Cheesy Dijon Macaroni

Cheese.

If the battle told of in the classic tale of Helen of Troy was not fought for a beautiful woman, it might have been fought for cheese. Just saying. In addition to cheese tasting amazing, it is full of essential calcium and great proteins, giving us just another reason to include this staple in our daily diet - with moderation of course!

I happen to be moving into a apartment across town, and I've been looking for ways to clear out all of the food I have sitting in my fridge. As I let my creative culinary juices flow the first thing I could think to do was to infuse some macaroni with the copious amounts of cheese I happen to have lying around. This is not your auntie's potluck mac-and-cheese, my friends. It's a flavor-packed rendition of the original and a fusion of more than a couple recipes and commenter  suggestions. But really, its the comforting macaroni and cheese we all love to eat in all of its gooey, cheesy glory. Read on for something kind of like a recipe.

Southern Living claims you can whip up a stellar mac and cheese in "three easy steps."I did use a variation of these steps, but don't call constantly whisking butter, flour, then milk, then spices, then cheese in a large skillet over a preheating oven "easy!" I don't mean to scare you off, the results are well worth it! But be prepared to sweat a little. Go ahead and click on that link for a easy cheesy mac prep guide. Note that you will need to cook and drain noodles according to instructions prior to dumping them in the cheese mixture and getting it happy in the oven. Also, the spices listed include salt, pepper, and optional red pepper. I added a little salt, pepper, cajun pepper, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. I also poured in whatever cheese I had on hand which was sharp cheddar, a shaved parmesan mix, the parmesan u shake out of a can, and a little Colby & Monterey jack mix.

And there you have it: my fancy-sounding Cheesy Dijon Macaroni! Onwards, friends, and create awesome cheesy creations of your own!

With Cheesy Love,

Ki

Blondies Have More Fun!!

By the time this post is published it will probably officially be March. You know what that means, right? Spring is coming!! In like a lion, out like a lamb as they say, and I can't wait for the cute fluffy lamb that is Spring to frolic back into the Pittsburgh area and bring some sun with it! 

Until I can have mild, sunny days and sunshine, I've been contenting myself with lots of baked goods. Now this isn't the best of things for my Spring Break bod, but the great thing is I share everything I make and spread the love (and calories) around! I was really on a brownies and bars kick in February and decided to switch things up and try some blondie bars, which are basically brownies except not cocoa-based and with more fun fillings. Or like a chocolate chip cookie bar. In this case, a white- and milk-chocolate-chip-craisin cookie/blondie bar! Easy stuff, right? I based my recipe on Guy Fieri's Blondie with Dark Roots recipe because, who doesn't love the show Diner, Drive-ins and Dives? I also tweaked it a lot to go with what I liked and because a little recipe experimentation never hurt anybody, well not yet, anyway. Go ahead and add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of whatever nuts, chocolate, or other fun cookie filler you like (coconut, banana chips...go wild!)

Here's what you will need:

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup craisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use tablespoon of butter to grease the sides of a 9 by 13 baking pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. 

In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy (Can use hand mixer, stand mixer, or good ol' whisk and willpower). Add packed brown sugar and continue beat until well incorporated. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in dry flour mixture just until it appears well mixed (can't see anymore dry flour in batter). 

Now for the fun part; fold in all of your fun mix-ins, like craisins and chocolate chips.

What's in your bowl?

Spread the batter in your buttered pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You know you wont be able to wait until they're cool to try one, but put them on a wire rack anyway and pretend.

To scale picture: stack of blondies = laptop keyboard... just kidding.

 In case you're in an exceptionally gratuitous mood, these blondies ship to friends fairly well when frozen after cooling and sent in a sealed ziplock inside a USPS-approved shipping bubble envelope or package. Enjoy often until they are all gone!!

And just an update to my previous post's Valentine's Day frenzy, just wanted to share these fun chocolate bon bons I made before the holiday and gave out to all of my many, many not-so-secret admirers. To sum up the recipe they are basically chocolate cake mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls, chilled and dipped in melted white or dark chocolate, and garnished with loved-themed sprinkles.

Yum! Always cook with Love,

LaVitaSweeter

Hello again! - Salted Caramel Brownies

Needless to say, I haven't posted for quite a while. I'm happy to say that I did make it back safely from southeast Asia, but certain sad events made it difficult for me to return to blogging. That's not to say I haven't been baking - its just the opposite!! For me, baking has always been a great comfort and stress reliever. Plus, it creates an excuse (and an incentive!) to invite family and friends to enjoy what I've created!! These same family and friends have been an invaluable part of my healing process, and I am so happy to have them.

I'm also happy to have found this great brownie recipes online!!! The brownies are an Alton Brown (from the Food Network) recipe, and I got the salted caramel frosting from the famous Paula Deen. Salted caramel is one of my new favorite flavors of the season, and the addition of chocolate makes it irresistible!!

For the brownies you will need:


Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the salted caramel frosting you will need:

1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons sea salt


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees, then butter and flour a 9in pan. With a hand mixer, stand mixer, or a whisk and some elbow grease, beat the eggs speed until fluffy and light yellow. Then add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes.

While the brownies are in the oven, get started on the frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk and butter. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off the stove and transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating with a whisk at (or medium speed mixer) until combined. Beat in the vanilla. If the brownies are not yet ready, stir occasionally to keep frosting from thickening.

If you have an electric oven (or if the smells coming from the oven are too good to resist) you might want to check the brownies with a toothpick at 35 minutes. When it's done, remove to a wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, cut the brownies if you wish to create a marbled effect. Gently spread frosting over the brownies; it will thicken as it cools. Sprinkle with the sea salt, gently pressing to adhere. Cool completely and enjoy!

Stay warm friends!!

Strawberry Mini Cheesecakes

Spring is here!! And that means that my favorite season, *summertime* is not too far behind! With 70 degree weather in March I believe it. I've been spending most of my days soaking in as much sun as possible, and many of my nights trying out new recipes!!

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to baking. Since I was little I remember being in the kitchen with my mom as she baked batches and batches of her famous pound cake to give away as Christmas presents. I would help with baking cookies, but up until college most of the baking I've done has been out of the box.

Since I moved into an apartment away from campus, I've found myself with an overwhelming desire to bake, bake... and bake some more! I love to bake for my friends, family, and I'd probably even bake for complete strangers if it would bring a smile to their faces. So I'm using this blog to chronicle my forays into baking, and most of my posts are of things that I'm trying for the first time. Even though I dont have much experience, my baking usually turns out delicious!! What can I say, it must run it the family!

Now here's a recipe that I tried a couple nights ago, and my friends RAVED about it. I've always wanted to try cheesecakes and decided to try mini versions so that everyone could try some! This recipe took quite a bit of time and is a little bit complex, but was totally worth all the hard work.

Here's what you'll need:

Cheesecake
1 1/2 packages light cream cheese (12 ounces)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Strawberry Filling

1 and 1/3 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen*
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
*I used frozen strawberries and only 1/2 cup of water


Graham Cracker Crust

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:

For the strawberry jelly, put strawberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. While the filling is cooking break up strawberries into small mushy pieces. Allow to boil uncovered for about 7 minutes, then take off heat and refrigerate to cool.

Now we will get the graham cracker crust ready. To start, melt 1/2 cup of butter in a small bowl. Place pieces of graham cracker in a ziplock bag and seal. Roll a rolling pin over the cookies, which should start to break up into small crumbs. Repeat this process until all cookies have been turned to crumbs and you have enough to fill 1 cup. Feel free to snack on any big chunks that dont break up!
In another small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour into bowl of melted sugar and mix with a fork until it is clumpy and sticks together between your fingers. Set aside.

Here we can get to the good part: the cheesecake! In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and cream cheese until well blended (I used an electric hand mixer). Add the whipped topping and mix until combined. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract.

Now it's time to assemble the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Take about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture and place at the bottom of each cupcake liner. Use a small glass or the backs of your fingers to press the crust flat onto the botom of the liner, making sure it covers the bottom of the liner. 

Remove your strawberry jelly from the fridge and place about 1 teaspoon of jelly on top of each graham cracker crust.

Fill cupcake cups about 3/4 full with cheesecake mixture. Place in oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, then turn heat down to 275 and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until tops are firm and slightly golden. Cool on wire rack until room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour (I refrigerated overnight).

When cheesecake is cooled, you can decorate however you want! I used a dollop of the whipped topping and the leftover strawberry filling and graham cracker mixture to garnish.

Makes 24 mini cheesecakes. Enjoy!!

-Ki