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 :) 

My Coconut Cupcakes w/coconut cream cheese frosting!

So far I've made two cupcakes from my own recipe.  I've made a pumpkin cupcake and a coconut cupcake.  They were both really good!  Here's my recipe for the coconut! :)




Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon vanilla
13 1/2 oz. of coconut milk


Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Then, in an electric mixer combine the butter and the sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Once well combined, add the eggs, vanilla and the coconut milk.  Mix on medium speed until combined.  Put cupcakes into cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes.  Let cool for 10-15 minutes.


Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut milk


Directions: Combine all the ingredients into an electric mixer.


For a little something extra, I toasted some coconut to go on the top!  Here's all you need!


4 cups sweetened coconut flakes


Directions:
Put the coconut onto a rimmed cookie sheet.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Toast coconut 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Sprinkle toasted coconut over the already frosted coconut cupcakes!


Enjoy!

Pancakes w/ Raspberry drizzle and Coconut whipped cream

Today when I got up in the morning, I was looking through some food blogs.  Since I hadn't eaten anything  I started to get really hungry!  So I decided to make some pancakes!  I added some chocolate chips, but you don't have to if you don't want to.  OK here's the recipe to the pancakes!


Ingredients:
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon


Directions:
Mix the baking powder, flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
Break the egg into the bowl.  Add the milk and stir until the batter is smooth.  Add the oil and mix.  Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat.  Tilt the skillet to cover the bottom with the oil.  Pour in the batter a little at a time to make circles about 2 1/2 inched across.  Make sure you leave room between the pancakes-be careful because the batter spreads out!  When the pancakes are full of bubbles but before the bubbles burst, turn them with a pancake turner.  Cook until the bottoms are browned.   Use the pancake turner to remove them from the skillet and stack them up on a plate.  Then put in another tablespoon of oil in the skillet and start a new batch.  (If you want chocolate chips in the batter, put a handful of chocolate chips into the batter once you put the pancake onto the skillet)


Raspberry drizzle:
1 cup frozen raspberries or regular raspberries
1/2 cup sugar


Directions:  Heat up frozen raspberries in a microwavable bowl and wait till they are warm and aren't frozen.  Put the raspberries into a small saucepan and set the temperature to medium.  Once warmed up and mostly melted add the sugar and stir.




Coconut whipped cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon coconut imitation
1/2 cup sugar


Directions:
Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer on high speed.  After fluffy and peaks are starting to form add the coconut imitation and the sugar.  


After everything is made stack the pancakes up, put a dollop of the coconut whipped cream on top of them and drizzle the raspberry sauce on top.  For extra decoration put a sprinkle of powdered sugar for a finishing touch.


Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting!

Yesterday I made dinner and dessert for my whole family.  I made some easy Chicken Quesadillas, with Spanish rice and my homemade guacamole, and then for dessert I made a coffee cupcake with a coffee cream cheese frosting.  So the dinner was a success, but the coffee cupcake, well let's just say it wasn't the best.  The frosting was amazing though!  That's why I'll tell you how to make a CHOCOLATE cupcake with the same coffee cream cheese frosting!  I got this chocolate cupcake recipe searching online.


Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (NOT PACKED)
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water


Directions:


Preheat the oven to  350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Fill muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.  Mix dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat with the mixer for about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula.   Add the boiling water and beat until just blended. (DON'T BE ALARMED THE BATTER WILL APPEAR VERY WATERY!)  Evenly pour the batter into the liners.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.


 Coffee Frosting Ingredients:


one 8-ounce package cream cheese, (room temperature)
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups confectioners sugar
4 teaspoons instant coffee grounds or ground espresso beans.


Directions:


In a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese and evaporated milk until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat until desired spreading consistency is achieved.
I also added decided I'd add a little caramel sauce on the top for a pretty decoration and some more flavor! :)


Caramel Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the brown sugar, butter, and cream to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue stirring for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the vanilla.  Pour the warm caramel topping over the cupcakes.  Enjoy! :)


Thanks
Alyssa :)

Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Yesterday I felt like making something really simple so I decided I'd whip up a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies!  This recipe is so good!  I'd have to say these are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had!  OK here's the ingredients!! :)




INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
 1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional: Chopped nuts (I didn't put the nuts in)




Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large electric mixer until creamy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by the rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.


These go great with a cold glass of milk!  Enjoy!! :)


Thanks
Alyssa :)