Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bars

 These sweet and savory desserts are the perfect combination of cheesecake and apple crisp! No more trying to decide which desert to try…here you have two in one! Thank you Jo for letting us and at least 40 of our friends come pick apples at your beautiful place! You are the sweetest most generous gal I know! This was dessert #1 from the apple picking!

APPLE CRISP CHEESECAKE BARS

Crust
2 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup frozen butter

Cheesecake

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temp

2 tsp vanilla extract

Apples

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped

3 Tbl sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

Crisp Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup quick cooking oats

½ cup butter, room temp

1 tsp cinnamon

Crust

Heat Oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix flour and powdered sugar. Grate (just like you would shred cheese) frozen butter and mix it in with the flour mixture, with your fingers, until well combined (Or you can add all 3 ingredients to a food processor and mix well). Press into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Cheesecake

In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese for about 1 minute then add the sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add eggs one at a time mixing well between each add. Pour over the crust.

Apples

In another bowl, add chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon over cheesecake mixture.

Crisp Topping

I just use the empty apple bowl and add all the crisp ingredients and combine with a fork or my fingers. Sprinkle over the apples.

Bake 40-45 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cool.

Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Fall Haystacks

Don't these just look like fall and trips to the pumpkin patch and hayrack rides? I think so too! And I was lucky to find White Chocolate M&M's to use as my mix-in! Perfect little treat for the kids! I'm sure the Princess's preschool teachers were happy about all tiny chocolate fingers in the class!

FALL HAYSTACKS

(40 TREATS)

1 cup Chocolate Chips

1 ½ cups Butterscotch Chips

1 bag Chinese Noodles

1 cup mix-in (M&M’s, marshmallows, peanuts)

Pour both chips in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and continue to microwave in 30 sec increments until completely melted.

Add noodles. Stir until the noodles are completely coated.

Add “mix-in” and stir. 

Scoop 1 TBL balls onto waxed paper or parchment paper until set. 

Lick fingers and enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Scotcharoo Bars

Do you believe in love at first sight? Well how about love at first bite? My little warrior came home from school today wanting peanut butter crispy treats with lots of chocolate on top. And you know me, I was happy to accommodate his request! We've talked about this before, right? Well if we haven't, we need to...the happiness that peanut butter and chocolate share!
Peanut butter and chocolate are like Prince William and Princess Kate! Romeo and Juliet! Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler! Tristan and Isolde! Lancelot and Guinevere! They just go together!
These bars have crunchy chunky peanut butter and caramily (is that a word?) brown sugar instead of the standard white sugar. Topped off with butterscotch and chocolate! Yes, that's love!

SCOTCHAROO BARS
Ingredients
6 cups rice crispy cereal
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Butter or grease 9x13 baking dish. In a large saucepan combine the peanut butter, syrup and brown sugar. Stir over medium heat until all the ingredients are melted and well combined. Removed from heat and stir in the vanilla. Mix in the cereal until it is all nicely coated. Pour into the pan and spread out evenly.
In a microwaveable bowl combine both chips. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Continue this process until all the chips are melted. Pour and spread evenly over peanut butter bars.
Allow the chocolate to set before you cut them to serve and devour!  Enjoy!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Scharffen Berger!

Triple Chocolate Cookie Dough Brownie

Who doesn't love brownies? Who doesn't love cookie dough? I know that in this home both of these are top choice! Oh and why is it that chocolate chip cookie dough might possibly taste better than the actual cookie? I was hoping that these would turn out as good as I had planned. They were! And I really hoping that I had plenty of friends to share them with to get them out of my kitchen. I did! Smooth, rich chocolate chip cookie dough....Fudgy, Chewy Brownies with even more chocolate chips! I hope you love chocolate as much as I do!
And what a perfect recipe to contribute for a Holiday Cookie Swap featuring CHOCOLATE! This is so much fun...My Baking Addiction and Good Life Eats are doing a Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Scharffen Berger. Have a good chocolate recipe? You should participate!

 

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIE
Ingredients 

Brownie
12 oz semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cup butter, cut in pieces
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 Tbl vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt


Cookie Dough
1 1/2 cups  flour3/4 cup butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tbl milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup M&M's
1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Drizzle
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp shortening

Brownies: Heat oven to 350. Line a 9X13 baking dish with parchment paper or foil and grease.
In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate and butter - in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Continue until melted and smooth, then set side.

In a medium bowl combine eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix well and then slowly add the chocolate mixture in, stirring consistently. Combine flour, cocoa powder and salt and then fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 - 40 minutes.

Cookie Dough: While the brownies are cooling, Let's whip up the cookie dough! In a medium bowl cream butter, sugars, milk and vanilla. Add the flour and mix well. Stir in M&M's and chocolate chips. Wait until the brownies are cooled and then spread over top.

Drizzle: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 min. Stir in the shortening. Mix well. Drizzle over the top. Refrigerate before cutting. (I refrigerated the brownies, then cut and drizzled chocolate on each individual piece.)

Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Breakfast Burritos...Breakfast with A Princess

The Princess...She's the cutest little mama you have ever seen! This morning, my princess woke up and asked if she could make breakfast burritos and I can take pictures. So, this one is for her!
The Princess, also known as little mama, wants to be just like her momma! She's always driving around, singing and dancing to her favorite music, cleaning, reading to her babies, cooking, taking pictures, praying for stubbed toes and scraped knees, and kissing and singing to her babies! If she thinks that is what being a mommy is all about...then I've succeed! The princess is a super sweet sensitive cuddly little girl but also as sassy, chatty and strong-willed as her momma.

 

 Every chance she gets, she is helping me cook or bake! She does a great job!

The Princess and her Nana

 She cracked, beat and fried the eggs. Added all the additional ingredients, and filled and rolled the tortillas. All I had to do was heat the tortillas on the stove and add an extra set of hands! Didn't she do great?!

BREAKFAST BURRITOS (Recipe by A Princess)
Ingredients

Eggs (about 1 per burrito), beaten
Bacon, fried
Sausage, browned
Green Onion (per taste, we use 1 to every 3 or 4 eggs), chopped
Cheese, (a lot), shredded or cubed
Garlic Powder
Whole Wheat Tortillas

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray set over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the eggs, green onions and sprinkle with garlic powder. Cook for a couple of minutes, flipping the eggs periodically with a spatula. Mix in the cooked sausage, booked bacon and cheese. Turn the heat off.
On a clean burner set the heat to medium-low. Set the tortillas on the burner, one at a time for 10 - 15 seconds. Flip and heat the other side for 10 - 15 seconds. Keep the warmed tortillas on a plate and cover with a clean dish towel or foil while you warm the remaining tortillas.
Fill and roll tortillas! Top with additional cheese and salsa.

Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary and A Princess

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze

Did you enjoy yesterday's Pumpkin Latte's? I knew you would! Did you call a good friend over to share with? I knew you wouldn't! After taking a sip, you kept it all for yourself didn't you! Ok, well these you will have to share! This is only my 3rd time making scones. It took me a couple times to get it right. The best scones I even had were at a quaint little coffee shop in a sophisticated area in Kansas City. I wanted to replicate their flavor and texture. I think have have accomplished it! Ok, my friends, Enjoy!

oh ya, to a second batch that I made, I added 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips!

Paired up with Pumpkin Latte for 2!

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, frozen
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
2 Tbl Buttermilk (or 2 Tbl milk with 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar)
1 large egg
1 Tbl baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Place 1 stick of butter in the freezer about 1 hr prior to making the scones.
Heat oven to 425. In a small mixing bowl whisk together the egg, pumpkin and milk.  In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking powder. With a cheese grater, grate the frozen stick of butter and with your clean hands, mix the shredded butter into the flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. Stir in the pumpkin mixture and mix until it forms a well-combined dough.
Divide the dough into three equal pieces and pat each one out onto a lightly floured surface. Make each ball into a rectangle about 1" thick. Cut an X into each rectangle, creating 4-triangles. You'll have a total of 12 pieces.
Place the triangle scones on a cookie sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper). Bake for about 15 minutes.

Maple Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbl milk or brewed coffee
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple flavoring
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl add in all the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Add more milk if necessary. Drizzle over cooling scones.

Happy Fall! Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary

Pumpkin Spice Latte's for 2

 
Guess what today is...National Coffee Day! I know, crazy huh! Coffee has it's own day. Have you always been a coffee lover? Not me. I have always loved the aroma of coffee beans. But my desire for the rich, bold, hot drink is fairly new. But now, there is something perfect about sitting with someone I love spending time with and chatting over a nice steamy cup of joe!
This recipe is going to make 4 (normal size) cups of Pumpkin Latte or 2 big mugs full! Oh, and I know that the recipe won't use the full 15oz can of pumpkin, and there's a reason for that. Save it for tomorrow's post! Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze! You're gonna go crazy over the combo! Pumpkin lattes and pumpkin scones! Amazing!

Creamy, spicy pumpkin lattes for today! And sweet soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside pumpkin scones tomorrow!

Pumpkin Spice Latte (make 4 servings)
Ingredients
4 cups freshly brewed hot coffee
3 cups almond milk (or you could use regular milk)
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (1/2 cup if you like it sweeter)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
Whipped cream (optional)

In a small saucepan over medium heat whisk milk and pumpkin purée. Heat until it begins to steam. Whisk in pure maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well.
Pour 1 cup of coffee in your favorite mug, top with 1 cup of the pumpkin milk. Add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with a little bit more cinnamon!


Enjoy!

Warmly,
Mary