Key Lime Cheesecake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream and Key Lime Macarons

I can't believe it is my Mom's birthday already.  This year has just flown by and it seems like I just make the decadent chocolate cheesecake for her 86th birthday.  Well here we are again...my Mom's birthday and I always make the cake. She loves cheesecake and I know that she loves key lime pie, so is there a better thing to make than a Key Lime Cheesecake?  

I think not!

This recipe had a wonder key lime glaze on top that really added to the flavor of this cheesecake.  And of course, since I have been trying to perfect my macaronage I made Key Lime Macarons to decorate the top!!  I nestled them in the mascarpone whipped cream.

Heaven!

I used fresh key lime juice...zesting and squeezing those little buggers is time consuming, but I think it tastes better.  I also put almonds in my graham cracker crust...that's just the way I roll.

This cake was hit!  Everyone loved it. 

Happy 87th Birthday Bebe!

Love you to the moon!

Until next time..

Be sweet and enjoy!

Key Lime Cheesecake 

recipe adapted from Food Pusher.com

  

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1/4 cup blanched almonds, ground
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 1 tablespoon sugar

Filling

• 2 1/2 sticks (20 oz. total) cream cheese at room temperature

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons key lime juice

Glaze (adapted from Creative Culinary)

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons key lime/lime juice

Topping/Garnish

• 2 cups heavy cream, whipped with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• Sliced key limes/limes

Directions:

Crust

Mix graham crackers, melted butter, and sugar in a medium bowl or plastic bag. Pour into a 7-inch spring form pan that's been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully spread crumb mixture evenly over the bottom and press firmly all over.

Filling

Put a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil on the bottom and up the sides of the spring from pan as a protective barrier to keep the water from getting into the cheesecake. I also like to put my pan into an oven-proof plastic turkey bag (top open) and then put it in the water bath, just to ensure I don't get a soggy cheesecake.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large shallow pan filled with 1 inch of water into the oven to create the water bath. 

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer), beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually beat in the sugar, sour cream, flour, and vanilla until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and lime juice and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 

Pour the cheesecake filling into the spring form pan. Place the pan into the water bath in the oven. After 8 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes, or until filling is puffed, set, and light brown. Remove from oven and from the water bath, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled to room temperature, take the foil off, put a paper towel over the pan, and then cover with the foil (you can use a new piece of foil, but reusing is just as good).  Refrigerate overnight.

For the glaze, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and lime juice in a small pan. Mix until smooth. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 minutes. Cool/chill until cool, but not set. 

Glaze

Pour cooled glaze into the center and spread evenly with an offset or rubber spatula. Refrigerate until glaze is cold and firm. 

Topping

Place the mascarpone cheese in mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attatchment, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar until incorporated.  Add heavy cream and whip on high until stiff peaks form.Pipe whipped cream around the top of the cheesecake, Garnish with lime slices. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes about 8 servings

Light & Lemony Jelly Roll with Raspberry Cream Filling: Baked Sunday Mornings

With the baking luck I have been having lately, I was a bit hesitant to try this recipe.  The last lemon recipe I did was a huge disappointment, but normally, all the Baked recipes I try end up to be a success.  This was no exception.  I have to say that this is the first time I have made a jelly roll.  I was quite surprised with the quick bake time of the cake and how easy it all was to put together.  Yay!  A good recipe and good result!  That makes my heart sing!

The brightness of the lemon complimented the raspberry cream perfectly.  The cream filling is delicious and not overly sweet.  The cake was light and moist and flavorful.  I was a little bit afraid that the zests of 5 lemons would be too much, but it wasn't at all overpowering.  It was just perfect!

Another beautiful dessert that could be used for your Easter 

dinner and one that is not at all hard to prepare.

It looks like Spring time and tastes so fresh and light it would be 

the perfect end to any meal!  This one is going over to my Mom's house.  It is her 87th birthday tomorrow and I am bringing this along with a 

Key Lime Cheesecake.

This one gets 2 big thumbs up from me!  Please take a look to see what the other bakers did here.  And of course you want to make this!  

Get the recipe right here!

Next in the oven for the Baked group is Easter Coconut Sheet Cake.  I probably won't partake in that one...or perhaps I will go rogue 

and make something else!

Until next time...

Enjoy!

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!

ABC: Lemoniest Little Lemon Loaf....NOT!

Perhaps it was the gluten free flour I used but I this loaf was dry and not lemony at all!  It tasted like cornbread with just a hint of lemon flavor to it.  I was extremely disappointed in this one!   

The Avid Baker Challenge bakers are cooking from Scientifically Sweet, and quite frankly, I have not yet been impressed with the recipes.  But again, I did use gluten free flour instead of just all purpose flour so that might be the reason for the dryness, but I used just as much lemon as the recipe called for and I didn't get a huge lemon flavor at all.  The the other bakers seem to have been pleased with the flavor and this recipe.

All I can say is.....Meh!

Oh well, hopefully the brownies will be better!

Next up is Fudgy No Butter Brownies.

Until next time

Be Sweet!

and Enjoy,

Brooksters

The best of two worlds rolled up into one cookie-brownie concoction that will knock your socks off!  You will go back to this recipe and bake it over and over again because everyone will request it!

This recipe is found in the Baked Elements cookbook which I think just may be my favorite Baked cookbook.  It is found in the chocolate chapter along with many other tempting chocolate treats.

 You make a simple chocolate chip cookie dough with flour, salt, baking soda,  sugar, dark brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and chocolate chips.  The recipe makes way too much and you always have loads left over...which is okay if you want to make chocolate chip cookies.  But I half the cookie part of the recipe and I still end up with extras so I made some kitchen sink cookies with it.  My hubby loved it!  He always complains he never gets any of the stuff I bake so I baked those especially for him.  I just threw in some oats, coconut and pecans...he said they were really good and has eaten over half of them already...lol!  Then you make this lush chocolatey brownie batter and put that in a cupcake pan then you chill both for 3 hours.  You then top the brownie batter with the cookie dough, bake and magic happens!

I make these Brooksters every year for our annual Pig Roast...along with many other treats.  The chill time takes a long time so you have to plan 
ahead and really read the recipe well before starting to 
make them, but that they are really quite easy.

I also bake them in cupcake pans...I do have some 4 inch tart pans but I just think that they would be too large so I like to make them in nice little easy to handle portions.  But I would imagine the 4" tart pan version would be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce!

So here they are all packed up and ready to go.  We have a visit at work from some higher ups and I always bake them some kind of treat.  I know, I am a real brown noser....but, hey baking is what I do and it makes me happy 

 to make people smile and I kinda think they have come to 

expect some kind of treat from me.

Until next time...

Stay sweet and as always,

Enjoy!

Get the recipe HERE

Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

The perfect cookie to celebrate a 6th birthday! 

These are great as sandwich cookies or not!  They are equally as good just

as a cookie without the frosting.  I liked them both ways.

I wanted to make them festive.  So I sandwiched them and put a 
lollipop stick in them!  Looks like a celebration to me!

Happy Birthday Syringa!

Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

adapted from sprinklesbake.com

source:  The Decorated Cookie

12 sandwich cookies

Cookies:

 2/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder 

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup rainbow sprinkles 

12  6-8-inch lollipop sticks, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy.
3. Add granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix well until combined.  Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula as needed.  Beat in the all purpose flour.  Dough should not be sticky.
4. Fill a small bowl with the sprinkles.
5. Measure out dough by the level tablespoons.  Roll into a ball between your palms and roll dough ball in sprinkles until completely coated.  When all of dough has been rolled into balls and sprinkle-coated, place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Bake for 12 minutes.

Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1. Beat butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer on low speed.  When almost incorporated, add vanilla and beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Transfer to a piping bag and fill cookies, or fill by spreading frosting on cookies with a small spatula.

Enjoy!