Raspberry Cheesecake Pie

Break out the treadmills, girls! Have I got a recipe for YOU! I forgot all about this recipe until I found it tucked into in one of my casserole cookbooks (more on that later). It is luscious. I have tried to get a photo of this before it’s gone to no avail. Maybe next time. Actually, if this keeps up, I’ll have to make the pie over and over and over, just to try getting a photo! Hmmm what a good strategy.

Raspberry Cheesecake Pie

2 packages (8 ounces each) Neufchatel cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1 chocolate graham pie crust

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

Unwrap the Neufchatel cheese and place in a large mixing bowl. Stir it up just a little until it’s a little creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and beat on low speed with your electric mixer until it’s combined. Pour the mixture into the chocolate crust. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes until the center is set. Allow to cool COMPLETELY– refrigerate it over night.

In a saucepan, add the cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Allow to stand for a minute. Turn on the stove and cook on LOW, stirring, until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the jam, and stir. Put the saucepan contents into a small container and set in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to cool.

Take another mixing bowl (yeah, we use a lot of dishes for this one, sorry) and measure in the heavy whipping cream. Beat it until it begins to thicken. Add the confectioner’s sugar and keep beating…. yes, keep beating…. *pant pant* not done yet…. keep beating until stiff peaks start to form.

Remove about 1/2 cup of the beaten (beat? beated?) cream and set aside to use as a garnish. Cover it and put in the fridge. Take out the gelatin/raspberry mixture and fold in the whipped cream into it– very gently. Spread this over the cheesecake. Garnish with whipped cream. Add a few raspberries and maybe a twig of mint, too. DEVOUR!!!

oh nuts, did you forget to take photos??

Ideas for Cupcakes

photo credit: FUNKYAH

Cupcakes are just so much fun! Unlike cakes, cupcakes are easy to decorate. You can sprinkle or plunk just about anything on a cupcake. I was having a cupcake epiphany last week after browsing my local grocery store for sprinkles. I was FLOORED at the cost of the things. $4 to $7 for a little jar of sprinkles?! No way! Do they know how many birthdays we celebrate around here?! A couple of jars of little sprinkles should not cost as much as a cell phone booster or

So here are some ideas I had for decorating cupcakes. The first one is my favorite.

• Sweet, colored cereal, like Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, or Cocoa Puffs. What a cheap, colorful alternative!
• Small cookie-type cereal pieces, such as Cookie Crisp.
• Cut-up chunks of chocolate and white chocolate.
• Crushed nuts
• Shredded coconut
• Sliced bananas (great with chocolate frosting)
• Sweet-tarts candies
• Crushed Malted Whoppers

I like things that are easily munched and are not too crunchy. I think the cereal idea is great. Plus, they probably have as much sugar content as actual sprinkles, so they are a good replacement. :-p

Do you have any special treats you put on your cupcakes?

Buckeyes: Dessert From Heaven!

I spotted these at Your Fun Family and started drooling. Oh I just love peanut butter and chocolate! It doesn’t love me, so there’s always that supplements for weight loss in the back of my mind.. *sigh*

Well, Melissa graciously allowed me to copy her recipe and share. We are making these very soon! Melissa didn’t say how many this recipe would serve, so I’m guessing it when I include it.

Buckeyes
Serves 1. Well, OK OK I guess you’ll have to share… serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
* 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals stirring in between until melted.
4. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

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