What’s Baking November Round-Up- Oh My, It’s Pie!

I am so excited to be hosting November’s round-up for What’s Baking.   I was trying to think up a theme and decided it would be a good idea to try to incorporate Thanksgiving.  When I think of Thanksgiving, besides spending time with family, the turkey and all the fixings, I can’t help but think of dessert.  And, dessert for Thanksgiving always seems to include pumpkin pie.  But it doesn’t have to be pumpkin, does it?  There are so many different delicious kinds of pie. So, let’s ditch the pumpkin and make pie the theme!

My good friend, Eva of Eva Bakes, recreated the old-fashioned Southern sweet potato pie that was the perfect ending to a real barbecue meal on a recent trip back to her Southern college town.  For this pie to be authentic, a recipe with pumpkin pie spice would just not do.  It was not easy, but Eva found the perfect recipe, without the spice, that allowed the sweetness of the potato to come through.  My husband is crazy about sweet potatoes.  He would totally love this pie!

sweet potato pie

After scoring a bunch of peaches at the farmer’s market this summer, Heather Lynn at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks, made and jarred peach jam.  Luckily she had enough fruit to make this delicious peach pie filling too.  Heather Lynn had a mini-Thanksgiving dinner with some friends and all she had to do for dessert was make a pie crust for the sweet, spicy and juicy peach filling she already made.  Now, that’s easy entertaining. Ina would be proud!

peach pie1

Part of what Jenna from Jenna’s Cooking Journey likes about What’s Baking is that she spends a lot of time reading through blogs, looking for the perfect recipe.  She has found some great new blogs this way, including Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. where this blueberry cheesecake pie caught her eye.  Mel’s is one of my favorite blogs, too.  Mmmm…cheesecake with fresh blueberry topping? Sign me up!

blueberry cheesecake pie

Yudith, from Blissfully Delicious, didn’t really like coconut cream pie until she tasted this one that she made special for her mother’s visit.  This pie sounds delicious with a chocolate wafer crust, coconut pudding, sweetened whipped cream and toasted coconut.  And, congratulations to Yudith and her family on a new addition due this May. How exciting!

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Ange, from The Tiny Tyrant’s Kitchen, likes to steer clear of pumpkin pie for the holidays and do something different. This time she decided to give sugar cream pie a try. Although it smelled good while it baked, Ange was disappointed with the consistency and sweetness.  I’m sorry Ange, I have had more than my share of baking disappointments.

Sugar Cream Pie

Joanna, from Kosher Kitchen, decided to make chocolate pecan pie with homemade pie crust.  Although she was nervous at first, thankfully, it was easier than she thought.  The pie was well received at her Thanksgiving dinner.  After eating it, her second cousin declared Joanna’s husband a lucky man.  Her husband couldn’t help but agree, for this pie and a list of many other things. :D

chocolate pecan pie

Sandra, of She Cooks and Bakes, just had a baby (congratulations) and was hosting Thanksgiving, so she needed a quick and easy dessert.  This peanut butter icebox pie fit the bill.  Peanut butter and chocolate just happens to be my favorite flavor combination.  In fact, I am eating mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joe’s as I type this. They are so good and I am now sad that they are almost gone.  Now, I have to buy more and make this pie!

Peanut butter icebox pie

Cookie Dough Cream Pie, say what?  Carrie from Carrie’s Sweet Life made this pie from The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, which I own. I have made several recipes from the book and they have all been wonderful. Honestly, I don’t know how I missed this recipe because it looks and sounds delicious.

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Stephanie, at Brownies and Blondies, was talking to her fiancée about his mom’s coconut cream pie recently and decided to make it for What’s Baking.  But, it seemed too summery, so she decided to add cranberries.  And then what the heck, throw in some white chocolate because it goes so well with cranberries.  And that is how this white chocolate coconut cranberry pie was born!

pie

Nicole, from Seven Ate Nine, decided to make Paleo Pie because her husband and his dad are on the Whole 30 Program, which doesn’t allow for anything in a dessert pie. So, she made an egg “crust” and filled it with eggs, sausage, peppers and onions to make a quiche of sorts.  I never think of savory pies, but we love eggs in my house.

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And, I made French silk pie. It has always been a favorite of mine and apparently it is now Jack’s and Sammie’s favorite too. Of course baby Alex loved it, but really that is no feat, he eats everything.  The great thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to worry about raw eggs.  ATK found a way around it and the filling is actually cooked. So now it is safe for small children and it is still delicious.  Really, crazy delicious!

ATK French silk pie pie

Carrie, from Carrie’s Sweet Life, is the December hostess for What’s Baking.  So, at the end of next month, make sure to head over to her blog for a round-up of some delicious peppermint recipes!

November WB collagePM

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

This was not what I was going to blog today. I made this zebra bundt cake, coloring the white part orange, so it would be black and orange striped for Halloween.  Cool right?  Well, it would have been if the whole top of the cake didn’t stick to the pan.  Oh, and then it broke into 3 pieces after that.  Damn, it tasted good and the stripes looked awesome too.  Bundts for some reason always give me trouble.  I have a Nordic Ware pan, I use Pam baking spray plus flour, take the cake out at 15 minutes exactly, and about 50% of the time, I still get major stickage.  So, if anyone has any tips for me I would be glad to hear them.  It is just maddening.

No way I was going to attempt another bundt, so I decided to make cookies.  I scanned through my cookies board on Pinterest and I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw these Oreo cheesecake cookies.  After reading through the recipe, though, I thought there must be a mistake.  It doesn’t have any eggs and no leavener either.  Weird.  But, I followed the blog trail all the way back to the original recipe and it was correct.  I was a bit hesitant to make them, but they sounded so good (and quick and easy) that I decided to give them a try.  I’m glad I did.  When you bite into them, you get a slight crunch around the outside and almost a creaminess on the inside.  You can taste the tang from the cream cheese and of course, the just plain deliciousness of Oreos.  I mean, really…Oreos, cheesecake, and cookies?  There can’t be too many better combinations.  Okay, maybe chocolate and peanut butter.

So, since I messed up my Halloween themed post, I will leave you with a Happy Halloween from Jack, Sammie and Alex.  Well, maybe just Jack and Sammie.  Baby Alex is not at all happy.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

Yield: 12 to 15 cookies (I got 14)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup crushed Oreo’s (roughly 8 – 10 Oreo cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

In a food processor, process the Oreo cookies until they are fine crumbs. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla.  Beat until well incorporated.

On low, mix in the flour. With a spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop.  Place the dough in your hands and roll it into a ball.  Roll the dough in the Oreo crumbs, covering it completely.

Place the Oreo coated ball of dough on the prepared cookie sheet.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Remove from the oven when you see the edges just starting to brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Transfer to cool completely on a wire rack covered with a paper towel.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source:  Table for Two (as seen on Brown Eyed Baker and Two Peas and Their Pod), original source: Multiply Delicious

Sherry Yard’s No-Bake Cheesecake

I am so sad.  My Kitchen-Aid broke Tuesday and it is in the shop until Monday, at least.  :( So, what is a baker to do? Well, I have been trying to find desserts that I can mix by hand, use a food processor or even my old school hand mixer.  I got Desserts by the Yard for Christmas and I came across a recipe for no bake mini cheesecakes.  Perfect!  The book is written by Sherry Yard, Wolfgang Puck’s pastry chef.  I was surprised that the woman behind all the fancy pastries for the Oscars also had a recipe for such a simple, but delicious dessert.  The crust is made up of Nilla wafer crumbs, no butter, just crumbs.  A lemony cheesecake filling is then piped over the crust.  You then refrigerate them for a few hours and you have cheesecake without all the hassle of  a leaking spring form pan, baking in a water bath and trying to hide the cracks.  I love that you can change the dessert up in a variety of ways- add fresh fruit or pie filling to the top, fold chocolate chips into the filling, use an Oreo crumb crust and topping…the possibilities are endless.   So if you need a quick and delicious dessert for some easy-peasy entertaining, look no further than these no bake mini cheesecakes. :D  After all, everything is better in mini!

Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes

Yield: 24 Mini Cheesecakes

12 vanilla wafer cookies

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

12 ripe strawberries, hulled and halved OR quartered (depending on the size)

Pulse cookies in a food processor until you have crumbs. Line the cups of 2 mini muffin pans with paper liners and spoon a layer of cookie crumbs into the bottom of each.

In bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. On low speed, beat in sour cream and lemon juice until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Spoon or pipe filling into cups, dividing evenly. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, until set, or overnight.

Sources:  Desserts By The Yard:  From Brooklyn to Beverly Hills:  Recipes From the Sweetest Life Ever

Helpful Hints:

  • I found that chilling overnight allowed the crust to set better.
  • If you don’t have a pipping bag, just cut off the corner of a Ziploc bag and pipe it that way or you can just use a spoon.
  • Sherry Yard says she also pipes this filling into raspberries…now that sounds delicious. Or how about hulled strawberries?

Black and White Cupcakes

My husband is a high school teacher and he coaches girls volleyball.  I often send much of the stuff I bake to school with Justin, for the girls’ breakfast, so we don’t end up eating them all at home.  I had  promised one of the girls that I would make her cupcakes for her birthday. But I didn’t expect my husband to be sick and after making dinner, helping my son with homework, giving three baths and reading books myself, it was getting late and I was getting really tired.  I decided it would take too long to bake cupcakes, cool them and frost them, so I would have to look to make something else. I pulled one of Mrs. Fields’ cookbooks off my shelf. While she does make some fabulous cookies, her books also contain recipes for many other types of baked goods. When I was paging through the book, the black and white cupcakes caught my eye. They have a dense chocolate cake base with chocolate chips and a top that is swirled with sweetened cream cheese.  Who doesn’t like the chocolate and cheesecake combination?? Well, maybe my kids who both had me cut the white part off so they could just eat the chocolate cake. Geez. Anyways, I thought this would be perfect for the high school crowd. Cupcakes without all the hassle of frosting and they travel well too. Bonus! :D

Black and White Cupcakes:

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Layer

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

I added a splash of vanilla, probably about 1/4 tsp

Cake Layer

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (~ 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with liners.

Prepare the cream cheese layer: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sugar, egg, and vanilla (if using) until well blended.

Make the cake layer: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, beat the water, oil, egg, and vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture and stir  just until combined. Stir in half of the chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin cups halfway with cake batter.  Using the rest of the cake batter and all of the cream cheese batter, spoon equal amounts of each on top of the cake batter, creating a top that is half chocolate and half cream cheese. Then sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, before removing the cupcakes from the tin.

Source: Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book

Helpful Hints:

  • While the recipe didn’t say to do so, I sifted the cocoa because I always find it to be lumpy and won’t mix well into the batter otherwise.
  • I like to use a skewer to swirl the cream cheese batter and chocolate batter- I just like how that looks instead of half and half.
  • Watch the cupcakes very closely toward the end of baking time (start checking at about 25 minutes), so as not to over bake them or they will be dry.
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