Cheesecake to die for!

Last week I had a wedding cake for a high school friend of my sisters.

This is not the most traditional of wedding cakes!
But in my humble opinion it is one of the best. The flavor is outstanding, and the guests cluster around the table, just waiting for the moment when the bride and groom will slice into the creamy goodness of new york cheesecake, and tart sweetness of the glazed strawberries, all surrounded by a smooth cream icing.

Cheesecake can come in many different shapes and sizes, bars, rounds, pops, wedges, but they are all good. Below is one of my favorite recipes for cheesecake bars. This recipe IS different from what I use for wedding cakes, and I wouldn't recommend it for this purpose, because it is almost TOO creamy. But it will wow your friends and neighbors at barbecues or family get togethers.

Prep Time:
15 min

Total Time:
5 hr 5 min

Makes:
16 servings, one piece each

1-1/2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs, or pecan sandies (My Favorite)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1-1/4 cups sugar, divided

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

2 tsp. vanilla, divided

1 container (16 oz.) Sour Cream, divided

4 eggs

2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. of the sugar; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup of the remaining sugar and 1 tsp. of the vanilla and lemon juice in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1 cup of the sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Mix remaining sour cream, 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until well blended; carefully spread over cheesecake. Bake an additional 10 min. Cool. Cover; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Lift cheesecake from pan, using foil handles. Top with strawberries just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

To make the presentation even more spectacular glaze the strawberries. Crush about 1 cup strawberries, add 1/2 c sugar. Cook over medium heat, add 2 T cornstarch dissolved in a little water. Cook until thick. Let cool, and brush over berries on cheesecake.

Enjoy!!!

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Yummm!


My son has recently decided that he does not like icing. (Huh?where did that come from?) This presents a problem with the traditional cupcakes for the class birthday treat, so my husband suggested I try black-bottom cupcakes, a chocolate/cream cheese confection that needs no embellishment. And, as I mixed up a batch for his class, ( and one or two for the rest of us) it occurred to me how much I like Black and White as a color combination.

I like it in cupcakes.


I like it in pictures.




I like it in wedding cakes.


(Especially this black and white china scroll pattern cake I did in December. The plexiglass stand glows!)



I like it in animals.




And I like it in decorating.

Basically it is a fabulous color combo that you just can't go wrong with.
And if you want to try these gooey, creamy, chocolatey cupcakes yourself, here is the recipe.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 1/2 cups sugar Salt 1 large egg 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans
with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer,
combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1/8 teaspoon
salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips
and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the
remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, the
baking soda and cocoa powder. Add 1 1/2 cups water,
the oil, vinegar and vanilla and stir until smooth.
3. Fill each baking cup two-thirds full with the cake
batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese
mixture ( I made a little well in the middle.).
Bake until the edges are firm to the touch,
about 25 minutes.
Enjoy.

Yard Sales and Potato Bread

Sunday evening I spent a while going through an old recipe book I found at a yard sale. It is filled with great old circa-1950's recipes, and good down home breads. I happened on one for potato bread, so , having had mashed potatoes for dinner I economized and used the leftovers for bread. Two days later it is still fresh and soft, and Sutton and I had peanut butter and raspberry jam sandwiches with of course homemade raspberry jam. Yumm. This is Sutton's everyday lunch, but today I indulged as well. The bread is great. Give it a try.
Soft Potato Sandwich bread;
3 C milk, scalded
6 T Sugar, 6 T Butter, 2 T salt, 3 medium potatoes, mashed, 3 T yeast activated in 1/2 c warm water, 10-11 C flour, Course cornmeal.
Combine all ingredients except flour and cornmeal, add 4 C flour, mix until combined. In electric(I love my Kitchenaid) mixer slowly add flour 1 C at a time until you have a soft dough. Knead 5 Min. Let rise until doubled, Knead 5 min, let rise second time. Sprinkle cormeal into loaf pans, shape bread, and let rise. Bake at 375 until golden and crunchy on the outside. Eat at least one loaf hot. Makes 4 loaves. Yumm.