If I die a cheesecake related death… this is why

Cheesecake. You hear its delicious name roll off the tongue of your server at the restaurant and instantly you start to fantasize. You imagine the rich, creamy, tangy cheese. Maybe it’s covered in super bright, unnaturally sweet cherries, or maybe it’s teasing you with dark decadent chocolate dripping down the sides. You try to resist, but it’s a guilty pleasure you don’t mind punishing yourself at the gym for later.

Oh yes, this is what dessert can do to us. Why is it that food can have such an emotion hold on us?I think whoever coined the phrase, “the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” was wrong. The truth is, the fastest way to a man’s heart is with cheesecake. Featured here is a picture of the cheesecake I made yesterday. Oh yes, I made it. If cheesecake alone wasn’t sinful enough, this one happens to be a creme bruleé cheesecake. Oh don’t thank me. Thank the people at Disney cruise line for putting this recipe in the Disney cookbook. I know, they are evil (in the best way of course.)

I’ve made this cheesecake before. The first time I made it for my friend Luke’s birthday. It was so good, and got such a good reception I tried making it for Thanksgiving. For some reason (a different sized pan a suspect) the cheesecake just did not turn out the same. The outside was perfect, however the middle was runny and uncooked (yuck). But, now that I have baking troubleshooting skills under my cap, this cake turned out beautifully!

It’s a shame that it has to wait until Saturday to be eaten. It sits in my fridge taunting me with its creamy richness. The sugary, crunchy crust calling my name. It’s saying, “Katie…I’m so delicious and you’ve been so good and working so hard, you deserve a piece.” No cheesecake… the anticipation of Saturday will make you taste that much better 🙂

Always thinking of the next meal

-Katie

Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts!

Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie.  ~Jim Davis

So on the topic of getting your dailies… Yesterday I made a Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake. It was made with all those things, blueberries (fruit), sour cream (dairy), sugar (uh…that’s good right?).

It’s amazing to me the effect that a dessert can make. I know that my mother-in-law loves blueberry cake. And since I was heading up there today I thought I’d make one. She makes a great version, but I didn’t have any fresh or frozen blueberries. What I did have was some homemade blueberry preserves. I decided to follow a Barefoot Contessa recipe for a starter. Instead of the streusel center and topping, I layered the blueberry preserves in the middle.

The other change was the pan. The recipe calls for using a tube pan. That’s the pan that is typically used for making Angel Food Cake. I, surprisingly, do not own a tube pan. So, I opted for the next best thing, a bundt. If you decide to make this recipe, keep in mind that a tube pan typically hold more by volume. I had a memory malfunction and forgot this before baking. Thankfully I remembered before the cake had erupted all over the oven. If you are concerned like I was, just put a cookie sheet under the bundt pan before baking. So enough suspense, here’s the recipe:

Sour Cream Coffee Cake – Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Always thinking of the next meal,

-Katie