Cheesecake in a Jar

These individual cheesecakes are really fun to make and absolutely delicious. This recipe came from i am baker, which is an adorable blog, and different versions of it can also be found at several other sites if you want to google it. It is similar to the Pies Baked in a Jar post that I did, but easier because you don't have to bake it. I had never made a no-bake cheesecake before, but it is definitely the way to go with these. These would make great party favors or teacher gifts, and would be perfect for a picnic.

Cheesecake in a Jar

12- half pint ball jars
1 - 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cups melted butter
6 tbsp sugar
3- 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
3- 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling

Yield: 12

I used these really cute, squatty, half-pint Ball jars. I found them at Winn Dixie. You can use whatever size and shape you want.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl.

Make sure your jars are clean and dry.

Place about 2 tbsp crumbs into each jar.

Lightly press into the bottoms of the jars, as Zac so expertly demonstrates.

Beat softened cream cheese and condensed milk. Add vanilla.

Spoon dollops of the cream cheese mixture into the jars.


Top with the cherry pie filling. I used only one can of it, but I left 3 of the cheesecakes without topping for those who might prefer theirs unadorned. If you like a lot of cherries, you might want to get 2 cans.

This is how they looked. I didn't go above the rim with the filling and topping.

Chill for several hours or overnight.

Oh my gosh. They are so good, and so cute.

They stack and travel well, too.

They were the finishing touch to lunch I took today for some very sweet folks at the Christian Service Mission. They have been tirelessly working since the tornadoes struck Birmingham. A big thanks to them and to all of their volunteers!

Lemon Squares

This is a recipe that has been around for years and years. It is a creamy baked lemon curd with a buttery shortbread crust. I needed to make these for a tea last weekend and couldn't find my mom's recipe, so I decided to use this one from All Recipes. It was very close to what I remember of my mom's. (I altered it just a tad.)

Lemon Squares

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, melted

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and confectioners' sugar. Blend in the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Combine the sugar, baking powder and 1/4 cup of flour so there will be no flour lumps. Stir the sugar mixture into the eggs. Finally, stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the prepared crust and return to the oven.
4. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until bars are set. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.


Bake the crust at 350º for 15-20 minutes.


Prepare the filling and pour into the crust.


After the first batch was tricky to cut, I lined the baking dish with aluminum foil. After it cools, you can remove it and cut it into very neat squares. Clean-up is easier, too.


Bake until the filling is set, and a very light golden brown, which will be about 20 minutes.


They are so good. And I'm not a fan of citrus.

But I love these.

Coconut Macadamia Macaroons

This is a recipe I found on a box of Premium Saltine Crackers. I love coconut macaroons and it sounded interesting to me that one of the ingredients was crushed saltines. They turned out to be moist and delicious!

Coconut Macadamia Macaroons

1 pkg. (7 oz.) frozen coconut
1 cup macadamias, chopped
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
30 saltine crackers, finely crushed
3 egg whites
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate


Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut and macadamias into 15 x 10 x1-inch baking pan. Bake 10 min. or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Cool.

Combine milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Add coconut mixture and cracker crumbs; mix well. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add to coconut mixture; stir gently until well blended. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased baking sheets. (I used parchment).

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cookies. Place in wax paper-lined shallow pan. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.


Place crackers in a food processor:

Process until finely ground:

Toast coconut and macadamia nuts for about 10 minutes:

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form:

Fold ingredients together:

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment:

Drizzle with chocolate:

Oatsies

This is a recipe that I have been making for many years. The base is an oatmeal mixture that is rich and buttery and topped with chocolate and pecans. It is very easy and quick to put together and my family has always enjoyed it.

Oatsies

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz chocolate morsels
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 400. Grease a 9 x 9 x 2 baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix oats and brown sugar. Add butter, syrup, salt, and vanilla. Press evenly into pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until top bubbles. Sprinkle chocolate morsels on top while still warm and spread after it melts. Press pecans into the melted chocolate. Chill until hardened. Cut into bars.

Combine oatmeal mixture in a medium bowl:

Spread into a greased pan:

Bake until bubbly:

Sprinkle with chocolate morsels:

Top with pecans:

Chill and cut into bars. Try not to eat them all in one sitting.

Chocolate Pots de Créme

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, which is Big Red Kitchen. I made these in a matter of minutes and they are fabulous. I made a couple of minor changes, which included an extra tablespoon of sugar and the addition of vanilla. I also did not have 2 cups of whipping cream, so I substituted 3/4 cups of whipping cream and 1 -1/4 cups of half and half.

Chocolate Pots de Créme

6 egg yolks
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cups whipping cream
1 - 1/4 cups half and half
3 tbsp sugar
6 oz semisweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli morsels)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp Kahlua

In a blender blend salt and egg yolks for 2 minutes on high speed. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat scald cream and sugar. Do not boil. Add the chocolate and stir with wire whisk until melted and smooth. Heat for about 3 minutes longer, the mixture should be very hot and on the brink of boiling but do not let it boil. Transfer the chocolate to a liquid measuring cup. With the blender on medium speed pour a small amount of the hot chocolate through the opening in your blender lid. Blend. Slowly continue to pour the rest of the chocolate into the egg mixture and blend until smooth. Add vanilla and Kahlua and blend a few seconds more. Pour into demitasse cups, ramekins, or shot glasses. Chill until set.

Makes 8- 1/3 cup servings.


Blend salt and egg yolks in a blender:

Scald milk with sugar, but do not boil:

Add chocolate morsels and stir with whisk until melted. Cook for 3 more minutes but, again, do not let it boil:


Pour mixture into a measuring cup:

With blender set on high, slowly pour the chocolate mixture in with the egg yolks. Add vanilla and Kahlua.

Blend until smooth:
Pour into small containers and chill for several hours. I used espresso cups.

Pecan Fudge Brownies

This is an adaptation of a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe which was submitted by one of her readers. I chose to use salted instead of unsalted butter and I used semisweet chocolate morsels instead of a combination of unsweetened and semisweet chocolate. I really like this recipe because you can pretty much make these at the last minute with staple items from your kitchen. They are chewy, moist, and rich in chocolate flavor.

Pecan Fudge Brownies
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 oz semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8" square baking dish and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. Grease the parchment and set aside.
2. Place butter and chocolate in a bowl and microwave until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in sugars, eggs, vanilla, flour, and half of the pecans. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool completely. Lift out brownie in parchment and cut into 16 squares.

White Chocolate Chunk Butterscotch Brownies

This is a wonderful recipe adapted from Brownies to Die For by Bev Shaffer. These have a crunchy, buttery top and a moist gooey center filled with white and dark chocolate. They are fabulous served with vanilla ice cream.

White Chocolate Chunk Butterscotch Brownies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 -1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 oz semisweet chocolate morsels

1. Beat butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix.

2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, a little at a time, at low speed, and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolates. Line a 13 x 9" pan with greased parchment paper and spread batter onto the parchment.

3. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is done and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool pan completely on a wore rack. Cut into bars.


I used Baker's white chocolate the first time and Ghirardelli the second time. I personally thought the Ghirardelli tasted richer and creamier.

Beat ingredients together with a mixer:

Coarsely chop the white chocolate:

Add the chocolate morsels:

Spread batter onto a parchment paper-lined pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.