No-Bake Christmas Cheesecakes

This is a pretty elegant dessert for a December dinner with friends or family. It is meant for individual servings, but I'm sure you could make it in a 8" round pie or cake pan and it would work just the same. 

No-Bake Christmas Cheesecakes

Raspberry Sauce

• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/3 c. cold water
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c. frozen (or fresh) raspberries

 

In a small saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar and cornstarch until well-blended. Stir in cold water, lemon juice, and raspberries. Cook over medium heat whisking frequently, until mixture reaches a boil. Allow mixture to gently boil about 5 minutes whisking constantly and reducing temperature slightly if necessary to reduce splattering, until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and force sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl or airtight container. Cover and refrigerate.

Cheesecake Mousse

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp. corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on high speed, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add in corn syrup and whip until stiff peaks form, set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, using electric mixer set on medium-high speed, whip cream cheese until very smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Fold half of the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture and fold until combined. then fold in remaining half of whipped cream. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-8 hours.

Graham Cracker Crust

• 3/4 c. crushed graham crackers
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted
• 1 fair pinch ground cinnamon

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Using a fork, blend in melted butter until mixture is evenly moistened. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

To assemble, remove prepared mixtures from fridge. Divide graham cracker mixture among 4-5 small glasses or dessert cups, lightly press into an even layer. Spoon cheesecake mousse into a large baggie, seal bag and cut a 1-inch edge off one corner of the bag to pipe the mousse over graham cracker crusts. Spoon the raspberry sauce over top. 

Christmas Cookies

After watching a new Hallmark Christmas movie where the main character decides to go into a business making Christmas cookies, I thought I'd stick with that theme for our visiting teaching, home teaching, and neighbor treats this year. I have the perfect vanilla cookie recipe that I use for all cut-outs, but I had to search to find a good frosting/icing that would make them look vibrant and festive! I also thought I'd try out a chocolate sugar cookie. I think these turned out amazing! They look AND taste wonderful! Please enjoy.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a bowl, combine sugar and butter; beat until creamy. Add eggs and

vanilla; beat well. Stir together dry ingredients; gradually add to

creamed mixture until completely blended. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to

a 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with holiday cutters dipped in flour. Using

a floured spatula, transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets. Bake

10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

One tip I have learned from baking these, is that you should not mix the butter and sugar together for too long; that makes the cookie spread while baking. Additionally, I have found from other people's comments and recipes, that refrigerating the cookies AFTER they have been cut into shapes and BEFORE being baked, for about 30 minutes, also prevents them from spreading. It's a pretty good idea; you should try it.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

(From sprinklebakes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 scant cup dark cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix at this stage, or the cookies may spread while baking.

Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.  Add to the butter and egg mixture.  Mix on low speed until a dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl.

The dough will often clump around the paddle attachment while being mixed. This is normal and a good sign that your dough is the right consistency.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and top with a second sheet.  Roll dough into an oblong disc between the paper with a rolling pin.  Transfer dough - wax paper and all - to a large cookie sheet.  Wrap the dough tightly onto the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove top sheet of wax paper and roll dough a little thinner.  It should not be sticky.  You may dust the surface lightly with flour if it is sticky, but not too much!  You don’t want streaks of white flour baked onto your pretty dark chocolate cookies.

Roll dough to a ¼-inch to ½ -inch thickness.

Cut out desired shapes from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Be careful not to stretch the cutout shapes or they will be distorted after baking.

Refrigerate the cutouts for 30 minutes. This will help the cookies maintain a crisp shape during baking.

The icing I chose to use was a royal icing using meringue powder instead of egg whites. I just made one big batch, following the recipe I will provide below, and then separated that batch into five different containers:

1. White - I mixed in about 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
2. Blue - I mixed in about 1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
3. Red - I mixed in about 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract and then sprinkled those cookies with crushed up candy canes
4. Green - I mixed in about 1/8 tsp. almond extract and frosted the chocolate cookies
5. Gold - I mixed in about 1/8 tsp. almond extract and frosted the chocolate cookies

I also added 1-2 tsp. more water into each individual serving of icing and mixed it together. This made it more glossy and runny when I spread it, making it have a smoother finish in the end.

Royal Icing

Ingredients: 

• 3 Tbsp. meringue powder
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 6 Tbsp. water

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes, or until icing forms peaks. Keep icing covered; it dried out quickly.

Peppermint Layer Brownies

Adapted from barbarabakes.com, "Peppermint Candy Cane Mint Brownies"

These were so yummy, and a perfect December treat! I found the recipe when I was looking for some yummy "edible Christmas gifts" to give some friends from the ward for hanging out with Vince while I played the piano at the High School choir practices. I came across this recipe and thought it'd be a great way to use up my many candy canes I have laying around! 

The brownie itself is super chewy and rich, while the pepperminty pink frosting is nice and refreshing. But the real kicker is the hardened chocolate glaze on top that really brings with it a nice chewy texture. Enjoy!

 Peppermint Layer Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate (original recipe asked for unsweetened chocolate, but I didn't have any...and liked this way better)
• 1 c. unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:

• 2 c. powdered sugar
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 Tbsp (or more as needed) milk
• red food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:

• 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 6 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, making sure the foil extends over the edges by at least one inch. Lightly spray foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Chop the baking squares and butter into chunks and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervlas, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.

In a stand mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 2 minutes. While the mixer is running, slowly add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Pour into prepared 9x13 pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out mostly clean. Don't overbake. When brownies are done, cool on wire rack. When completely cool, put in the fridge to chill.

For the frosting: Combine all ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk a tsp. at a time if needed. Spread evenly over chilled brownies and place back in the fridge to chill again while you make the chocolate glaze.

For the chocolate glaze: Place chocolate chips and butter in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then quickly spread over top of brownies.

Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of wet glaze and return brownies to the fridge. Keep them in the fridge until the chocolate glaze is completely hardened, and then use a sharp knife to cut them into squares. Store in the refrigerator to keep chocolate nice and solid.

Christmas Craft Corner

I love decorating for Christmas (and all other occasions really)! Instead of buying all our decorations though, I often make my own. That way, I not only enjoy looking at decor, but I have the pleasure of taking time to prepare it as well. Here are a few that I have recently completed.

Christmas Stockings

 All it takes to make these darling stockings is some canvas material, scraps of Christmas-colored fabric, some ribbon, a sewing machine, and a serger. If you want to add more detail as I did here, you can use fabric paint and decorative buttons.

To make the stocking base, I simply cut out a stocking shape for both front and back. Next, I cut out a heel and toe for each stocking, as well as a strip of fabric for the top. After those got sewed onto the front of the stocking, I sewed an additional ribbon around each section for added cuteness. I cute out material to make the different figures on each stocking, but you can paint them on too, or even do an iron-on photo/image if you'd like. I used embroidery thread to place the names on each, but again, you can just use fabric paint.

That's basically all it takes for the design part of the stocking. Next, serge the tops of both the front and the back, SEPARATELY. Now all that's left to do is place the front and back together and serge them; this leaves a nice finished edge. I simply sewed red ribbon on the top corners for hanging purposes.

And that's it! These are very fun to make. You definitely get to put your creative juices to work.

Greeting Card Picture Frames

Mom sent me some greeting cards that she thought were super cute from last Christmas. She didn't know what to do with them and gave me the chore to figure out some creative way to utilize them. This simple craft is so neat around Christmas time, especially for decorating.

For the two cards shown above, I simply cut them to fit a 5x7 frame. That's the easiest way. However, for the card shown below, I pasted the image on some cardstock paper that resembled a matte frame and placed it in a large 8x10 frame. This gives it a more elegant look if that's what you're going for.

Again, super easy. And a great way to use those beautiful Christmas card fronts that you don't know what to do with!

Evergreen Wreath

It is very easy to come by evergreen branches when you live in North Idaho. It's not so easy in the suburbs. This year however, we bought a Christmas tree that was just a bit too large and had to cut it back some. That left us with some unused evergreen bows lying around. What to do with them? Make a wreath of course!

You can buy wire wreath bases at craft stores like Michaels or JoAnnes. I used the kind that get hammered down to keep the branches in place. All you do is take bunches of branches and stick the stems in between the wire slots; hammer them in and move onto the next slot. In the end, you have a nice FULL circle of Christmas! (Mine was done very quickly; you can definitely keep the branches a little more symmetrical around the circle. They don't have to stick out so much). You can decorate with berries, pinecones, leaves, ornaments...basically anything you have lying around. I just tied a simple red bow around the bottom corner.

This is a darling addition to my front door :)

(From the Philippines) Thanksgiving Pies from Manila

Hi girls, you'll have to try my new rolling pin sometime, after about three batches of dough, I got the hang of it.

So I used Crisco for the butter in the crust and it turned out very flaky.

Because I haven't a mixer, I did find a plastic bowl with a lid.  I placed flour mix and shortening in it and used a fork to make into pea size.  then I added the 'ice water' because normal water here is warm.  for two cups flour crust recipe, I used 1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup water, put the lid on the pan and shook it gently until all the water was absorbed.  I then carefully formed it into a ball and rolled it out on a floured bath towel, all I could find.  It worked wonderful.

The chocolate cream was changed to almond chocolate pie because almond was only flavoring I could find to use.

Milk in coconut cream was a 'milk shelf stable carton' but turned out good.

Pumpkin was baked at 220 c then reduced to 180 c to finish taking about an hour total per pie, one at a time.

Pie crust was baked at 220 c and turned out perfect after 14 min.

All in all, Thanksgiving baking was successful! 

Thanksgiving Pies

Thanksgiving with the Hiatt family calls for plenty of dessert, and I got to be in charge of the pies! Six pies, to be exact. And they were a success...for the most part. Enjoy this eclectic page of delicious sweets!

Pie Crust

From thepioneerwoman.com, Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg
• 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Salt

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. ***Note: Separating it into thirds will result in three thin crusts. If you prefer a more substantial crust, separate it in half.*** Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

This crust worked out the best for me. It makes three crusts, which is nice. You can freeze them in flattened discs in the freezer until needed as well. I used this for the pecan and the peach pie I believe. The other crust I used for the rhubarb and chocolate cream pie was not as good because I added more water than was asked and it came out too tough. I guess if I had a food processor like the recipe asked for, it may have worked out a lot better. Oh well. 

Pecan Pie

 Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Pastry for Single-Crust Pie 
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup  corn syrup
• 2/3 cup  sugar
• 1/3 cup  butter or margarine, melted
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups  pecan halves or chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare and roll out pastry for Single-Crust Pie. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Trim; crimp edge as desired.

For filling, combine eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pecan halves.

Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour the filling into the pastry shell.

To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Rhubarb Pie

 Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup  sugar
• 1/3 cup  all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 6 cups  fresh or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb, thawed
• 1 unbaked pie shell

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 Tbsp. butter, diced

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. For filling, in a large bowl stir together sugar, flour, and cinnamon; stir in undrained rhubarb.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim. Transfer filling to pastry. Trim bottom pastry to edge of plate. combine brown sugar and flour, and cut butter into it. spread crumb topping over top of filling. 
Cover edge of plate with foil. Bake for 25 minutes; remove foil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until filling is bubbly in center and crumb topping is golden. Cool on a wire rack.
i ACCIDENTALLY DRAINED THE RHUBARB BEFORE USING IT SO THE FILLING TURNED OUT TOO DRY :( hOWEVER, I HAVE DONE THIS RECIPE MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE AND IT'S A GOOD ONE. KATY HELPED ME OUT WITH THIS PIE; THANKS KATE!

Peach Pie

I used a frozen peach pie filling that Mom made for this one. Ask Sulet for more details.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

From Taste of Home, Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Recipe

 Ingredients:

• 2 c. finely crushed pecan shortbread cookies
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted

Filling

• 11 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 1 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. each ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• Whipped cream, optional

In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, flour and butter; press into an ungreased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, flour, milk and spices. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust.

Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

Conrad and Nolie helped put this one together. They made the crust all by themselves, (with my supervision)! Thanks kiddos!

Lydia's Chocolate Cream Pie

 Ingredients:

• 1 baked pastry crust
• 3.9 oz chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2-1 inch cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. evaporated milk
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• a 'touch' of mapleine
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. whipping cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla

(I would start with beating the butter and cream cheese together first). Put pudding in a bowl. Add cream cheese and butter. Add the evaporated milk and regular milk to bowl. Add mapleine and vanilla. Mix with wire mixer for 2 minutes, then scrape every 30 seconds. Will turn from chocolate brown to gray brown. Pour filling into pie shell. Add sweetened whipped cream to top.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 graham cracker pie crust
• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 1 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 medium bananas
• Whipping cream for topping

In a medium saucepan combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Slightly beat egg yolks with a fork. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot filling into yolks. Add egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Line the graham cracker crust with sliced up bananas. Pour warm filling into crust. Chill for 3-6 hours before serving; cover for longer storage. Add whipped cream right before serving. (If doing meringue instead of whipped cream, bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees).

This recipe can be used for coconut cream pie, vanilla cream pie, or whatever else you would like it to be.