Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

It's September, so we gotta talk apples. This seems like the perfect time to tell you about this pie, which I am ashamed to say that I made one entire year ago. It's truly heinous that I haven't shared it with you before now, because it's insanely delicious. I made it last fall after our trip to the apple orchard, and since we're planning another trip soon, this pie has been on my mind. It will be happening again in my kitchen very, very soon.

This pie. Oh, this pie. It's like a cross between pecan pie, apple pie, and cheesecake, all in one delicious slice. I don't really know what I need to say beyond that. I actually probably didn't need to say anything, right? I think the photo says it all. Apple-y, caramel-y, creamy deliciousness.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake  Pie

slightly adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

For the crust: 

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

1 cup chopped pecans

For the apple filling:

5 apples, peeled, cored, sliced very thin (I used Rome; you could really use whatever cooking apple you like)

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cream cheese filling:

8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups whipped topping

1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely.

3. Pour caramel into pie shell, and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

4. For the apple filling: In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell.

5. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. 

6. For the cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, using a hand-held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 minute or until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell.

7. Bake for 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

8. Top with whipped topping and caramel. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Celebrating 1000 Posts with Oreo Overload Cheesecake Cupcakes

This is my 1000th post. I'm sitting here in shock as I type this, because I just can't believe that I've reached this milestone. It took me four and a half years, but I did it! I don't share fancy recipes, my photos are only mediocre, and I don't have a grand following or a cookbook deal, but still. This space is mine, and I'm incredibly proud of what it's become. It still gives me a thrill when someone takes the time to comment on one of my posts or to pin a recipe on Pinterest, and I just want to thank each and every one of you who visits me here. Thank you so much for caring about what I'm cooking, and for sharing in a hobby that has come to mean so much to me!

A momentous occasion such as this calls for a momentous dessert, does it not? And these cupcakes are nothing if not momentous. I made them for a co-worker's birthday. I've become the cupcake lady at work, and when I asked this co-worker what type of cupcake he wanted, he told me "something dark chocolate-y, cheesecake-y, and Oreo-y." Done, done, and done. I knew these cupcakes were going to be fantastic the moment this idea popped into my head.

Basically, you take a dark chocolate cupcake (that starts from a boxed mix; see above re: the fact that I'm not fancy, plus I just think boxed cake mixes work best for cupcakes because they're so darn difficult to screw up), stuff it with Oreo cheesecake filling, and top it with chocolate Oreo cream cheese frosting. To up the Oreo flavor even more, I used the special edition cookies and creme Oreos. The result is a sweet, creamy cupcake that more than one person said are the best cupcakes I've ever made.

Oreo Overload Cheesecake Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

Water, oil, and eggs called for on the box

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cheesecake filling:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup Oreo cookies, crushed

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup Oreo cookies, crushed

1. To make the cupcakes, combine cake mix, water, oil, eggs, cocoa powder, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

2. To make the cheesecake filling, use a handmixer to mix together the cream cheese and the sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until completely combined. Gently stir in crushed Oreo cookies.

3. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Add a tablespoon of the cupcake batter to each liner and top with a tablespoon of the cheesecake filling. Use the remaining cupcake batter to fill the muffin cups to 2/3 full. Bake according to the directions on the box and cool completely before frosting.

4. To make the frosting, combine cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer. Add vanilla, powdered sugar and cocoa powder, adding more powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency. Gently stir in crushed Oreos. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost the cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutella Cheesecake Crescents

I'll be honest: I just don't buy the idea of Nutella as a healthy breakfast food. I know it's made with skim milk and all that, but the fact that it is basically a chocolate-hazelnut spread definitely makes me consider it more of a dessert. It should be noted, however, that just because I don't think of Nutella as breakfast food doesn't mean I won't eat it as breakfast food. That's where these Nutella cheesecake crescents come in.

In this recipe, crescent rolls are wrapped around Nutella and cheesecake filling for a sweet breakfast treat. The original recipe calls for them to be turned into twists, but my crescent rolls weren't agreeing with me that day and the whole twist thing didn't happen. I just molded them into breadstick-like shapes, which worked fine and was much less fussy. The filling is sweet and creamy and rich. They're definitely best served warm right out of the oven. The boys went nuts over them, and the adults thought they were delicious too!

Nutella Cheesecake Crescents

adapted from Inside BruCrew Life

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until creamy. Unroll the crescent rolls and separate into triangles. Press two triangles together to form a rectangle. Spoon a large tablespoon of Nutella down the right side of the center. Repeat with a large tablespoon of cheesecake filling down the left side of the center. Fold the edges of the rolls over the filling. Press the seams together at the middle and the end. Flip the roll over so that the seam is underneath. Press together any seams that come undone.

3. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until light brown. Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

Roasted Cherry Brownie Cheesecake

Oh gosh, you guys. I really don't even know where to begin with this one. I think this is one of those situations in which the photo just speaks for itself, but I'll try to compose myself enough to write some words, too. 

I didn't eat a lot of cherries growing up, other than the maraschino variety on the top of my ice cream sundaes or the chocolate-covered version in boxes of assorted chocolates (which I still have an intense dislike for to this day). And then I started dating Joe, who introduced me to the Wonderful World of Fresh Cherries. Joe could easily put away a pound of them in one sitting. He's passed his love for cherries on to me, and more recently, to our sons, who can both pound cherries like a boss. As soon as cherry season begins, we're bound to have at least two pounds of them in our refrigerator at all times.

I knew I wanted to bake with cherries before the season ended, and there was no shortage of recipes that sounded absolutely amazing, but when I saw this cheesecake I knew that it was The One. We were blown away by this cheesecake, and it's probably one of the best cheesecakes I've ever made. As if the brownie base isn't enough, it's topped with sweet roasted cherries, and then with cheesecake whipped cream. Yum, yum, and yum! It's sweet without being too sweet, and it's such an elegant, gorgeous dessert -- the perfect way to use summer's cherry bounty.

Roasted Cherry Brownie Cheesecake

adapted from Beantown Baker

For the roasted cherries:

1 1/2 pounds cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/4 cup sugar

For the brownie layer:

1 box brownie mix
Water, oil and eggs called for on the box
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the cheesecake:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cheesecake whipped cream:

4 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the garnish:

Whole cherries

1. To make the roasted cherries, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place pitted, chopped cherries in a small casserole dish or cake pan. Top with sugar and stir. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare the brownie batter and stir in chocolate chips. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Spread the batter into the pan and back for about 14 minutes, or until the brownies are just set but not completely cooked through.

3. While the brownies are baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until well combined and smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla on low speed and set the mixture aside.

4. Carefully spoon 1 cup of the roasted cherries into the center of brownie, leaving a 2-inch brownie border along sides of pan. Place remaining roasted cherries in a covered dish and refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Gently scoop the cream cheese mixture over surface; carefully spread to edges of pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set, but jiggles when the pan is lightly tapped. Leaving the cheesecake in the oven, turn off oven and crack oven door. Allow to come to room temperature. This will take about an hour. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

6. To make the cheesecake whipped cream, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup whipping cream until smooth. Add the rest of the cream and beat until it has the consistency of whipped cream (don’t overmix).

7. To serve, slice a piece of cheesecake and top with a spoonful or two of the reserved roasted cherries. Finish with a dollop of the whipped cream and a fresh whole cherry.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

This isn't a pretty plated dessert. It's not fancy by any means. My picture is mediocre at best. But believe me when I tell you that these brownies are insanely good. They're composed of a brownie layer, a peanut butter cheesecake layer, a chocolate layer, and a layer of crushed peanut butter cups. Are you drooling yet?!

These are incredibly rich, so be sure you have someone to share them with. They're so decadent that you really can't eat more than one -- even though you'll definitely want to!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

adapted from Chef in Training

1 fudge brownie mix (and anything it calls for)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons whipping cream

8 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. Prepare brownie batter according to directions and pour batter into the pan; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth. Spoon cheesecake mixture over brownie batter evenly. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips and whipping cream. Melt on high in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Pour and spread evenly over the top of brownies/cheesecake. Sprinkle the 8 peanut butter cups over the top.Store covered in refrigerator. 

Cake Batter Cheesecake Cupcakes

You may have heard that someone very special has a birthday this month. No, I’m not talking about myself (even though I do turn the big 2-9 today!!); I’m talking about Oreo cookies! Last week they celebrated their 100th birthday. Can you believe that? The familiar chocolate sandwich cookies were certainly a trademark of my childhood, and my kids love them too. To think about all the generations of children before and after me that have grown up eating these cookies is just really, really cool.

You’ve probably seen the limited edition birthday cake Oreos that are available in the supermarkets right now to celebrate this occasion. If you haven’t tried them: GO GET A BAG IMMEDIATELY. They’re so good. On the outside, they look like a typical Oreo – but the filling is loaded with sprinkles and tastes exactly like cake batter. The first time I tried them, I immediately thought of these cupcakes, and I just knew I had to duplicate them using the birthday cake Oreos. And then I thought – wouldn’t it be cool to make the cheesecake filling taste like cake batter, too? Thankfully, someone else thought of this before me, so I adapted her recipe.

These cute little cheesecake cupcakes are just delicious. The middle has the texture of cheesecake, while the outer edges get slightly cakey from the cake batter that’s in the filling. The sprinkles keep their integrity and add a nice sweet little bite to the cupcakes, while the birthday cake Oreos serve as the perfect “crust.” These are the perfect thing to make to celebrate Oreo’s birthday (and mine)! :)

Cake Batter Cheesecake Cupcakes
adapted from Gingerbread Bagels

16-20 Oreos, regular or birthday cake-flavored
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Prepare cupcake pans with paper liners. Place a whole Oreo in each cupcake liner.

2. In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese for 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix for 2 more minutes.

3. Add in the vanilla and mix. Slowly pour in the lightly beaten eggs on medium low speed and mix to combine. Add in the sour cream and mix on medium low speed. Be careful not to over mix the cheesecake batter.

4. Sift the cake mix over the bowl with the cheesecake batter to remove any lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons sprinkles. Fold in gently.

5. Using a cookie dough scooper or a 1/4 measuring cup, place cheesecake batter on top of each Oreo. Spread the cheesecake batter out with a small spatula or knife.

6. Bake the cheesecakes at 275 degrees for 30 minutes. Once they’re done baking, chill them in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Turtle Cheesecake

Oh hi there! I have to apologize, once again, for my absence in this space. We’ve been dealing with some more sickness in my house, this time of the type that is not appropriate to speak of on a food blog. Needless to say, food has been the last thing on my mind as of late.

But let’s talk about more pleasant things, shall we? Let’s talk about cheesecake. Cheesecake is one of the most decadent, delicious, indulgent desserts I can think of, and in my opinion, the richer it is, the better it is. If you’re going to indulge in some cheesecake, you might as well make it the most luxurious piece of cheesecake possible, right?

I made this turtle cheesecake for a recent family gathering*, and it was a massive hit. Everyone absolutely loved it, and rightfully so. Turtles by themselves are already so rich, but when you add caramel, chocolate, and pecans to cheesecake? Well, the result is unimaginably delicious. There is absolutely no way to go wrong with that combination.

You know what I might try when I make this again? A pretzel crust, instead of a vanilla wafer one. How good would that be?!

Turtle Cheesecake
adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14 ounces individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 5-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter one 9-inch springform pan.

2. Toast the pecans for 6 minutes. Remove pecans and set aside.

3. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs with the melted butter and press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Place the pan onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

4. In a double boiler, or a bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the caramels in the evaporated milk. Stir until smooth. Pour half of the caramel over the cooled crust. Sprinkle half of the nuts over the top, then 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

5. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Gently stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Pour the batter over the caramel layer.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until barely set. Let cool at room temperature.

7. When cheesecake is cooled, spread remaining caramel over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining pecans. Melt the final 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. Chill until serving.

*Christmas. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share this with you.

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Pie for World Nutella Day

Today is World Nutella Day, but I gotta be honest with you: In my world, pretty much every day is a Nutella Day. We always have a jar open in our cupboard. The boys love it on their toast, and I just love little spoonfuls of it every now and then as a simple indulgence. It's one of the most delicious things on the planet, in my humble opinion.

To celebrate this delicious holiday this year, I whipped up this simple pie in about 10 minutes. Seriously: 10 minutes! 5 ingredients! No baking required! And it contains Nutella! So it's pretty much the most perfect dessert ever.

It's a no-bake Nutella cheesecake pie. It has an Oreo cookie crust, and the filling is whipped cream, cream cheese, and Nutella. The texture is smooth and velvety, and the flavor is so rich and delicious. Go forth and make it. You have the time, and you have World Nutella Day to use as an excuse!

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake Pie
adapted from Sugarcrafter

1 1/2 cups Oreos or other chocolate cookies, crushed
5 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup Nutella
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1. To make the crust, combine the crushed cookies with the melted butter. Press into a greased 9-inch pie pan and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

2. To make the filling, beat the whipping cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat the Nutella with the cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream.

3. Pour the filling into the crust. Chill 1 to 2 hours or until set before serving.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Everyone knows that when life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. But when life hands you strawberries -- big, ripe, juicy strawberries straight from your neighbor’s garden -- what do you do with them? Well, you eat a couple handfuls right away until your hands and face are good and stained, and then you use the rest to make ice cream.

This isn’t the strawberry cheesecake ice cream you typically see in the store -- the vanilla ice cream base with chunks of cheesecake and strawberries in it. In this version the strawberries are pureed right in so they lend their sweetness to the entire batch of ice cream. The cream cheese and chunks of graham cracker really do make this taste just like cheesecake, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds the perfect tangy element. Best of all, this ice cream doesn’t have a custard base, so it comes together in no time. Any fresh berries would be delicious using this method -- I’m trying blueberries next!

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
source: adapted from Epicurious

3/4 pound (1 quart) strawberries
8 ounces softened cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 roughly chopped graham crackers

To make the ice cream, puree the strawberries with the cream cheese, sugar, milk, lemon juice, and salt. Stir in the heavy cream, chill completely, then freeze in an ice-cream maker. Stir in graham crackers. I served my ice cream in martini glasses rimmed with graham crackers and sugar, which is completely unnecessary but really pretty. :)

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

I know, finally something sweet, right? It's about time.

These cheesecake bars were on my list of things to bake for Christmas last year, but I never got around to it, so I moved them to the top of my list this year. Joe and I both really liked these. They had a nice balance of chocolate and coffee flavor, and were only slightly sweet. They were, however, incredibly rich, so it's a good thing I gave most of them away; we never could have eaten them all on our own, no matter how delicious they were!

My only complaint about these was that the sugar cookie base was way too thick, so next time I make them I'll halve it. Otherwise, though, these are a wonderful treat for the holiday season -- or, really, any time of year.

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars
source: Betty Crocker

For the cookie base:

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten

For the filling:

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or crystals
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

For the topping:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup whipping cream
Chocolate curls or miniature chocolate chips, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 13 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in another large bowl, beat 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add milk; beat until well blended. Add coffee, vanilla and eggs; beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over cookie base.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool at room temperature 30 minutes. Refrigerate 30 minutes to cool completely.

4. In small bowl, beat 6 ounces cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in whipping cream; beat about 2 minutes longer or until fluffy. Spread mixture over cooled bars. Sprinkle chocolate curls or chocolate chips over topping.

5. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

I first saw these cupcakes on Denise's blog and I found myself practically drooling. And then I saw that the recipe comes from a cookbook I actually own, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, and I knew that I had no excuse not to make these delicious little delights immediately. So that's exactly what I did.

These were sooooo good -- creamy, decadent, rich, and delicious. And addictive, too! I'd eaten three before I even knew what I was doing. Needless to say, they disappeared very quickly. They're so easy to throw together and bake up in no time, and they taste really special. Next time, I may try making them with peanut butter Oreos -- or even mint Oreos during the holidays. You're going to love these!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

42 Oreos, 30 left whole, 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.

5. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

Key Lime Cheesecake

My husband's drink of choice is rum and Coke with a slice of lime. He really doesn't drink them that often, but last week, he got the urge for one. So, he made a run to the store -- where he saw that key limes were 15 for $1. So he figured, hey, I'll just buy 15 of them. Even though there is no way he could ever drink enough rum and Cokes to use all 15 limes before they went bad.

Long story short, I was left with quite a few limes that were just going to spoil if I didn't use them for something. I thought about making the obvious thing, a key lime pie, but then decided I'd rather try something new. I found this recipe for key lime cheesecake in one my cheesecake cookbooks, so I decided to go for it.

This is a delicious cheesecake. If you're a fan of citrus, I think you'd really love it. It has a sugar cookie crust, a creamy key lime filling, and a tart honey-lime glaze. I have to admit that it's quite tart, so if you're not a huge fan of super-tart things I'd definitely leave the glaze off, or reduce the amount of lime and/or increase the amount of honey in the glaze. Overall, though, this cheesecake was a delicious and refreshing summer dessert, and everyone who tried it absolutely loved it.

(By the way, I still have quite a few limes left to use, so if you have any ideas for ways I can use them up I'd love to hear them!)

Key Lime Cheesecake
source: Cheesecake Extraordinaire, by Mary Crownover

For the sugar cookie crust:

3/4 cup flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Substitution: 8 ounces of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

For the key lime filling:

24 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons sour cream
5 teaspoons flour
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the honey-lime glaze:

1/2 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
4 teaspoons key lime juice
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel

1. For the crust, in a medium bowl stir together flour and sugar. Add egg, butter or margarine, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. With generously greased fingers, press the dough evenly onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. For the filling, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and flour. Beat with an electric mixer till smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in limeade concentrate, lime juice, and vanilla extract. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center no longer looks wet or shiny. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan.

3. For the glaze, in a small saucepan stir together limeade concentrate, lime juice, cornstarch, honey, and lime peel. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Pour over cheesecake. Chill till serving time. Garnish with lime slices, if desired.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

I printed out Southern Living's recipe for red velvet cheesecake ages ago and filed it away to bake sometime in the future, and like so many recipes it got lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, Peabody posted about it a couple of months ago and reminded me. I meant to make it for Christmas, but time got away from me, and again the recipe went to the back burner. And then Annie posted about it a few weeks ago, and then I just knew I had to make it. I decided it would be the perfect finish to our indulgent Valentine's Day dinner. And it definitely was.

If you like red velvet cake, there's no way you won't love this dessert. It tastes exactly like its more traditional counterpart, and the cream cheese just makes it all the more, well, velvety in texture. And the cream cheese frosting? Genius! And awfully delicious, too.

The bright red color makes this cheesecake so pretty and so dramatic. This dessert is definitely worthy of any special occasion. I think it's going to become an annual Valentine's Day thing in my house, because despite its richness, Joe still managed to eat quite a bit of it all on his own!

Red Velvet Cheesecake
Source: adapted from Southern Living via My Recipes

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring

For the frosting:
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish: cocoa powder

1. For the crust, stir together cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. For the filling, beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

3. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

4. For the frosting, beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired.

Apple Butter Cheesecake

Aside from baklava, cheesecake is my absolute, number one favorite dessert of all time (see previous posts, re: my love of all things cream cheese-related), and when I found this recipe in my massive binder it sounded too delicious not to try. A co-worker sent this recipe to me through e-mail two years ago (literally! the date on the e-mail is April 2006!), and I must have just printed it off and stuffed it in my notebook, where it got lost among the zillions of other recipes I've printed out.

This was my first time making a cheesecake in a water bath. For some reason, water baths always intimidated me, and I avoided making cheesecakes that called for using them -- but in reality they're very simple to construct. You just line your springform pan with foil, put the pan in a roaster, and surround it with hot water halfway up the sides. I was so pleased with the results. The cheesecake stayed so creamy and soft; the texture was absolutely perfect, and I credit the water bath for that.

Apple butter and cheesecake -- who knew they'd be such a perfect marriage? But oh, they are. This cheesecake was phenomenal, and the gingersnap crust was delicious. I would recommend using more gingersnaps than the recipe calls for, though, because when I added in the melted butter it made the mixture too wet -- which made the crust stick to the pan when I sliced the cheesecake. But no one who tried this really cared; they were too busy raving over the wonderful flavor and texture of this dessert. I'm making this again for Thanksgiving; it's a very seasonal (and delicious!) alternative to the pumpkin cheesecake I usually make.

Apple Butter Cheesecake
Source: 1001 Recipes to Send

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed ginger snaps (I would use at least 2 cups)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

For the filling:
2 pounds cream cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
5 medium eggs
1 1/2 cups apple butter (recommended: Musselman's)
3/4 cup butter, melted

1. In a small bowl, combine crushed ginger snaps, sugar, and melted butter. Blend well. Press the crust with a spoon into a 10-inch springform pan. Make sure to cover the bottom and the sides evenly. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, and then let it cool.

2. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and dry ingredients until smooth. Add sour cream to the mixture. Beat in the eggs. Add apple butter and butter, and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared ginger snap crust.

3. Bake at 350 degrees in a water bath for about 2 hours.