This Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake is the BEST cheesecake recipe ever baked. The toasted pecan crust has just the right flavor to set it apart from the run of the mill crust. The cheesecake is divinely creamy, so very rich and smooth. Make it plain without swirls and it is deliciously decadent. Add the subtle flavor of strawberries for the essence of spring amidst the decadance. Add beautiful deep pink swirls and you have a feast for the eyes – which makes the cheesecake taste even more wonderful. I told you my quest for St Paddy’s cheesecake led to me to developing two wonderful cheesecake recipes. The Ultimate No Bake Cheese cake. And this one. The secret is in the pecans added to the crust and the rich addition of a quarter cup of heavy cream. Skip either one and you have a ... [Read More]
THE best
The Ultimate No Bake Cheesecake
The Ultimate no Bake Cheesecake started out in January to be a St. Patrick’s Day post. Cheesecake with a St. Paddy twist. Sounds good, right? Wrong. Total. Fail. Forget St. Patrick’s Day – this was personal now! Never one to back away from a challenge, I stirred my way through many cheesecakes searching for THE recipe that tasted great, looked good and came out the same every. single.time. Strangely, my taste testers never complained. They just urged me to keep trying. But that team effort paid off. I created a wonderful baked cheesecake – coming soon. And then this no bake winner! The Ultimate No Bake Cheesecake! This is a soft cheesecake. Meaning, the cheesecake holds its shape well, but does not have the fork firmness especially associated with baked cheesecake. ... [Read More]
Apple Dumplings with Cinnamon Sauce
Apple Dumplings are one of my very favorite desserts. Absolutely adore them!!! And who wouldn't? Great apple taste and texture wrapped in flaky crust and baked in a cinnamon butter sauce. Serve warm. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to take the dessert to celestial levels. Let cool and serve with an extra spoonful of syrup from the pan for cinnamon zing. Refrigerate and have for breakfast. Except there won't be any left overnight unless you hide it in a Velveeta box -- cooled and wrapped well. :-) Not that I would ever use that trick. Apple dumplings are not a quick fix. But they are SO worth the bit of time and effort!!! Especially for a special treat for a holiday. Or a special someone. Or a family in need of a WOW! They are, however, straightforward and easy to ... [Read More]
Super Delicious Big Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
In high school, my brother Jay started talking about the Super Delicious everything in them but the kitchen sink, absolutely wonderful cookies he ate at work. .Jay did farm work, working hard and long hours, eating with the family to save time. These delicious cookies were a specialty of the lady of the house and Jay would come home raving over them every time they appeared. Super delicious! Best darn cookies ever made, he declared. The recipe eventually made it home and was tried with great expectation. Jay was right! Crunchy, crispy but not hard. Every fabulous flavor we all liked. Thick and kind of chewy. Super delicious! Best darn cookies ever! I’ve made them to rave reviews ever since. Bytes and his brother loved them; so did Wheels. Cookie exchange hosts asked for ... [Read More]
Sugar and Spice Muffins – Best Breakfast Muffins Ever
French Breakfast Puffs, Sugar and Spice Muffins, Donut Muffins, Baked Sugar Donut, The. Best. Breakfast. Muffin. Ever! Many names, but only one description: “Oh wow – this is good!” This is truly a time honored favorite, no matter what name it has. Everyone love, love, loves this tender muffin with a crunchy spicy coating. Time honored because I first made it in college. I was a member of a women’s housing co-op where we shared the household duties in exchange for reduced housing costs. Work was set up on a two week rotating basis and included a stint as assistant cook and then chief cook. The chief cook planned the meals and could include anything she wanted as long as it was within the budget and reasonably nutritious. Except! French Breakfast Puffs. It was house ... [Read More]
Spiced Pineapple Carrot Cake
This is THE best carrot cake ever. Carrots are popular at our house. I had to work fast after my grocery buying trip to have enough to make carrot cake. And it was so worth it! Carrot cake is good. Spiced carrot pineapple coconut cake with nuts and raisins is celestial! This looks like a long recipe, but it really goes together quickly. Do take the time to measure the dry ingredients and mix them together before adding to the other ingredients. The mixing time with the wet ingredients is so short that it’s possible the flavors wouldn’t mix or you could end up with too much soda in a bite. Use flaked coconut as it really adds to the finished texture and flavor. Be sure to peel carrots before grating. Or, do like I did, grab a bag of baby carrots already peeled and put them ... [Read More]