My First Cheesecake

This is the first cheesecake I made that didn't come out of a box. I used the recipe Vanilla Cheesecake from Williams-Sonoma Dessert cookbook. The cinnamon in the graham crust and the vanilla in the filling created a delicious dessert that could stand on it's own without a berry topping, although I did have sliced strawberries on hand. When I first pulled the cheesecake out of the oven, the center was not split like in the picture, but the it was split along the edges. As it cooled, the edges unsplit and the center pulled apart. I should have tried running a knife around the edge when I took it out of the oven so it wouldn't split down the middle I think. I have decided that cheesecakes are not that hard to make and will definitely make one again. Here is a less vanilla variety I am thinking of trying next: S'mores Cheesecake.

Cookie Flower Bouquet

I used my normal sugar cookie recipe for this. I made sure not to roll the dough out too thin. After I cut out the shape with a cookie cutter, I placed it on a cookie sheet and stuck a stem in. For the stem you could use the white candy making sticks, but I happened to have the long bamboo skewers on hand so I used those. Then I baked the cookies as normal until done. After cooling, I frosted with a powdered sugar frosting. I learned that the frosting should be just barely runny enough that you can move it to frost, and if you are doing multiple colors on a cookie, you really need to let the first one dry so you don't mess it up with the second color.

When the frosting was dry I wrapped each cookie in plastic wrap and used a green ribbon to secure it like leaves. I put styrofoam in a pail and topped it with paper grass so I could stick my cookie flower stems in. The "birds" are peeps, also wrapped in plastic so they don't dry out.

This is definitely one of those things that would hopefully turn out better the second time around. The frosting didn't go as well as I hoped because it was too runny, and then I should have let it dry longer before standing it up in the bucket. A container that was rectangular would make a nice planter box so you could spread the flowers out and could even get some gummie bugs/worms for decorating the "grass".

Pie Decorating

Use your pie dough scraps, cookie cutters, and colorful sprinkles to make a pie for a special person. No frosting required.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This has to be the easiest cookie recipe ever! It is not quite as good as making it entirely from scratch but when the dough is ready in less than 5 minutes who can complain.
Combine:
1 Spice cake mix
15 oz Pumpkin
Chocolate Chips
Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.
(yes, it really doesn't need eggs)

Chicken Tikka Masala

MARINADE (or use bottle of Garam Masala Sauce from Albertsons)
1 c. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ginger, minced

Marinade chicken for at least one hour. I go for half a day. Grill or broil, on skewers if desired, while sauce is cooking. I would double the sauce recipe below if using more than four small boneless skinless chicken breasts.

SAUCE
1 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (or other hot pepper)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz.
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter on medium heat. Saute garlic and pepper. Add seasonings. Stir in tomato sauce. Simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cream. Simmer to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add cooked chicken to sauce and simmer for about an hour.

Goes nicely with basmati rice and naan.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

The recipe for this trifle is extremely easy. You have three layers - 1) chocolate muffins or chocolate cake (the muffins have chocolate chips and I like that best); 2) 1 box of vanilla pudding prepared and then mixed with one 8 oz of cool whip; 3) chopped peanut butter cups. Layer cake, pudding, peanut butter cups and then repeat. A perfect recipe - easy, beautiful, and delicious!

This was Gracie's birthday cake when she turned 5. Since it is almost her birthday again, I thought I better get this one posted. I used the Ariel Barbie doll. It was a little hard since her legs were a little bit bigger than the cake. I had to bend her in a little bit. Now I know why they have you use doll picks to put into the cake.