powdered sugar  (3 1/2 cups powdered sugar)

A little of the strawberry juice left over from the thawed strawberries to flavor and color the frosting. If you don’t want to use cream cheese use the following recipe

1 box powdered sugar

1 stick softened butter

1/2 cup mashed strawberries, drained

Mix until smooth and frost cake

Cakes · Desserts · Fruit

Paula Deen Strawberry Cake

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

To show support of Paula I thought today I would post a recipe from the new July magazine that just arrived the other day. I have not make it but intend to do so after I finish baking what I have committed to for some people. So, Paula, this one’s for you! Thank you for being a lady, through this very difficult season.

1 cup butter, softened (always best to use unsalted)

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 teas strawberry extract

5 large eggs

3 cups flour

1 package (3 oz) package of strawberry gelatin

2 teas baking powder

1/4 teas salt

3/4 cup pureed thawed frozen sweetened strawberries

3/4 cup milk

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9 baking pan with Pam baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and extract at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, gelatin, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, (whew, I am exhausted from bending over to get all these bowls out from the cabinet.), combine strawberry puree and milk. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with strawberry mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until combined after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-35 min, depending on your oven. When wooden pick comes out clean, it is done. Let cake cool and then spread strawberry frosting on top. Store covered in fridge up to 3 days.

Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese

1/4 cup pureed thawed frozen sweetened strawberries

4 cups powdered sugar

In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add rest of ingredients and then powdered sugar at the last. Beat until powdered sugar is smooth and no lumps remain.