Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

At last! The long awaited Cheesecake Swirled Brownie recipe. Every time I make these, they are eaten in less than a day. My sister in law even decided she was going to talk one of her kids into having these instead of their next birthday cake.


 These are super simple to make. First you want to make any brownie batter you like. I used a box mix because I didn't have much time, but you can use these brownies substituting the coconut for chocolate chips.


After that you want to mix the sugar, egg and cream cheese with a hand mixer until very creamy. It took me about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Mixing it a little longer helps incorporate a little more air making the cheesecake part even better. After the cream cheese mixture is smooth, mix in the vanilla.

Put in most of your brownie mix in the pan, dollop your cream cheese mixture on top, then put on the remaining brownie mix. Swirl with a bamboo stick or knife.





Don't worry if it is not evenly spread out, they even out when they cook.


Cook according to brownie directions making sure the cheesecake mixture and the brownies are done. Cool completely and cut with a plastic knife for best results.




Ingredients:
-1 pan brownie dough
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 egg
-8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
-1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Prepare the brownie dough and spread 3/4 of it into an oven safe pan. (I used a 7x11 inch glass pan). Mix the cream cheese, egg, and sugar together with a hand mixer until all the clumps are gone (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in the vanilla and make sure it is mostly smooth.

Dot the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie dough. Dot the remaining 1/4 reserved brownie dough on top of the cream cheese dollops. This extra brownie dough makes the swirling look cool. Using a knife or a bamboo skewer, marble the doughs together. To do this put the skewer 1/2 way into the doughs and make a swirl design. Remember if you swirl too much it will mix in and just become light brown brownies!

Cook according to brownie directions. I usually have to add 5 minutes so the cream cheese swirls become light brown. Let cool completely in pan then cut with a plastic knife for best results.

Potato Fries

I'll just tell you right up front, this recipe is nothing spectacular. It's just a simple easy way to make potatoes. Every time I make potatoes as a side dish, I always end up asking my husband, "do you want mashed or baked?" And we usually just alternate between the two. I got sick of that, so I found some fun new ways to make potatoes, and this is one of those!

I usually use 4 regular sized potatoes for the 2 of us and we usually have leftovers. I usually just bake them in a 9 X13 glass or metal pan, but when I make more, I bake them on a large cookie sheet so they can spread out and cook evenly.

Here's what you need:

Potatoes (usually 1 1/2 - 2 med per person)

Olive oil

Grill seasoning (I use Montreal Chicken)

Here's how you do it:

Wash and cut potatoes in wedges. I find that if I cut each potato in 12 slices they cook most

evenly. Lightly toss with Olive Oil. Not much is needed, you want just enough to help them crisp up, not make them mushy. The sprinkle with the grill seasoning. I like chicken kinds on potatoes, but I've also used hamburger seasoning and they were great. Bake them @ 425° for 25-30 minutes. I usually go 30 or more so they are more crispy like french fries. Toss them at the halfway point so they don't burn.

Then serve them up with a yummy bar-b-qued hamburger and you've got yourself a yummy summer dinner!

Gooey Brownies

I can't take credit for this wonderful recipe. I got this from a good friend and it has become a staple in our home. My husband LOVES these and I've made them for a few dinner parties we've had in our home. They are always a hit... and the best part is... they are SUPER easy!!! The recipe is very basic and easy to follow. I used to be a "brownies from the box" person only. But this recipe has changed my mind. They are so quick, I'm SOLD! (and hopefully you will be too!)

Here's a picture of the ingredients:

I'll share the recipe with you and then tell you all the "tips" I've found to really make these work well and taste perfect every time... so keep reading!

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

handful of coconut

Mix and cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat each time to end with a "fluffy" mixture. Add Vanilla and salt, mix again. Then add flour and cocoa powder and mix. Finally add the handful of coconut and mix one last time. Bake in a greased 9 X 13 inch pan @ 350° for 25-30 minutes.

Some tips:

- Take your butter out of the fridge at least 2 hours before making them. Softened butter works much better when trying to incorporate the sugar. It works best to let it soften on its own rather than microwaving it because it softens much more evenly.

- When you add the eggs, one at a time, make sure to beat the mixture for a minute or two each time. This really helps the final product be more "fluffy" (which is what you want).

The picture below on the left shows what it should look like after the eggs are all incorporated. On the right shows what it should look like right before pour into the baking dish.

- The coconut is used to keep them moist and not dry out. My husband HATES coconut and didn't even notice it for the first year I made them. If you have a "coconut hater" in your home and think you can sneak it in, I would recommend it. Otherwise you could also use a handful of chocolate chips. They help to keep it moist and also keep the coconut haters happy. If I am making them to be eaten the same day, I don't add either. They are very gooey and moist on their own!

- When pouring the mixture from the bowl to the baking dish, do so carefully. You have just spent all this time mixing to incorporate air in the batter to keep them nice and fluffy. You don't want to smash all the air out. Just dump it, do a quick spread around the pan, and leave it alone!

- I NEVER bake them for the full 30 minutes. I always take them out at 25 minutes or even earlier. Brownies always continue to cook in the pan after you take them out of the oven, and let's be honest, who doesn't LOVE gooey brownies!?

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

These cookies look detailed, and sound hard to make, but in all reality if you can separate egg whites and use a mixer you can make these cookies. 

If you like cookies that melt in your mouth and are also chewy you will love these! The tops are so delicate they melt in your mouth (my favorite part) and the bottoms are chewy deliciousness (also amazing). 

Eventually I will try some vanilla cookies or some chocolate/vanilla swirl cookies. Now that sounds even better!

Lets get started:

Beat egg whites and vanilla in a bowl until foamy. Add in the sugar a little at a time and beat until glossy. (Look how shiny).

Fold in the cocoa 1/2 at a time. 

Hint: fold in means take a rubber scraper and slowly mix in, being careful not to flatten the mixture or change the consistency.

Using a spoon or a pastry bag, plop some of the dough on the parchment paper. You can put them close together because they don't really change shapes as they cook. Hence - if you want small cookies, make small cookie dough blobs. If you want larger cookies, make larger cookie dough blobs. 

Bake at 300 degrees until they look dry.

 

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

-3 egg whites

-3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

-3/4 cup sugar

-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Place the egg whites and vanilla into a bowl – beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is foamy. Beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture becomes glossy appearing and stiff peaks form. Add about half of the cocoa and fold in gently until well incorporated. Add the rest of the cocoa in the same manner. Spoon the meringue mixture into a pastry bag with a large star tip and squeeze dollops onto the parchment-coated cookie sheet. You can place these fairly close together as they do not expand very much while baking. Bake for 30 minutes or until they appear dry, then cool completely on a cooling rack. Store in the fridge.

Parmesan Crusted Talipa

 Let me start by saying I hate fish. I hate the taste of fish, I hate the smell of fish, etc. Let me also say, if I could eat this for dinner every day I would!

Talipa is a fish that doesn't taste "fishy" and with the extra cheese and lemon on top it is even less "fishy" and more amazing!

This talipa is coated with a lemon and parmesan cheese mixture and broiled and cooked until done.


Serving Ideas:
-serve with seasoned rice (my favorite is Rice Pilaf)
-squeeze fresh lemon juice on the finished fish if you really enjoy the lemony taste
-make more than one per person if people are hungry

*Make sure your talipa is completely thawed before starting the recipe. Generally the talipa I find is in the frozen section and is individually wrapped fillets, which are perfect for this recipe. Salt and pepper each side of the fillet and place on a broiler pan. If you don't have a broiler pan you will need a very thick cookie sheet or pan.

Melt butter most of the way and let cool. There should be a few butter chunks in it. If you melt it too much like I did, put it in the freezer for about 3-5 minutes and it will be perfect. Add in parmesan cheese, lemon juice and a sprinkle of lemon pepper. stir until blended. It should be about as thick as instant pudding, you are going to spread it on the fish so you don't want it to be too thick or too runny.

Too thick - put in microwave for 10 seconds
Too thin - put in freezer for 3-5 minutes



Spread 1/4 of mixture of each fillet.

Put fish under broiler (look how cute they are laying out, getting baked).

Check on the fish every minute. You only need to cook it for 3-5 minutes if you have a hot oven.

Now - the fish should be golden brown on the top but may not be cooked all the way through. I generally turn the oven to 300 degrees, and put the fish down on the middle rack while the rest of my dinner is cooking. Leave it in there for about 10 more minutes until the fish is done in the middle.






Parmesan Crusted Talipa

Ingredients:
4 talipa fillets
3-4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
sprinkle lemon pepper (optional - it is good with or without)

Directions:Turn oven on to broil, and put one oven rack in the middle and one rack at the top right below the heating unit thing.
Make sure your talipa is thawed. Place talipa on a broiler pan (or any thick pan that won't bend under high heat). Use regular black pepper and pepper both sides. Mix together room temp butter, cheese, lemon juice and lemon pepper. Spread the mixture over the talipa evenly.

Broil for 4-6 minutes on the top shelf of oven until cheese is lightly browned. If your talipa is thicker than 1/4 inch, lower the talipa to the middle shelf and turn oven to 300 degrees. Leave talipa in for about 10 more minutes to make sure it is done all the way through.

Tator Tot Casserole

Sometimes you just don't have time or the energy to cook a real dinner.

This casserole is super versatile - you can put just about anything you want in it and it still will be super yummy. We have added garlic, onions, dried minced onions, corn, beans, just about any vegetable, etc (the list could go on forever).


Here are the basic layers - feel free to "mix and match" with anything you have sitting around your kitchen





Bottom: Tator tots (you could also do some french fries or other potato) I noticed that if I lined the tots up in the bottom I can fit the same exact amount of tots as in a random pattern, so next time I'm not going to waste the time to line them up like I did here.



Next up: browned and drained Hamburger meat - this is the best place to add in the onions




Then: corn, beans, any vegetable. You could be like my momma and do half and half so the corn lovers and the bean lovers can each have their favorite! ( I didn't get a picture of this - sorry)

Top that off with some cream of chicken + sour cream mixture. If you want it more creamy and goopy add more, if you like it more dry - add less. Instead of cream of chicken I have used cream of mushroom and it is also amazing.

Finish it off with some grated cheese. I like cheddar or a mix of cheeses that I find in my fridge!

Enjoy!

Tator Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
1 bag tator tots (I use a little less)
1 lb hamburger meat, browned and drained
sprinkle of garlic salt
sprinkle of onion powder
2 cans vegetables (if using frozen make sure they are thawed) 
1 can cream of chicken (sub in cream of mushroom)
8 oz sour cream
1 c grated cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray or grease a 9x13 inch pan.
Layer a row of tator tots in the bottom.
Spread hamburger meat on top of tots, sprinkle spices on browned meat.
Layer vegetables next.
Mix cream of chicken and sour cream together and spread over vegetables.
Top with grated cheese.
Cover pan with tin foil, bake at 350 for 45 minutes until warm through.

White Frosting

This is the official Wilton Icing recipe... or well, it used to be. I think it's been changed over the years. It's the same one my mom used all growing up, and I love it. It uses white shortening (and butter extract) instead of butter, so you can make truer colors to frost with. I'm sure you could substitute real butter if you prefer, but I like the shortening so it looks better!

Here's a picture of the ingredients:

The two ingredients on the right are the clear vanilla extract and butter flavor. I usually buy these at a craft store (ie Roberts, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JoAnn's, etc) with a coupon. If you need a good site to print coupons I usually go here.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup shortening

1/2 tsp butter extract

1 tsp clear vanilla extract

4 c powdered sugar

2 TBSP milk

Cream first 3 ingredients together. Add powdered sugar and mix some. Add milk until creamy.

You can also double this and I usually do if I am making a 1/4 sheet cake to have plenty of frosting. I usually add 1/2 the powdered sugar, some milk then the rest of the powdered sugar and the rest of the milk. Otherwise, you could end up with a powdered sugar face!

I use Wilton gel dyes to color it. I think they keep the consistency pretty well and color very evenly.

Depending on where you live, you may need to add more milk to make it easier to spread. I add about another teaspoon in Utah, because it's so dry here!

Also, keep an eye out for the yummy chocolate frosting shown on some cupcakes above!

Scones

Scones are a deep fried bread or roll often served with butter, honey, or jam. Growing up, our mom used to make these only after we begged and pleaded with her! Just kidding, but I remember them being such a big treat when we had them.

The basic idea:
   -let some roll dough raise
   -squish it out flat
   -fry it up
   -enjoy it with whatever toppings you want

Here are some detailed pictures, enjoy-

Let some roll dough raise until double. I put some plastic wrap over top sprayed with cooking spray so it didn't stick.

I used Rhodes Rolls for convenience but any homemade dough tastes just as good, if not better.

Flatten out the dough into circles. I make them 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Don't worry they poof up a lot!

While you are flattening, heat about 1.5 to 2 inches of oil in a 3 quart pot.

Once a small piece of dough sizzles in oil, begin to put  flattened dough in oil.

Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. It will bubble and raise while it is cooking.

When each side is golden brown, take out of oil and drain on a paper towel.

Once cooled enough to eat, spread on butter, jam, honey, powdered sugar, or any combination of your favorite toppings.

Enjoy.










Scones

Ingredients:
-Uncooked Roll Dough (As much as you want to make between 6-20)
-1-2 cups vegetable oil or shortening

Directions:
1.  Let roll dough raise until double in size.
2.  Heat 1-2 inches of oil in the bottom of a deep pan or pot until small piece of dough sizzles.
3.  Flatten out roll dough.
4.  Fry dough one at a time, 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
5.  Drain on paper towel.
6.  Top with butter, jam, honey or any other type of topping.