Cream Cheese Cookies

CREAM CHEESE ORANGE SLICE COOKIES COOKIES

COOKIES
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• Beat cream cheese and butter together until well creamed.
• Add sugar and blend again.
• Add flour, orange peel and soda.
  
• Mix well.
• Shape into a log.
• Chill 30 minutes.
• Cut 1/4 inch slices.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15-18 minutes until edges begin to golden.
• Cool on rack.
  

DIP
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon orange liqueur

• In a small saucepan melt melt chocolate chips, orange juice and orange liqueur together until smooth.
• Dip 1/2 of each cookie into the chocolate mixture.
• Cool on wax paper until chocolate mixture hardens.
  

I found it, I found it, the perfect combination is Black & Blue Cobbler

BONUS SCRUMPTIOUS SUNDAY
BLACK & BLUE COBBLER BOWLS

1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
  
• Whisk in the milk.
• Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
• Pour into well greased bowls.
• Distribute berries evenly on top of batter.
• Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
• Sprinkle on tops.
  
• Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.
  

*If you prefer a heavier crust, use bisquick

Scrumptious Sunday Bonus Recipe ~ Caramel Brownie Cheesecake

Hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rules
It's pouring down rain here and I got a little bored so thought
I'd post a holiday favorite recipe as a bonus.

Start with a pan of:

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES
1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt butter and chocolate together slowly so it doesn't burn in a double boiler. COOL. Cooling this mixture will help keep brownies moist.
• Beat together eggs and salt until light and foamy.
• Add sugar and vanilla alternately and gradually to the egg mixture.
  
• Add flour until uniform in texture and color.
  
• Quickly and with as few a strokes as possible, MANUALLY beat in the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture.
• Baked in a greased 9x13 pan for about 25 minutes
• Cool
• If making just the brownies either sprinkle them with powdered sugar when they first come out of the oven or frost as soon as they cool.
  

CARAMEL & CHEESECAKE layers
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon cold water
1-14 ounce bag caramels
1-5 ounce can evaporated milk
2-8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Melt caramels with milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until well blended.
• Pour 2/3 over cooled brownie crust. The remainder will be used as topping.
  
• Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
• Add eggs, one at a time and blending well between each addition.
  
• Pour over caramel layer and spread smooth without pressing into the caramel layer.
• Bake 40 minutes.
• Run a knife around the outer edge.
• Chill.
• Heat reserved caramel mixture until warm.
  
• Drizzle over cheesecake before serving.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch, Watchin' What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Brioche EGG Bread

Brioche EGG BREAD
1 1/2 pound loaf

2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
2 eggs
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

The beauty of bread machines is they always want the same layering.

Liquids
Butter chunks & Eggs
Flour & Sugar
Yeast
The key to any good bread is using quality fresh ingredients.
Just remember, garbage in is garbage out.
Let your bread maker do the rest!

Bread Pudding ~ All versions

TIP: after draining the pineapple use the juice to soak the currants and/or raisins before using. Be sure and drain the excess juice from those too.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

I'm posting this especially for Barbara, but she'll have her very own copy of the whole book later this week.

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Devil's Food Orange Cake & Orange Butter frosting

CAKE

4 medium navel oranges, room temperature
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 Jumbo eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 cups flour

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Generously grease a Bundt pan (I like a decorative Nordicware or Wilton pan)
• Squeeze oranges, saving pulp
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Then add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the orange juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
  
• Mix the baking soda into 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
• In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening with 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
• Alternate the milk and flour, sifting the flour into the cream mixture and blend until smooth.
  
• Add the baking soda mixture and blend well.
• Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend well.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Level pan by dropping on counter top to remove air bubbles.
• Bake until springy 55-60 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes and then invert onto platter.
  
• Cool before frosting.

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
5 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, pulp and all
2 teaspoon orange zest

• Beat butter until fluffy.
• Beat in 1/2 of the powdered sugar until smooth.
  
• Add orange juice, vanilla and orange peel. Blend until smooth.
  
• Slowly add the remaining sugar and blend until silky.
• Adjust sugar and orange juice until desired consistency and flavor is reached.

If you don't have this mess in the end,
you did it wrong!

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Dessert Edition ~ Cheese Danish

hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

4 oz. cream cheese*
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 - 8 oz. crescent rolls
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter

• Combine first 5 ingredients and cream together.
  
• On a large greased cookie sheet, roll out the first can of crescent rolls, sealing all the edges.
  
• Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over top of crescent rolls.
  
• Top with the other can of crescent rolls and seal all the outside edges top to bottom.
  
• Beat together the egg and melted butter.
  
• Brush egg mixture over crescent rolls.
  
• Bake at 35 degrees for 20 minutes.

*can substitute 4 oz. cream cheese for 2 oz. cream cheese and 2 oz. jam (favorite flavor)

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Scrumptious Sunday ~ Cookies ~ Majestic Cookie Bars ~ 5th Edition 2nd Issue

If you'd like to play along, see other entries and share recipes please visit
Meredith at Mercedes Rocks who hosts Scrumptious Sunday

Magic Cookie Bars - my way - Majestically

Eagle brand has a recipe for magic cookie bars on their can that sounds yummy, but I changed years ago to reflect my families preferences and called them Majestic Cookie Bars.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup ground ginger snaps and vanilla wafers*
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butterscotch chips**
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips**
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup minced walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Melt the butter in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.
• Sprinkle cookie crumbs over butter evenly.
• Pour milk over crumbs evenly.
• Sprinkle the remaining ingredients in order listed over milk evenly pressing down slightly with the spatula so they sink slightly into the milk base.
• Bake until lightly browned - about 25 minutes.
• Store tightly at room temperature.
  

*I have also used the remaining crumbs from whatever was in the cookie jar last with great success.

**I sometimes substitute 1 1/4 cup raspberry jam instead of the peanut butter and butterscotch chips for fruity taste. If using the jam, chill the baking dish after adding the milk for 10-15 minutes before adding remaining ingredients and baking. Chilling the milk gives a firmer base to be able to evenly spread the jam over it. Also be sure to add the jam on top of the milk before the chunky ingredients.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Streusel Coffee Cake

CAKE
2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 Jumbo egg
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons oil
STREUSEL
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Bisquick baking mix
2 tablespoons cinnamon
8 tablespoons cold butter cut into 32 pieces

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease an 8x8 pan
• Mix together the cake ingredients until smooth. It will be a little gooey. Spread it evenly into pan.
• Mix together the baking mix, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut cold butter pieces into it and then spread on top of cake batter.
• Poke holes down into the cake batter randomly. As cake bakes streusel will form tunnels through the cake.
• Bake 2 minutes or until cake tester comes out of cake clean. Be sure not to test in streusel or it will never come out clean.
  

Scrumptious Sunday ~ Apple Maple Cake ~ 4th Edition Issue #1

If you'd like to play along, see other entries and share recipes please visit
Meredith at Mercedes Rocks who hosts Scrumptious Sunday

APPLE MAPLE CAKE

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
1 large grated Granny Smith apple
1/3 cup golden raisins
lemon juice
1 1/4 cup maple syrup
4 tablespoons butter, softened
3 Jumbo eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup minced walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 10 inch round or square with PURE.
  
• Sift flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Peel, core and grate apple. Douse lightly with lemon juice and set aside.
• In a large bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but it can be done just as easily with a hand mixer) cream the butter until smooth. Add the maple syrup slowly and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until the batter is smooth and fluffy (3-5 minutes)
• Gradually add in both the flour mixture and the milk and beat until smooth.
  
• Mix in the walnuts.
  
• Fold in the grated apple and raisins.
• Bake until golden and cake tester comes out clean (40-45 minutes)
• Cool 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.
  

For a truly decadent cake I like to top it with fresh banana slices and drizzle hot caramel sauce over it just before serving. For an even more decadent flavor drizzle some fresh hot fudge sauce too!

If you really like bananas on everything,
check out my recipe for Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie.

CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
2+ tablespoons water

• Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
• In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly. Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color. Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in. Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly.
  
• Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
• Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling.
  
• Serve warm.
• Makes 1 1/2 cups. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
  
• Microwave20-30 seconds to soften refrigerated caramel before serving.

MOCHA HOT FUDGE SAUCE

1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
scant 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted & cooled
3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
2 tablespoons golden rum

• In a medium saucepan blend together the water, corn syrup dissolving the sugar and cocoa into it until smooth.
  
• Bring to a low boil.
  
• Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until smooth.
  
• Gradually add the coffee and rum until desired flavor and consistency is reached.
• Serve warm.
• Makes 1 1/2 cups. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
  
• Microwave20-30 seconds to soften refrigerated caramel before serving.

Tuesday's Romance of Cookery and Housekeeping

White Cakes (cupcakes) and White Mountain Cream Icing

CUP CAKES
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Cream the butter, add the sugar and continue creaming. Alternately add the dry ingredients. Add the milk. Beat well and add flavorings. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Fill well greased muffin tins 2/3 full or use muffin papers*. Bake 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven to cooling rack for 5 minutes before removing cakes. Carefully remove and cool completely.

ICING
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
1 egg water

In a saucepan pour the water, sugar and cream of tartar without stirring! Remove from heat as soon as syrup forms strings when dropped from a spoon. Pour very slowly onto the stiffly beaten egg white. Beat vigorously until cool. Add vanilla and blend in. Spread immediately. If icing gets too hard to spread add a little war water and beat again.

*The original recipe calls for baking the entire mix in a 13 x 9 pan on wax paper and then cutting into decorative shapes with fancy cutters after the cake is cooled.

Recipe (page 24) adapted from 'A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband' by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~Valentines Chocolate ~ Chocolate Cheesecake

DECADENT CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

• 2 cups ground gingersnap and vanilla wafer mix (I prefer this mix to graham crackers for a little UMPF! in the flavor)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 6 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted & cooled
  
• 4-8 ounce softened cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon orange peel
• 1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla
• 1 tablespoon Malibu Rum

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press into well greased 9 inch spring form pan. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before filling.
3. Melt chocolate squares in microwave using 20-30 second intervals so it doesn't burn.
   
4. Beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy, but DO NOT over beat. On low speed gradually add sugar, cooled chocolate, vanilla, rum and orange peel. Beat in eggs 1 at a time just until blended.
5. Spread evenly over cooled crust.
6. Bake 1 hour 25 minutes or until edges are set but center still jiggles when moved. Turn oven off and open door 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes.
   
7. Remove from oven. Run knife around edge of an to loosen. Cool on cooling rack for another 30 minutes.
   
8. Cover loosely and chill at least 6 hours.
   
9. Remove pan sides.
   
10. Garnish with whip cream, fresh raspberries and/or shaved chocolate.

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~Valentines Chocolate ~ Chocolate Glazed Cheesecake Ginger Bars

I tried a new cooking method and wasn't happy with it so these are not great pictures this week, but that sure doesn't affect the taste. Hubby has already eaten half of them. I wrote the recipe here like I normally do it.

CRUST
2 1/2 cups ginger snap crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
PURE
FILLING
2 large eggs
2~8 ounce softened cream cheese
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
optional: 3 Tablespoons dutch cocoa~using this makes them very rich!
GLAZE
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

• Generously spray 9x13 pan with PURE

• Finely grind gingersnaps in food processor. Add melted butter and pulse until evenly mixed. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 1 minutes and then cool 5 minutes before filling.

• Sprinkle gelatin over milk and mix well. Beat together softened cream cheese, eggs, salt and gelatin mixture at medium speed until smooth.

• Pour sweetened condensed milk into a tall bowl and microwave for 3 minutes in 3 minute increments. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.

• Pour over cooled crust.

• Bake 45 minutes or until center is set.
  

• Cool on rack 2 hours.

• After 2 hours, melt butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Pour over cheesecake layer. Chill overnight before serving.

• With a thin knife cut into squares. Be sure and wipe knife clean after each cut.
  

~*~Grandma's Oatmeal Chews~*~

2 cups oatmeal (quick or regular)
1 1/2 cups flour + 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Ice Cream topping*
1/2 cup Mrs. Richardson's Hot Fudge Ice Cream Topping*
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup Nestle's milk chocolate chips**
1/2 cup walnuts

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

• Generously spray the bottom of a 10x15 jelly roll pan (stainless steel cookie sheet).

• Combine oatmeal, 1 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, baking soda and butter. Mix until crumbly. Reserve 1+ cup of mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.

• Combine butterscotch caramel topping with 1/4 cup flour and whisk until smooth. Drizzle this over prepared crust when removed from oven. In a complimentary pattern drizzle hot fudge. Top with raisins and chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Crumble reserve oat mixture over top.

• Bake another 15 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

*You may need to microwave for 20-30 seconds so this is pourable
**I often interchange these for peanut butter chips for a little different flavor