Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Funny story – the last time I hosted our book club meeting (about 6 months ago) I was sitting on my couch relaxing after a long Friday when my calendar notified me that I had something scheduled. I glanced at my phone calendar and promptly freaked out because I was hosting book club at my house in 10 minutes and there was kid shrapnel everywhere in the house, I didn’t have snacks ready, and I definitely hadn’t made a dessert. Yikes! While my family and I ran around like crazy people trying to pick up everything that was laying around we formulated a plan for dessert. My family would run to the specialty cookie bakery and just pick up a dozen cookies for us to sample. Shockingly, we were able to pull off the clean house and the cookie sampling.

Fast forward to about 6 months later. This time I put the cheesecake baking in my phone for the day before book club since I knew with a full day of parent/teacher conferences I would not be baking a cheesecake earlier in the day. Granted, this baking session did not go off without a hitch but our slight hiccup didn’t create too many problems. What hiccup, you ask? Oh, just the one of our dog eating an entire block of cream cheese off the farthest part of the counter while it was coming to room temperature as I ran to a college fair with our high schooler and my husband picked up the girl from soccer practice. Yep, only about 5 minutes and the entire block was gone. Of course, I didn’t realize it until after I had baked the crust, diced and cinnamoned the apples, and started mixing the cream cheese batter together. Thankfully I had an extra block of cream cheese and microwaves work wonders for bringing things to room temperature quickly.

Now mind you, it was about 8pm when all this was realized and I still had to finish the cheesecake, bake it for 90 minutes, let it sit in the open oven water bath for 1 hour, and cool on the counter for 1 hour before putting it in the fridge overnight. Midnight bedtime the night before another full day of conferences, no thanks. I ended up baking it for the 90 minutes, letting it sit in the open oven for 30 minutes, and then put it straight in the fridge on a cooling rack and towel to sit overnight. And . . . it turned out beautifully!

I would definitely recommend this recipe! It was so delicious and perfect for the fall season. Enjoy!

Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Source: Julie Marie Eats

Zucchini Brownies (AKA Chocolate Zucchini Cake)

Along with all the zucchini bread we also tried a new recipe for Zucchini Brownies. It very closely resembled a chocolate zucchini cake that I have made before, so I don’t think these fit the definition for brownies, at least not in my opinion. They were tasty, especially with the 1 minute chocolate frosting that I slathered over the top, but there was a still a slightly “healthy” taste to the cake. I don’t know that I’d make it again, just because if I’m going for a chocolate cake I’d like to eat a delicious piece of chocolate cake and this was just a meh, somewhat healthy version. Sorry for the downer review, but you can’t win them all.

Zucchini Brownies

Source: Spend with Pennies

Zucchini Bread

I have been baking for many years and have a few tried and true zucchini bread recipes. Honestly, my favorite one is straight from my Betty Crocker cookbook. I decided that I wanted to branch out and try a new recipe so I searched for “best zucchini bread” and this is what came up. I have baked other recipes from Sally’s Baking Addiction and she hasn’t steered me wrong yet.

The picture you see above is our taste test of 4 different versions of zucchini bread. We made a plain loaf from Sally (upper left), a plain loaf from Betty (upper right), a mini loaf from Betty with the addition of raisins (lower right), and a loaf from Betty with the addition of chocolate chips (lower left). Why so many from Betty? You probably have already figured out that I like her recipe the best and if you find something that works, why change it.

Sally’s was the most moist. (There really are no synonyms for moist that don’t sound just as bad – I mean no one likes dank, dewy, or damp bread.) I will say that my family liked all 4 breads pretty equally. My son said they all tasted good. My husband said they all tasted good. My daughter likes mix-ins just like me, so we both liked the raisin and chocolate chip versions the best. Whatever recipe you try, it should be a good fall loaf of quick bread. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Source: Sally’s Baking Addiction

A link to Betty’s recipe: All Betz Off

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

We had some bananas that had gotten past the point of anyone in the family eating them so I thought it might be time to try a new banana bread recipe. I came across this one and thought it sounded interesting to make them as bars versus a loaf style. The thickness of the bar is about the thickness of an average slice cut off of a loaf (of course that depends on how thick you slice it) and I was able to get 24 pieces. I don’t know that it will replace making a good old loaf of bread, but it was fun to try it in a new way. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Source: Butter with a Side of Bread

Italian Meatballs

Another one of our go-to dinner recipes. So good and great as leftovers! We have spaghetti and meatballs at least every other week. It makes enough for dinner for the 4 of us, another dinner for the 4 of us, and then at least 2 get meatballs for lunch. That’s usually the adults since the kids don’t like to pack meatballs in their lunchbox. Haha! Enjoy!

Italian Meatballs

Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground turkey (you can also use Italian flavored ground turkey if you use regular pork sausage)
• 1 lb Italian sausage (see note on ground turkey)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup grated/shredded parmesan
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (dried or fresh)
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

• 1 cup marinara/pasta sauce (we usually use no sugar added pizza sauce)
• 8 ounces shredded cheese (can use pizza blend or mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray.

Combine all the meatball ingredients and mix thoroughly. Make rounded balls and place them in the 9×13 pan. (I make 24 similar size meatballs, but I’ve also made them smaller and gotten more. It depends on how big you want them.)

Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully drain the cooking liquid from the 9×13 pan.

Top with marinara/pasta sauce and cheese. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (You can broil for the last few minutes if you want the cheese toasted.)

We usually serve over noodles, spaghetti squash “noodles”, or zoodles. You can also add more marinara/pasta sauce over your noodles if you like it more saucy.

S’mores Ice Cream

It’s another taste test! We made two versions of the s’mores ice cream for Madeleine’s birthday. The original recipe is the chocolate version but when we made it we realized that it was really chocolatey and combined with her equally chocolatey cake might be a bit much for birthday guests. We decided to whip up a vanilla version to give a less chocolatey alternative and also to see which tasted better.

Hands down the vanilla version won. You could taste the graham cracker, chocolate chips, and marshmallow in with the vanilla ice cream and it had a very light taste. With the chocolate version you could pretty much just taste chocolate. It was pretty overpowering, and that’s saying a lot from a chocolate lover. It really reminded me of rocky road with the texture of the marshmallow and the chocolate chips resembling the texture of the nuts but really all you taste is chocolate. I mean, it was a really good chocolate, but still, just chocolate. Vanilla S’mores will be a repeat ice cream flavor in this house. Enjoy!

Chocolate S’mores Ice Cream:

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup marshmallow creme (fluff)
• 2 full graham cracker sheets, crushed
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (we used mini)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars, and salt. Add the milk and using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened (follow directions on your ice cream maker). About 5 minutes before mixing is completed, gradually add in the marshmallow creme one spoonful at a time. Once mixed, add the crushed graham crackers and chocolate chips, letting it mix in completely. Once it reaches the desired thickness, transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

Vanilla S’mores Ice Cream:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup marshmallow creme (we used Fluff)
• 2 full graham cracker sheets, crushed
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (we used mini)

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar, and salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened (follow directions on your ice cream maker). Once it reaches the desired thickness, transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. About 5 minutes before mixing is completed, gradually add in the marshmallow creme one spoonful at a time. Once mixed, add the crushed graham crackers and chocolate chips, letting it mix in completely. Once it reaches the desired thickness, transfer to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.

100 Grand Cake

Our recently turned 8 year old decided that this year she wanted a birthday cake to match her current favorite candy bar, the 100 Grand. We perused a few recipes that used different methods to create a cake that had similar tastes and textures, including cupcakes and smaller cakes, but she decided to go all out and try to match the one she sketched. You see, about a month prior she sat down on her own and planned out what she wanted to do for her birthday, who she wanted to invite, what activities would be completed, and exactly what her cake would be like down to the layers, flavors, and decorations. What can I say, she’s a girl who knows what she wants.

We liked the fact that the cake was caramel since the chocolate ganache was going to be pretty chocolatey. The caramel cake was pretty easy to make, but it did turn out a bit on the dry side. The caramel frosting made more than needed (but I don’t think it made enough to cut the recipe in half). The frosting was also very drippy, like running over the top and down the sides, so we had to put it in the fridge more than once to stay on top of it. Smooshing the rice krispies on just about sent me over the edge with my tendency to like things neat, because along with smooshing into the frosting they also stuck to all of the globs of frosting now sitting on the cake platter. We already felt like it had moved into a dumpster fire look by then, even my 8 year old told me that it didn’t matter what it looked like only that it tasted good (except I think a birthday cake is technically supposed to look good), so we just went ahead and poured that ganache right over the top and let it run down the sides. Once it’s already that much of a mess, why not throw some cut up 100 Grand bars at it to try to dress it up?

The end result wasn’t too bad. She was happy with it, which is really all that matters, and it tasted good so that makes for a double win. Enjoy!

Sources:

Cake (Martha Stewart)

Caramel Frosting/Rice Krispy Coating (I Am Baker)

Milk Chocolate Ganache (I Am Baker)

Roasted Potatoes

I know that roasted potatoes are a pretty simple thing, but sometimes the simple things are the best. My family loves these roasted potatoes alongside our main dish. Enjoy!

Roasted Potatoes:

• 3 pounds of yellow potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash potatoes; cut into bite size pieces. I place mine in a bowl (with a lid) after cutting. Measure olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary into the bowl, put on the lid, and shake to coat. Pour in a single layer onto a baking sheet with spray or parchment paper.

Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through baking. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

**For a lower calorie option, substitute 1.5 pounds of radishes for 1.5 pounds of the potatoes. Cut the stems off, wash, and cut into bite size pieces. Prepare same as above directions.

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Bake

I know since I have gotten back into blogging most of the recipes I’ve shared have been sweet and treats. That’s because those are the fun ones to make and share, but every now and then we have a meal recipe that becomes a family favorite and I like to have those recipes in a permanent place to refer back to. This is one of those recipes! It is so tasty! Enjoy!

Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Bake:

• 1.5 cups dry penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 1.5 pounds of raw chicken breast
• 1 cup yellow onions, minced
• 12 tablespoons (85 grams) bacon crumbles
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups four-cheese jarred pasta sauce
• 12 tablespoons (95 grams) parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Over medium high heat, saute chicken, onions, and bacon crumbles. When chicken has lost its pinkness, add broccoli and stir until combined and broccoli has softened.

Add jarred sauce and cooked pasta and stir until combined. Pour the contents into the prepared baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Bacon Cheddar Scones

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming . . . Seriously though, I think this is the last scone recipe I’ll post for a bit. We were camping and on some adventures where scones worked well for an easy breakfast or snacks throughout the day and scones keep pretty well no matter the weather.

These are a ‘healthier’ version of a Quiche Lorraine scone that I’ve made in the past, and while they were good they weren’t as flavorful as those previously mentioned. I thought they were also a bit on the dry side (most likely because they have less butter). My family said they were fine but they prefer the others I’ve made throughout the summer. Of course, those were all fruit flavored so it could just be that it has been a while since I made a savory scone. I’ll most likely make them again as they are a good grab and go on a busy school/work morning. Enjoy!

Bacon Cheddar Scones:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons, divided
• 1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup bacon bits
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in cheese, bacon, and onion

In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk and egg. Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Lightly sprinkle a work surface with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Turn the dough onto the surface and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour. Knead 3 to 5 times, or until the dough just comes together. Divide in half and pat each piece into a 5-inch circle. Cut each circle into 6 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake the scones until firm to the tough, about 18-24 minutes.

Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container for a day. Can be refrigerated or frozen to last longer.

Makes 12 scones