Lemon Squares*

This is VERY ... LEMON'y!!!!

I love the strong "KICK of lemon" in here!

But,...I suggest that IF you want 

more sweet and LESS "tang",

try using only half as much lemon 

zest as the recipe calls for 

and see how that goes.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoons sugar
.....
2  of 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
2 of 14-oz. sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup lemon juice
....
1 and 1/2 cups thawed whipped cream or whipped topping.
Raspberries for garnishing, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT oven to only 325-degrees F.
LINE 9x13-inch baking dish or pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.  Lightly spray the foil liner with non-stick spray.
MIX graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar until blended and press onto bottom of prepared dish or pan.  I like to use my off-set spatula for this-- It looks like this:
 

• BAKE the layer of pressed graham crackers for 10 minutes.
• MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese with mixer until smooth/creamy.  Gradually beat in the condensed milk.  Add egg yolks (one at a time) and mix well.  Blend in lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pour over crust.
• BAKE about 30 minutes or until center is set (since ovens vary, check after 25 minutes).  
• COOL completely.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  
• USE foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars.  By having this OUT of the pan and then using a really long knife, you can make very clean cuts (but, do wipe knife edge off between each cut).
• SERVE topped with whipped cream or whipped topping.  Add raspberry(ies), if desired.

Because I only had FROZEN raspberries 

here, this isn't as pretty as it would 

be with a FRESH one!

Mm-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m....

* This recipe came from the Spring 2014 

edition of Kraft's Food & Family-- I  made 

the crust according to the original directions, 

but,................... my ingredient list shows 

everything else ALREADY doubled.

 (I wanted the lemon'y layer 

to be thicker like this!) 

Swirly Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

I think this recipe came from a Fall 2009 issue of Food/Family put out by Kraft Foods.  But!, if you google "pumpkin-swirl cheesecake", I think you'll come up with over 200,000 websites.  In case that isn't enough, I'll post the recipe I 'modified' for these.

Here's an extra note that will mean nothing to anyone else but me:  "The little plate shown above is part of a dinnerware set that my mother bought for my older sister's wedding dinner in July of 1950--  therefore, it is special... to ME!"   (This older sister and her husband will be celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary in July!)  

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE CRUST:

• One "greased or sprayed" 9x13-inch baking pan or dish (I used glass)
• 2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about one and one-half wrapped sleeves?).
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons melted butter
• One pinch of salt IF you use UNsalted butter; add NO salt if you use salted butter.

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUST:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Crush graham crackers into crumbs, or put into food processor until you have 2 cups of finely 'crumbed' crackers.
• Add sugar, mix in.
• Add melted butter and mix well (with a utensil, OR fingers).
• Add salt ONLY IF you used UNsalted butter.
• Dump this mixture into prepared pan/dish.  Using the flat bottom of a glass, gently pack down into an even layer.
• Bake for exactly 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, and let cool for about 10 minutes.  
• While the crust is baking/cooling, prepare the cheesecake part.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYER:

• 4 of 8 oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened.
• 1 cup sugar, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup portions.
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs (large)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash (about 1/8 teaspoon?) ground cloves

DIRECTIONS FOR CHEESECAKE LAYER:

• Reduce oven temperature to 325-degrees.
• Beat cream cheese until very smooth (I use my food processor for this).
• Add just 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla to the cream cheese.
• Add eggs, ONE at a time, beating after each just until smoothly blended.
• Remove 1 and 1/2 cups of this batter and set aside.
• Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, canned pumpkin and spices into the remaining batter.
• Spoon half the pumpkin batter onto slightly cooled crust; top with spoonfuls of just HALF the plain batter.  Repeat layers one more time. (You'll end up with layers of pumpkin batter, spooned on plain batter, pumpkin batter and then finishing with spoonfuls of plain batter.)
• By gently moving a thin knife (or thin dowel) through the batter, you'll create the 'SWIRLS'-- like this...

• Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is ALMOST set.  Cool completely.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting.  Coming out of the oven, mine looked like this...

I made this yesterday afternoon, cooled it on the counter, then covered it with Saran Wrap and refrigerated it overnight.  This was so easy to cut into these squares this morning...

Below:  Because I wanted to share these with several friends, I put four squares into each of the little storage containers shown below.  Just before covering them, I drizzled some caramel ice cream topping over them...

IF you make these, I hope you LIKE them!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies*

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cheesecake part of this recipe--

• 2 (8 oz.) packages (full-fat variety) cream cheese, at room temp.
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup (regular, not light) sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

For the Brownie part of this recipe--

• 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar (I used 1 and 2/3 cups sugar today, and that was enough.)
• 1 cup cocoa (I used Hershey's).  I always sift cocoa, or run it through a screen to eliminate any lumps.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I prefer to use the aluminum-free kind)
• 1 TABLESPOON vanilla
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten 
• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly butter a 9x13" pan.  Set aside.

First, make the cheesecake mixture: 

1. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it's 'smooooooth'.  
2. Add the pumpkin, sugar, vanilla and spices; beat until smooth. 
3. On low speed, add in the sour cream and eggs until well combined.  Set aside.

Now, make the brownie part:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the sugar and stir (or whisk) over medium to low heat just until butter and sugar are combined and hot, but not bubbly.  You'll only need to heat it for a couple of minutes; until the mixture looks shiny.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla.  Let cool for about five minutes so it won't be as hot for the addition of the eggs as in the next step.  
3. Whisk in the eggs until smooth.  Stir in the flour.
4. Pour about 3/4 of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan.  Spread out smoothly.  
5. Pour the cheesecake batter over the brownie layer and spread evenly.
6. Drop the remaining brownie batter by dollops on top of the cheesecake layer. 
7.  Use the blade of a kitchen knife to swirl the brownie dollops into the cheesecake, making a pretty, swirly pattern.
8. Sprinkle the top of the swirled pattern with the chocolate chips.  Like this...

                             

Bake for 35 minutes or so, until the cheesecake layer is set.  Let cool completely on a wire rack, then chill and store in the refrigerator.  

Below:  Baked, mine looked like this...

                               

Below:  Cut, they looked like this...

* Today's version (recipe) of/for these bars was adapted (with very minor changes) from Bridget's recipe/post at:  http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2012/11/pumpkin-cheesecake-brownies.html     There, I read that the 'brownie layer' for this came from the  King Arthur Cookie Companion   (THANKS, Bridget!!!)

Apple-Pecan Cheesecake

Above:  No, I did NOT use apples made of wood!

Apples!-- besides enjoying apple-laden goodies, 

 when I see ripe apples, I think of:

• The Shawano County Fair, because that's when the early apples in our orchard were ready for picking.   
• My mother cooking large kettles of applesauce and apple butter on the wood stove (later, on her modern and very welcomed electric range).  I still remember (and can smell?) how s-w-e-e-t the house smelled at times like that.   Today, it is EXACTLY 105 years since my mother was born in Montague County, TX-- she  left us with great memories on March 13th of 1982.
• The 'too many' wasps/hornets sitting on windfall apples, especially on the apples  with soft or rotten spots-- they were either trying to zap some sweetness from them, or get DRUNK!?  (SMART hornets/wasps don't fly drunk!--but, I don't suppose it's possible to have a 'designated flyer'!)  As a child, I was SO afraid of those yellow/black winged things! 

Above:  These are named Snow Apples and are at their best AFTER a few frosts.  The tree, itself, is older than I am-- and, I'm 68!  Its trunk is almost totally hollow by now.  A few years ago, already, the opening at the base of the trunk was large enough for THREE young raccoons to hide in.  

Because it's 'apple season', I wanted to make an apple-pecan cheesecake-- I chose this particular recipe from the Kraft Foods website.  (I LIKE it because it's very apple'y' and, yes, cheesecake'y', too!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (for me, this was one full sleeve).
• 1/4 cup butter, melted.
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed.
• 4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened.
• 1 and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided into 1 cup and then 1/2 cup usages.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• 1 cup sour cream.
• 4 eggs.
• 3 Granny Smith apples (or another firm type of apple), peeled, chopped.
• 3/4 cup pecans, chopped.
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 325° F.
• Line 9x13-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over each of the sides.  
• Mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar; press onto bottom of prepared pan.
• Beat cream cheese, only 1 cup brown sugar and the vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended.  (I did all of this with my food processor.)
• Add sour cream; mix well.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
• Pour beat/blended cream cheese mixture over crust.
• Combine remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, chopped apples, nuts and cinnamon-- mix well.
• Sprinkle this apple/nuts mixture evenly over the cream cheese batter.

• Bake for 60 minutes or until center is 'almost' set.  (Some who've tried this recipe said they needed to add up to 10 minutes of baking time, or so.  Watch for how yours is baking, and decide accordingly.)  When I took mine from the oven today, it looked like this:

• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Use foil handles (tabs) to lift cheesecake from pan and move to cutting board before cutting to serve.  

•  For future servings, this dessert freezes well in airtight containers. 

ENJOY!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Put your seat belt on (or, better yet, something to at least  restrain your arms from repeatedly reaching out for just a 'little bit more')!!   

This is one of those special kinds of dessert where...

 a 'little' really does go a long way...

A long time ago, I read something like this:  "If you are afraid you might not have room for dessert AFTER a meal, EAT . IT. FIRST!  That might work for this one...   it has cheese, eggs, and fruit.  Sounds like a 'meal' to me-- LOL!!!

I'm wishing I could share a piece of this with my late Mama... she sometimes mentioned, "I could go for a little piece of cheesecake-- I've only had a few little slivers through the years because it's 'rich',... but so good."  (She had it right!)

I wish I could share this with..... YOU!

CRUST  INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

FILLING  INGREDIENTS:

• 3 of 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar

...

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

• 2 and 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

...

• 6 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping, divided.
• Sweetened whipped cream  (OR, whipped topping?)
• 2 tablespoons  coarsely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the first five ingredients; using the flat bottom of something, press onto the bottom of a lightly greased 9-in. spring form pan.
2. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; set into refrigerator or other cool place for about 20 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. (I used my Cuisinart food processor for this.)  Add eggs, one at a time; beat on low (or pulse) just until combined.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour over baked and cooled crust.  Set aside for a moment.
4. Peel and chop apples*

Make the pieces of apple very small.... they don't look small in the photo below, but they are.

5. Sprinkle lemon juice over apples and gently stir to cover all; sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over apple pieces and stir to coat; now spoon apples evenly over filling.**

6.   Bake at 350-degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set (until not all jiggly in the center).

7.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.
8.  Carefully, remove sides of pan.
9.  Drizzle with 4 tablespoons caramel topping.

10.  Cool for 1 hour, out of refrigerator.  Chill in refrigerator overnight.
11.  Just before serving, garnish with whipped cream.  Drizzle with remaining caramel; sprinkle with pecans.  Serve, and store what's left-over in the refrigerator.

Yield:  12 servings (or, just six servings IF it's your MEAL-- with all the cheese, eggs and apples, would that work?   LOL!)

* To prepare the apples, I use my apple peeler gadget that peels, cores and slices all at the same time  I then carefully remove the sliced/cored apple 'rings' from the rotating rod and set them on the cutting board.  With a knife, I cut down through the 'ball' of slices, working my way around until all slices are done. (Pictured earlier in this posting.)

** You'll be able to put the apples on more evenly if you do use a spoon, as directed.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

M-m-m-m-m-m, this is good!

Going...

Going......

...GONE!

So, what about the other pieces-- the left-overs?  

Below, I'll show you...

I put large individual pieces, which are enough for two servings, into a container and freeze them.  After these are frozen solid (overnight), I'll vacuum pack them.  Dessert for ...'the future'.  Doing this saves me from having to wear the hand/arm cuffs I'd certainly need if they were left to sit in the refrigerator all ready to go-- ready to  go 'down the hatch', that is!!!

This recipe was adapted from one submitted by Debbie Wilson, Sellersburg, Indiana, in the 2006 edition of Taste of Home's Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2005.  Debbie said this was her most-often-requested dessert and it received more compliments than anything else she's made.  Thanks, Debbie.  

(I hope her area in Indiana isn't one that was repeatedly hit with deadly tornadoes over the past two days!-- but, I wish NONE of ANY area had been hit!!!!!!)

Grand Champion Dairy Bars ('cheesecake' bars?)

This dessert bar (square) was the Grand Champion of all the desserts entered in the "Dairy Category" at our bigger 'n better local county fair back in 1993-- yes, it was the one having the BIG HONKIN' PURPLE RIBBON on it! (You, know... "HONK! HONK!, look at me!"--THAT kind of prize ribbon!)  It was made and entered by Mary F. from the community where I attended high school.  She is the mother of Scott F., our most local DNR Forester, and the daughter-in-law of the late Hugo F. who was a long-time principal/teacher at the high school I attended.  I liked and appreciated Mr. F.!-- he really cared for his students, and his caring continued after each graduated.  If it was after one year, or fifty, he still remembered... and cared!  Miss him.

Back to the recipe:  Once these are baked, cooled  and cut, the 'resist' in me is put to the test!  This rather 'RICH' dessert reminds me so much of a peanut/butterscotch cheesecake.  (If 'necessary', I think the 'rich'ness of these could be trimmed down a bit by using lower-fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream.)
 
INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:


Mix together

• 2/3 cup melted butter
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (18 'long planks', or 2 of the wrapped blocks)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar

Set aside one cup of the above mixture.  Pat rest in "non-stick sprayed" 9x13-inch glass dish or pan and bake in pre-heated oven at 350°  for 7 minutes.

 
At the end of 7 minutes, sprinkle 6-oz. (about 1 cup) of peanut butter chips* on crust and return to oven only long enough for the chips to soften.  (*I used butterscotch chips.  While they didn't really 'soften' all that much.............. oooooh, I like!)

Remove from the oven, again, and set aside while the next ingredients are being prepared.

Beat 8 oz. softened cream cheese until fluffy.

Add to it:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat the above ingredients until smooth.  Pour this smooth mixture on your set-aside and pre-baked crust/chips.   Top with the 'RESERVED' cup of crumb mixture and 1 cup peanuts, chopped (Virginia peanuts, or similar kind). 

Bake this at the same 350° for about 30 minutes.   I remove from oven and put into refrigerator to cool for 8-10 hours before cutting.  

Not that it matters, but...usually, by the time I remove them from the fridge, the 'slab of goodness' is cold/stiff enough that after cutting around edges to loosen  I can lift all (in one piece) to a cutting board where I can cut them with a very LONG knife and end up with 'sharp edges'. 

Serve.

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Promptly REFRIGERATE any left-overs.