Cheesecake Parfaits

I made these DELICIOUS  cheesecake parfaits a couple weeks ago and they were a big success!  This recipe is super quick and really easy to make! I got this recipe on Food Network.  Here are the ingredients!!

Ingredients: 

1 8 oz. Cream cheese

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Graham cracker crumbs

Fresh pears

Crystallized ginger

(I added a maraschino cherry as well)

Directions:

Beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream.  Put a good amount of graham cracker crumbs in each glass.  Top with the cream cheese mixture, the fresh pears and the crystallized ginger.  Enjoy!
And that's it!  Super quick and super easy!



Thanks

-Alyssa :)

Blueberries and Cream Cupcakes!

Last night I made a delicious batch of blueberry cupcakes!  They were filled with blueberries and the texture and the flavor was so, so good.  My dad (who doesn't compliment people easily) said that these were the best cupcakes he's ever tasted!  I won't keep you waiting!  I got this recipe from the book Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.  Here's the recipe!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
2 cups fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish (I added pecans and a mint leaf instead)


Directions:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together both of the flours, baking powder and salt.  With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and the sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.  Reduce the speed to low.  Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combines after each.  Fold in the blueberries.  Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.  Bake rotating half way through until pale golden, about 25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before removing the cupcakes.  Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.


Frosting:
Whipped Cream!


Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar


Directions: Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar and whisk until combined.


To finish dollop the cupcakes with the whipped cream and garnish with blueberries or the chopped pecans and mint like I did.  Enjoy! :)


Thanks
Alyssa :)

Coconut Lime Drink

I've been making a lot of coconut things lately and I have again today!  Tonight I made a coconut, lime drink that was actually poured into a real coconut.  This drink was delicious!  I got this recipe from a food magazine called Bon Appetite.  The recipe calls for 1/4 cup gold rum and a 1/4 cup light rum, but since I'm a kid I can't have that.  So I totally omitted the rum.  And it was delicious without!  Here's the recipe!


Ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
2 fresh young coconuts (green skin cut away)
1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup light rum (optional)
1/4 cup gold rum (optional)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons pineapple juice
ice cubes
1 lime slice (for garnish)
1 maraschino cherry (for garnish)

Directions:

  Bring the sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Cool the simple syrup.  Cut off 2 inches of the top of the coconut.  Reserve the coconut water!  Mix 1/4 cup simple syrup, coconut milk, light rum, gold rum, lime juice, pineapple juice and 1/2 cup reserved coconut water in a large cocktail shaker.  (We don't have a cocktail shaker so we just shook it up into a large smoothie container.)  Pour the contents of the shaker into the coconuts, dividing equally.  Do not strain!  Garnish each with a lime slice and a maraschino cherry.  Serve with a straw and a spoon if you want to scrape out the fresh coconut from inside the shell.  Enjoy! :)

Thanks

Alyssa :)