Recipe Review - Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

Oh. my. goodness. Peanut butter, chocolate, cheesecake, chocolate... I mean need I say more?

I saw this recipe from Shugary Sweets while cruising Pinterest and knew I had to find an opportunity to try it. It seemed a little over the top, but looked oh so good and doable. Then when I saw Dove chocolates on sale, it was like a sign. I needed to make this recipe.

Since it is football season, gameday seemed like the perfect time to make this yummy dessert to share.

I actually followed the recipe exactly (well except the frosting) and made sure I had all the ingredients for this one. Go me!

I even took pictures all along the way. Double go me!

The recipe looks like a lot and might seem a little overwhelming at first, but it was surprisingly simple and easy to follow. It even turned out really pretty instead of like one of those "nailed it" photos you see. You know the ones I'm talking about.

I read through all of the tips before starting the cake and I felt like they were helpful, although besides making sure your cheesecake has time to chill and set I think you probably could make this alright without reading them as thoroughly as I did.

I started with the peanut butter cheesecake section and Oh.My. The smell that filled my kitchen was almost enough to make me want to start eating things with raw eggs... almost mind you, I'm still firmly in the don't eat raw eggs camp thanks to my momma. (Hi mom!) So the cheesecake batter all made it to the pan without being tested. I mean just look at this yumminess.

Oh so tempting...

Then I remember these

I didn't have the same size cake pans and springform pan as she suggests using so I knew from the start I would have to do some trimming. That turned out to not be difficult at all and resulted in some yummy cheesecake snack pieces. Bonus!

In order to get the parchment paper to stay, which I always seem to have a hard time with, I tucked it around the bottom of the pan and then attached the sides as a way to hold it in. I trimmed off the excess paper underneath and was ready to go. This did take a few tries to get the pan put together right, but I think it made the process of filling it with batter much simpler for me.

I baked the cheesecake the day before I was going to serve this and then I went ahead and baked the cake too. I am a passionate non-coffee lover. I mean like I don't love it or even like it a little, so adding coffee to the batter took some gusto for me but with some encouragement from the coffee drinking hubby I did it. I must say, the original recipe notes were right, you really couldn't taste it in the end. (I neglected to take photos of the cake baking process, boo)

The next day I pulled out the cheesecake and cake layers and went to work assembling. One cake layer, topped with the cheesecake, topped with the other cake layer. I could have stopped there and been pretty happy! HA!

After assembling and centering them all up as best I could I grabbed a serrated knife and went to work trimming down the cheesecake to the same size as the cake layers. I might or might not have tried a few pieces of the cheesecake shavings as I went.. and there may or may not have been noises of yumminess coming from my kitchen table around this time.

After assembling and trimming I whipped up the frosting and grabbed a spatula and an offset spatula to slather on a nice layer all around the cake.

Here is where I varied from the recipe just slightly. I only made a half recipe of frosting.

I know any frosting lovers out there are gasping and your jaws have just dropped. See the thing is, I've never been a fan of massive amounts of frosting. Even this incredibly yummy frosting which I totally licked off the spatula when I was done.

I like it but I don't want it overwhelming everything else and in my experience almost all frosting recipes leave me with way too much for my liking. So there you have it. For us a half recipe was perfect. I generously frosted the cake and still had some left over for decorating. Even after decorating, I'd say a few tablespoons were still leftover.

Making the ganache was a new experience for me, but it was so simple and really cool to see it all melt together after whisking it. It poured so smoothly over the chilled cake too. I have a feeling I will be making this ganache again for other recipes.

 

After the ganache was set I did a little decorating. I don't have a decorating bag so for that part I just used a quart sized zipper storage bag with the corner cut off.

Overall I would give this recipe 5 stars. Surprisingly easy (Multiple steps but they're easy to follow) and very yummy. My only complaint was I wish the cake had not dried out quite so much after being in the fridge. My solution was to pop each piece in the microwave for about 7-10 seconds before eating. That made it a little better to me.

If you think you can't make desserts that look like this I encourage you to give this one a try. If I can do it, you can do it!

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Pinch of salt (kosher or sea salt)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

CAKE
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1.5 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled (or use 1 cup milk instead of 1/2 cup each)
1/2 cup milk

FROSTING
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2.5 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk

GANACHE
15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES (about 4 oz)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Dove Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate PROMISES for garnish

Directions

CHEESECAKE:

Preheat oven to 325. Fill a shallow pan with about 1 inch of water and place on bottom rack of oven.

Line a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper (see above for how I did mine).

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add peanut butter, salt, and eggs. Beat well

Beat in sour cream and heavy cream, scraping sides as needed. Allow to mix on high for two minutes until thick and creamy and try to refrain from eating it.

Pour into prepared springform pan and place in bottom 2/3 of oven (just above pan with water). Bake for 45 minutes then turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for additional 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Once cool, refrigerate in pan until ready to assemble. Or you can remove from pan and freeze for later use (Thaw in fridge if frozen

CHOCOLATE CAKE:
Spray two 9 inch (or 8 inch if you're like me) pans with baking spray (or grease and flour). Set aside and preheat oven to 350.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In measuring cup combine cooled coffee with milk (or use 1 cup of milk instead of using coffee at all). Set aside. 

In large bowl beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes with electric mixer. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Slowly alternate adding dry ingredients and coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).

Once all ingredients added, beat mixture for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Divide cake batter into two pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove and cool about 10 minutes in pan. Invert onto wire rack and cool completely. And again try not to eat them right then and there. mmm warm cake.

FROSTING:
Beat butter for about 3 minutes with electric mixer until pale in color, scraping sides of bowl as needed. 
Add in peanut butter, sugar and milk. Beat additional 3-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy and well blended.
Frost cake with generous layer, reserving a little for decorating. 
Refrigerate frosted cake while making ganache. 

GANACHE:
Unwrap 15 Dove Dark Chocolate PROMISES and place in microwave safe glass bowl. Add cream and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir then heat for additional 30 seconds. Use a whisk to quickly stir until smooth.
Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

ASSEMBLY:
On cake plate, place one layer of chocolate cake. Add cheesecake on top, then top with second layer of chocolate cake. (If you were like me and had different size pans, get out your serrated knife and commence to carving away the yummy pieces of extra cheesecake until the edges of all three layers are the same size. Be sure to have a container on hand to store them for snacks later!)
Spread frosting on sides and top of cake in thick layer and refrigerate while preparing ganache.
Pour cooled ganache over center of cake and smooth out to edges, allowing to drip down sides of cake.
Use reserved frosting to pipe swirl or other decorations on top and around bottom of cake. If you don't have decorating tools on hand just use a small plastic food storage bag with the corner cut off.
Use unwrapped Chocolate/Peanut Butter PROMISES to decorate if desired.
Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Recipe Review - Old Time Ice Cream

A while back I bought one of those inexpensive little ice cream freezers... and by a while back I mean over a year ago and by inexpensive I mean off brand and dirt cheap. This isn't one of the nice ones like my sister (who usually makes the ice cream for family gatherings) has, but I thought it was worth a try for a starter.


I kept meaning to try it but for the longest there wasn't room in the freezer to store the bowl. After recently inheriting a deep freeze I finally had room. So the other day we wanted some ice cream but were trying to stick to the budget so I didn't want to buy any and I thought it would be the perfect time to try it out. I already had all of the ingredients at home for this recipe I found online. It looked promising and creamy in this photo so we gave it a whirl.

I will say that I wasn't sure the little freezer was going to be able to make it at first but I also didn't refrigerate the mixture for anywhere near as long as the machine instructions suggested. It said four hours and I did maybe 30 minutes. Finally after about 35 minutes of churning it started looking like ice cream. Good thing too since the machine instructions also said not to run it for over 40 minutes. Next time I'll try it the way it suggests. This time I was too far into the process when I read that part, so we just went with it.

Overall this recipe tasted pretty good but like most other homemade ice creams I've tried it leaves something to be desired in the consistency department if you, like me, are a fan of creamy ice cream. It wasn't super icy but it also wasn't very creamy. Very soft serve like when we first made it, then it hardened after being stored in the freezer for a day or so. (I neglected to take any photos before it was all gone - I'll get the hang of that one of these days) It did soften back up nicely as we dipped it out and let it warm up a little bit, but still not what I would classify as creamy. I'll keep trying and let you know if I find one that meets my expectations in the creaminess factor.

At this point I don't think my love for Blue Bell is in any danger. Ahhh Blue Bell, such a wonderful indulgence.

Ingredients
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt

Directions
Whisk all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. At this point I put it in the refrigerator for a while to get nice and cold. Then later we turned the ice cream freezer on and poured in the mixture (a very messy task it turns out, at least for us and this particular machine). Freeze according to your machines instructions. After ice cream is ready transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

You could add some extras in toward the last five minutes or so of the churning process too but we just went with vanilla this time.

Overall I give it 4 stars for ease and taste. I'm still looking for that last star on creaminess though. :)

Recipe Review - Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

It seems that I am always trying to find recipes to use up odd amounts of leftovers in my pantry or refrigerator. I don't like to waste (especially food!). I had a half a block of cream cheese that has been in the fridge and I've been trying to find something in which to use it. I was also craving something chocolate. Never mind that this particular day I had already had two mini cappuccino chocolate chuck muffins for breakfast (oh my were they warm and yummy - but in my defense they were very small) and a chocolate chip cookie at lunch. Before that I had not had chocolate for quite a while... at least several days, so I was due some catching up.

Enter this Cream Cheese Cookie Bars recipe. After searching the internet for cream cheese recipes that included chocolate I came across these beauties via this Six Sisters Stuff post (I found quite a few interesting looking recipes there!). I was intrigued. I only had half a block of cream cheese and this recipe called for a whole block, but I've never been one to let details like that stop me. Especially if they are standing between me and chocolate. Not happening.

I had a pouch of Betty Crocker oatmeal chocolate chip cookie mix in the pantry and since that was the only cookie dough around, that is what we used. I did notice the original recipe appeared to use an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough as well, so hey we were doing good there!

I was very pleased with how they turned out. In fact, I think I liked this better than I would have with the whole block of cream cheese. I think it would have been too much for me. I was more interested in the chocolate and cookie parts so this turned out just right for us. You could always go by the original recipe and use the whole block if you're more of a cream cheese than chocolate fan.

The lighting in my kitchen is no bueno and I didn't think to take a picture until we had eaten a few, but you get the general idea. You will notice that several are already gone and we'd only eaten them once at this point... ahem. Please remember this is a judgment free zone. Oh you didn't know? Why yes this is definitely a judgement free zone, especially when it comes to chocolate. Grace extends to all areas of life. ;-)

The consistency was nice and gooey without being too gooey (is that even really a word?). I recommend eating them warm. We've just popped them in the microwave for a few seconds on our subsequent helpings. A nice glass of milk or some ice cream would also be yummy if you're into that sort of thing. I had milk with mine since no ice cream was on hand and it was quite good. Below is the recipe for our take on these yummy treats. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Cookie Bars 
Ingredients
4 ounce (1/2 brick) cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar was in original recipe so I just filled my 1/3 cup half full on this part
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
1 package of oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough (prepared according to package directions)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Using a mixer, mix the first four ingredients on med-high speed until light and fluffy. (This took a little longer than I expected and I was concerned that a whole egg was too much, but eventually it got to a consistency I felt good about. Might have taken slightly longer than the 2 minutes in the original recipe). Into an 8×8 inch greased baking dish, evenly press cookie dough to cover the bottom with a thick layer - we probably used a little over half the package. Pour cream cheese mixture over top and spread to edges of dish. Break the remaining dough into small pieces and sprinkle over top of cream cheese mixture. Lower oven heat to 325° and bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out (almost) clean. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Recipe Review - Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

So the other day there were two bananas sitting on my counter on their last leg. I mean these babies were not going to last another day. I started to make my usual banana bread recipe that is my go to for perishing bananas, but decided I wanted to try something different. I did a few searches on the internet and toyed around with a couple of ideas. Then I saw the latest issue of Southern Living sitting on the kitchen table and thought to myself "what if there is a nice banana recipe in there, how cool would that be". So I open it up and it almost immediately went to the page containing these treats.

Now, I did not have exactly all of the ingredients called for, but I didn't have the luxury of waiting until I got them (remember bananas perishing on the counter) so I pressed forward. Let's face it, I like to be rebel sometimes anyway.

They didn't turn out looking anywhere near as lovely as the photos in the magazine, but then again I never really expect my food to turn out looking like food that has a staff of stylists working on it. I could look that good if I had stylists working on me every day, but that's another story.

Overall, they turned out pretty well (I'd give them 3 stars) even with the substitutions I made so I imagine using the actual ingredients it calls for they'd be great! But who has time for such nonsense as that when languishing bananas are at stake HA! I noted below where I exchanged ingredients and what I used in it's place. I just love Southern Living Magazine. I feel like I could cook anything when I read their recipes.

Original recipe from Southern Living September 2016:

Ingredients 

BANANA CREAM FILLING

1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana (about 2 small)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (all I had was the good ole bottled variety)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons heavy cream (none of this either so I just used milk and it was only 2% at that)

CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (4 oz.) salted butter, softened

1/4 cup whole milk (again only had 2%)

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM

6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon table salt

3 cups (about 12 oz.) powdered sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp. heavy cream (2% milk here again too)

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used some chocolate chips I had on hand, but that really didn't work. Get the good melting chocolate!)

Preparation

1. Prepare the Banana Cream Filling: Stir together banana and lemon juice in a small bowl. Beat 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 3 ounces cream cheese, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the banana-lemon mixture, reserving the remaining 3/4 cup banana-lemon mixture for the batter.

2. Prepare the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking cup liners in a 12-cup muffin pan; lightly coat liners with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter at medium speed in a large bowl until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add milk, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat at low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. (Mixture may look curdled.) Gradually add flour mixture, beating at medium-low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir reserved 3/4 cup banana-lemon mixture into batter.

3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon cupcake batter into each muffin cup; top evenly with Banana Cream Filling. Top evenly with remaining cupcake batter, and bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown and cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

4. Prepare the Peanut Butter Buttercream: Beat peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl at medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups powdered sugar alternately with 3 tablespoons of the cream, beating at low speed until smooth after each addition. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Spoon frosting into a ziplock plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe about 3 tablespoons buttercream onto each cupcake. Drizzle melted chocolate evenly over buttercream.