Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserve Swirls + Dark Chocolate Freckles

Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream with Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn
Preserve Swirls + Dark Chocolate Freckles

I have probably declared my love for goat cheese too many times on my blog. Some of you probably are indifferent about it and a lot of people absolutely despise it. I, on the other had, use it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and well... even dessert! And this isn't the first time that we've made it into a sweet treat, some of our favorites include: raspberry-goat cheese cheesecake with chocolate ganache and goat cheese brownies. Well, I adored the combination of goat cheese, dark chocolate, + sweet fruit together, so when I had a bunch of my Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves lying around, I just couldn't stand to not use it for a dessert. However, this time, I wanted to make an extra creamy goat cheese ice cream that would pair perfectly with the preserves. We raved about these wonderfully delicate preserves because their flavor has been heightened with tangy balsamic vinegar and the floral notes from crushed pink peppercorns. Once you have made the goat cheese custard base and it is close to being completely churned, melt up some fancy dark chocolate and slowly drizzle it into the ice cream maker. This process quickly freezes and hardens the chocolate into itty bitty freckles that are perfectly + evenly distributed throughout the ice cream. And lemme say, it is utterly delightful. I especially love that it is slam-packed with chocolate, yet doesn't overwhelm the other important components. After you've freckled the heck out of the goat cheese ice cream, spoon it into a container and layer it along with the preserves, making sure to girlishly swirl them throughout for an extra-special effect once it is scooped and served. This frozen treat may sound a little strange, but it all somehow works together to form the perfect springtime dessert. And newsflash, you don't have to eat this just in a bowl or on a cone, it is amazing on top of a gooey brownie that is still hot from the oven. Think of an over-the-top brownie a la mode... or sandwich a scoop of the ice cream between two dark chocolate sable cookies. Don't those sound delish? They are definitely on my to-do list for the leftover ice cream that's sitting in my freezer. But, you could be like me and just stand at the kitchen counter, pajamas on, and devour it all at once. I have finally reasoned with myself that as long as I don't put it into a bowl to eat, then the calories don't count. It's a scientific fact and I should officially become a dietician (obvi). Ha, don't pretend like you don't occasionally do it too!! Enjoy :)

Look at the gorgeous red color from the preserve swirls... 

Goat Cheese. Chocolate Freckles. Fancy Preserves.

I am obsessed with these chocolate freckles, y'all :)

For the Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base:

2 ½C Heavy Cream

½C Whole Milk

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

6 Egg Yolks

1 ¼C Sugar

½t Salt

10oz Goat Cheese, Finely Crumbled

2oz Cream Cheese, Broken into Small Pieces

2t Vanilla

2T Vanilla Bean Infused Rum (or any kind of infused booze that is clear)

For the Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Preserve Swirls & Dark Chocolate Freckles:

Prepared Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base, Chilled

Homemade Strawberry-Balsamic-Pink Peppercorn Preserves

8oz Dark Chocolate, Roughly Chopped

Directions:

1. For the Creamy Goat Cheese Cheesecake Ice Cream Custard Base: In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering milk. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Crumble the goat cheese and break up the pieces of cream cheese into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Place the strainer on top of the goat cheese bowl. Strain the hot custard into a goat cheese filled bowl. Let this mixture sit for a minute or two, and then whisk until both cheeses have completely melted into the base. To ensure that there are no pieces of cheese, I used an immersion blender to briefly blend the base until it was smooth. Stir in the vanilla bean infused rum and vanilla extract. Place this custard filled bowl into an ice bath. Cool the custard base until completely chilled.

2. Assembling the Ice Cream: Once the mixture is chilled, pour the ice cream mixture into the frozen canister of electric ice cream freezer and run according to directions of ice cream maker. While the ice cream is churning, prepare the chocolate by melting it over a double boiler. Transfer the melted chocolate to a container with a spout, such as a liquid measuring cup or a squeeze bottle. When the ice cream is nearly finished churning, add the chocolate, drizzling it in as thinly as possible because you don’t know want large chunks of chocolate, but freckles (or small pieces scattered throughout). As soon as the mixture is done churning, pour or scoop in one-third of the ice cream into a large container, and then spoon some of the strawberry preserves on top of the ice cream. Using the spoon, smooth it out into any even layer and swirl it some for a pretty marbling effect. Repeat this process until all of the ice cream and preserves have been use. Once it has been assembled, store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake
Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

I've been wanting to make Red Velvet Cookies for a while now, but homemade... all from scratch. No box mixes. I struggled for a while trying to make a recipe that would yield chewy cookies because all of the other ones I had made were quite cakey. No thank you. Don't y'all worry your little hearts, I finally got one for ya! And trust me, they are worth it. The dough is a bright red color, which is exactly what I wanted, but it also has Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces and white chocolate studded throughout. Yes, you heard me right... BIRTHDAY CAKE OREO TRUFFLE PIECES in a cookie. This is perfect because it gives the cookie a chocolate flavor (that is known for from red velvet cake) and it also lends a slightly "birthday cake" taste to it. The fun doesn't stop there because when you bite into the center, there is a creamy cheesecake filling. We loved these cookies, even though it took me three previous batches to perfect it, and I can't wait to make them again. And for all y'all Alabama, UGA, and Falcons fans out there, it'd be a perfect tailgatin' dessert. Oh, don't you forget about Christmas either because these will definitely be on the list!! Enjoy :)

Those Dark Areas on the Cookies are Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles  

Don't forget the white chocolate chips...

Ain't that red color purdy??

For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces:

21 Birthday Cake Oreos, Finely Crushed

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

For the Cheesecake Filling:

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

2C Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

2T Powdered Buttermilk (optional, this can be left and the texture is still great)

1t Vanilla

For the Chewy Red Velvet Cookies:

2 ¼C AP Flour

1T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½t Baking Soda

1t Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel (scant)

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1C Light Brown Sugar

½C Sugar

1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2t Vanilla

1oz Red Dye (to the color of your preference)

12oz White Chocolate, Roughly Chopped into Chunks

Prepared Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces

Prepared Cheesecake Filling, Chilled

Directions:

1. For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces: Line a small baking dish with foil and set it aside. Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender until finely ground, and then in a medium bowl, mix with softened cream cheese until truffle forms. Press into foil-lined baking dish and flatten with hands. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Once chilled, remove the Oreo truffles from the freezer and cut into small pieces. Keep chilled until you are ready to fold into the cookie batter.   

2. To Make the Cheesecake Filling: Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, powdered buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have as many as you need for the cookies (I made about 25). Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours. After they have chilled, I rolled them with my hands, so that they were a smooth, round shape.  

3. For the Red Velvet Cookies:In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure each one has been blended completely before adding the next. Add in the vanilla and the red dye and blend until everything is incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend in this sifted flour mixture into the red batter until just incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips, followed by gently folding in the Oreo Truffle pieces (make sure not to blend too much or they will mix into the cookie dough). Chill the cookie dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

5. To Assemble the Cookies: Take about 1 scoop of the red velvet cookie dough and flatten it in your hands. Place one of the cheesecake filling balls in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie dough balls) or until the cookies have started to set in the center, but are crisp on the outsides.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Let the cookies set before enjoying.

source: chewy cookies. oreo truffle-swirled chocolate chip cookies.cheesecake filling.

Raspberry-Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Topping

Raspberry-Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Topping

Hey y'all, whacha doing? Getting ready for the 4th of July (aka the best holiday ever, besides Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patty's Day, and well okay, all holidays are amazing). But the Fourth goes down in my book as my absolute favorite. I don't know what it is about it, maybe the combination of grillin' out, banana pudding, peach cobbler, caloric Southern food, fireworks + sparklers, those firecracker popsicles that I was obsessed with as a child, block parties, shrimp boils, beach bummin', going to the lake, loud country music, getting drunk having fun with my best friends, red-white-and-blue colored desserts, ice cold arnold palmers, dancin' the night away, baseball games... well, as you can see the list goes on & on. Now, onto the recipe. Remember that time I made those goat cheese brownies and they were absolutely delicious. Well, I made another goat cheese dessert. This time it was a cheesecake. I saw this recipe on last week's "The Best Thing I Ever Made" on the Food Network. It was all about cheese and Anne Burrell was raving about this goat cheese cheesecake she had made. So, I happened to have a bunch of goat cheese around and ended up making her cheesecake. I decided to use a chocolate cookie crust instead of the traditional graham cracker crust, add some fresh raspberries, and spread on a thick layer of dark chocolate ganache as a topping. It is an odd & quirky combination, but it totally works. Given, I have a mild obsession with goat cheese, so if you are not a goat cheese fan, then definitely don't make this. You will absolutely hate it. This cheesecake is light yet creamy, tangy but sweet, and rich but refreshing. It's a truly decadent dessert that I know we will make again & again!! Enjoy :)

A Slice of Raspberry-Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache Topping 

Look at them raspberries :)

yummy chocolate crust + chocolate ganache topping

Always top with some fresh raspberries!!

For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:

6T Unsalted Butter, Melted

2C Chocolate Cookie Crumbs

¼C Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Espresso Powder

For the Raspberry-Goat Cheese Cheesecake:

2 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

12oz Goat Cheese

1 ½C Sour Cream

4 Large Eggs

1 ½C Sugar

2t Vanilla

1-2C Fresh Raspberries

For the Chocolate Ganache Topping:

1C Dark Chocolate Chunks

½C Heavy Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9inch springform pan with Pam. Set it aside.

2. For the Chocolate Cookie Crust: Place the cookie crumbs, sugar, salt, and espresso powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. Cool on a rack, and then wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the goat cheese cheesecake filling.

3. For the Raspberry-Goat Cheese Cheesecake Filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and goat cheese together until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and continue beating until combined. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in each until thoroughly mixed before adding the next one. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and push the raspberries down into the cheesecake. Gently place the cheesecake into the roasting pan that is in the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pans until it comes about halfway up the side of the spring form pan. Bake for 30 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheet and bake until the filling is set, another 25 to 30 minutes. If the filling starts to color, tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.

4. For the Chocolate Ganache Topping: In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream just to a boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until smooth.  Pour the ganache over the top of the cooled cheesecake, smoothing with a spoon and allowing some of the ganache to drip over the sides of the cheesecake.  Return to the fridge to chill an additional 3 hours or until the ganache is shiny and set.

Spiced Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Liquid Cheesecake Filling, Vanilla Glaze, White Chocolate Coating, & Milk Crumb Topping

I love love love to make doughnuts. Even though it's a process, they are just so fun to make. I have been on a red velvet kick recently, well let's be honest, my entire life. So why not switch it up a bit and make some carrot cake doughnuts? I have always preferred yeast doughnuts because they are just buttery and light & fluffy. But this time, I decided to go with a cake version. The batter consists of all the typical cake doughnut ingredients, but I have added cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, buttermilk, orange zest, brown butter, and finely shredded carrots. I used a biscuit cutter and made them into larger round, like doughnut holes on steroids. After I fried them suckers up until they were brown & crispy, I let them cool enough to fill them. The filling is called "liquid cheesecake" because it literally is cheesecake... in liquid form. I just put this chilled cheesecake into a piping bag and stuffed it into the center. After they have been filled, I coated them in a classic vanilla glaze. Once the vanilla glaze has set, dip the glazed doughnuts into melted white chocolate, and then immediately dunk them into the homemade milk crumb topping. Both the liquid cheesecake and milk crumb topping comes from Momofuku Milk Bar's Carrot Cake Truffles. The milk crumb topping tastes like cereal + graham cracker crumbs + everything else delicious and sweet. Like most desserts I make, each one has about a million components, but they are all just toooooo good. Oh and just a hint to make things a little easier on yourself, I pre-made the liquid cheesecake and milk crumb topping the night before so I could just assemble them once I had fried them! We actually snatched up all these doughnuts before I could even cut into the center to take a picture of the liquid cheesecake filling, bummer (sorry guys). But, maybe that's just an excuse to make these again?! I think so!! Enjoy y'all :)

Spiced Carrot Cake Doughnuts All Lined up

Spiced Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Liquid Cheesecake Filling with Vanilla Glaze,
White Chocolate Coating, & Milk Crumb Topping

yummy white chocolate + milk crumb topping

these are sooo delicious :)

For the Spiced Carrot Cake Doughnuts:

3 ½C AP Flour

2/3C Sugar

2t Cinnamon

½t Nutmeg

½t Ground Ginger

2 ½t Baking Powder

1t Salt

¾t Baking Soda

1 Egg + 1 Egg White

1C Buttermilk

1t-1T Fresh Orange Zest

4T Unsalted Butter, Melted & Browned

1C Carrots, Finely Shredded

Canola Oil, For Frying 

For the Liquid Cheesecake Filling:

2 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1 ½C Sugar

2T Cornstarch

1t Salt

4T Milk

2 Eggs 

For the Glaze:

3C Confectioners’ Sugar

½C Milk

½t Vanilla & Salt

 

For the Milk Crumb Topping:

1 ½C Milk Powder

½C AP Flour

¼C Cornstarch & Sugar

½t Salt

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

6oz White Chocolate, Melted

Directions:

1. To Make the Carrot Cake Doughnuts: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 2/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp. nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a bowl, whisk together egg and egg white until frothy. Whisk in buttermilk and butter. Stir buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients to form dough. Transfer dough to a floured surface; gently roll to 1/2" thickness. Using a floured 3 1/4" round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of dough and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Gather dough scraps, knead briefly to form a ball and flatten and cut out more rounds. Repeat until all dough is used. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out center of each round. Chill doughnuts and holes for 30 minutes. Pour oil into a deep fryer and heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350°. Working in small batches, fry doughnuts and holes, turning, until golden brown, 3–4 minutes on each side for doughnuts and 2–3 minutes for holes. Using tongs, transfer doughnuts to a wire rack to drain.
2. For the Liquid Cheesecake Filling: Set the oven to 300 degrees. Beat the cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and mix until the sugar has been incorporated. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch, salt, milk, and eggs, and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Beat this mixture into the cream cheese and beat for 3 minutes. Place the liquid cheesecake in an ovenproof bowl. Place the bowl into another ovenproof pan and fill with enough boiling water to come up halfway up the sides of the liquid cheesecake. Bake the cheesecake in this water bath for 15 minutes. Remove the cheesecake bowl from the water and let it cool. Once it has cooled, pipe or stuff the cheesecake filling into the center of the carrot cake doughnut (making sure not to overstuff them).
3. For the Glaze: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth. One by one, dip the doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged. Remove from the glaze, and then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch extra glaze). Let the glaze harden completely before adding the melted white chocolate and milk crumb topping.
4. For the Milk Crumb Topping: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk to combine 1C Milk Powder with the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and use a spatula to toss the mixture until small clusters form. Spread these clusters onto your parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Add the remaining ½C of Milk Powder and toss, and then crush the large clusters with a fork. Pour the 6oz of melted white chocolate over the crumbs and toss until large crumbs form again. Place the crumbs in the refrigerator or freezer to let the white chocolate harden. If the crumbs are too large, crush with a fork or spin them briefly in a food processor.  Keep cold until ready to top the doughnuts.
5. Garnishing the Doughnuts: Melt the 12oz of remaining white chocolate until smooth. Dip the tops of the glazed doughnuts into the melted white chocolate, so that there’s a smooth white chocolate topping. While still melted, dip the white chocolate covered, dipped doughnuts into the milk crumb topping, so that there’s a heavy coating of the crumbs on top.

source: carrot cake truffles. nutmeg doughnuts.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, and like every year, I am in charge of most of the sides and the desserts. I usually make two desserts and this year I decided to make a Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust & a Salted Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla Bean Pastry Crust topped with Cinnamon Ice Cream. But... back to the cheesecake. This delicious cheesecake is like two famous Thanksgiving desserts, smashed into one. Almost every household has either a pecan pie or a pumpkin pie at their table during the holidays, so why not combine them together and make the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert. I actually doubled my recipe to make two cheesecakes, so we could enjoy one before (shh don't tell anyone), and my Mountain Man has already had three slices! The crust is perfectly cinnamon-y & crunchy... I like a really thick crust, so if you don't, then definitely reduce the cookie crumbs. The pecan pie filling is sweet, gooey, and nutty, which perfectly balances the more-savory & spicy pumpkin cheesecake layer. I know it may be short notice, but go and run to the grocery store now and buy all the ingredients to make this cheesecake, your friends and family will thank you!! Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Beauty Shot of the Whole Cheesecake 

Layers of Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pecan Pie, & Thick Gingersnap Crust

For the Cookie Crust:

2 ½C Cookie Crumbs (I like Biscoff Cookies, Gingersnaps, or Cinnamon Graham Crackers)

¼C Sugar

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

For the Pecan Pie Filling:

1C Sugar

2/3C Dark Corn Syrup

1/3C Butter, Melted

2 Eggs

1 ½C Chopped Pecans

1t Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

For the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Filling:

2 Blocks of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1 ¼C Sugar 

2T Sour Cream

1C Pure Pumpkin Puree

3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature & Separated

1T Cornstarch

½t Salt

1 ½t Vanilla Extract

1 ¼t Ground Cinnamon

½t Ground Ginger

Pinch of Ground Cloves

For the Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream:

½C Heavy Cream

1T Sugar

¼t Vanilla

1 ½t Bourbon 

Directions:

1. Prepping for the Cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack in the center of the oven. Line a 10-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and spray with Pam, and set aside

2. For the Cinnamon Cookie Crust: Pulse the cookies in a food processor until they resemble a cookie crumble. Stir in the melted butter along with the brown sugar until well combined. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool on a rack, and then wrap the outside of the spring form pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.  Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, make the pecan pie filling.
3. For the Pecan Pie Filling: Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat & simmer until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the pecan pie filling into the crust and set aside.
4. For the Pumpkin Pie Filling: Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides, about 3 minutes. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch, salt, and all of the spices. Beat until just combined. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and then gently fold the whites into the cheesecake batter. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared spring form pan, on top of the pecan pie filling (making sure to smooth the top evenly). Gently the roasting pan with the cheesecake in it into the oven and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the spring form pan (this helps for even baking). Bake until the outside of each cheesecake sets in the center but is still loose (about 1 hour). Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for another 45 minutes to a hour (this step will help prevent cracking on the top). Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife along the outside edges to loosen it from the sides of pan. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours, and then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 
5. For the Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream: Whip the cream in electric mixer, adding the sugar, vanilla, and bourbon as it starts to thicken. Continue whipping until soft peaks form, about 4-5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If your cheesecake happens to have any cracks in the top, the bourbon vanilla whipped cream is the perfect solution to cover them, and no one will ever know... shhhhh :)
6. Serving the Cheesecake: Bring the cheesecake to room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating. Serve with a dollop of the bourbon vanilla whipped cream.

source: pecan pie cheesecake.

Boozy Bourbon Pecan Pie-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

I know it's not Thanksgiving yet, or even Fall, but I'm itchin' for it to get here. I love everything about Fall. I love the weather, football, tailgatin', festivals, soup, holidays... pretty much anything you can think of. This recipe would be perfect for Thanksgiving, especially in the South :) I mean it's like chocolate pecan pie, but in bar-form... with CHEESECAKE... and BOURBON. I know I know, you can thank me later (just kidding). But these bars are definitely Mountain Man approved. I think any guy would approve of a dessert with bourbon in it. I think my Mountain Man would drink it out of his shoe, I mean he wouldn't really, but maybe. I don't know, probably if he was already liquored up some, but that's besides the point. The bars are soooo yummy. It is a layer of bourbon shortbread, chocolate cheesecake, and bourbon-pecan pie topping. It's just my little twist on a holiday classic. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did :)

Boozy Bourbon Pecan Pie-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

For the Bourbon Shortbread Crust:

1 ¾C AP Flour

Pinch of Salt

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Almost Room Temperature

¼C Gourmet Raw Bourbon Vanilla Sugar

¼C Confectioners’ Sugar

2t Vanilla

1T Bourbon, Heaping (I used Maker’s Mark)   

For the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:

1 ½ Packages (or 12oz total) of Cream Cheese, Softened

¾C Sugar

1t Vanilla

2 Eggs

8oz Semisweet Chocolate, Melted & Cooled

For the Boozy Pecan Pie Filling:

3 Large Eggs

1C Light Corn Syrup

¾C Brown Sugar

¼C Sugar

2T Melted Butter

1T Bourbon

2C Pecans, Toasted & Roughly Chopped

Pinch of Salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. To Make the Bourbon Shortbread Crust: Sift together the flour and salt, and then set aside. Put the butter and both sugars into the bowl of a standing mixer and beat them together until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla & bourbon and mix on medium speed until well combined. Finally, with the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture until it is completely incorporated and the dough comes together cleanly off the sides of the bowl. Next, line a 13x9-baking pan with tin foil and spray with Pam, and then press the shortbread dough into the pan in an even layer. Place the pan into the refrigerator and chill the dough for 2 hours. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, make the chocolate cheesecake layer.
2. To Make the Chocolate Cheesecake Layer: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low, mix in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour the cheesecake batter evenly over the shortbread. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheesecake is partially cooked and starting to set. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes while you make the boozy pecan pie filling.
3. To Make the Boozy Pecan Pie Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and bourbon until well combined. Stir in the pecans. Gently pour the pecan pie filling evenly over the cooled cheesecake layer. Bake the bars until set or for another 25-30 minutes. Once they are slightly set, cool the bars completely in the pan, and then place the bars in the refrigerator to chill for four to six hours.
4. Once the bars have chilled, lift them out of their pan using the tin foil and cut into squares. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!*

"Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

What kind of cakes do y'all think of when you think of the South? Obviously for me it is Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, Hummingbird Cake, Coconut Cake, and maybe a few others that I'm just not thinking of. Well, I already make a different kind of Red Velvet Cake every other week, I know it's getting ridiculous. But, it's my absolute favorite. So, when one of my best friends from high school asked for me to bake her a cake for her birthday this weekend, I decided to let her choose, since ya know... it's her birthday & all. She had tasted Mountain Man's Carrot Cake with Orange-Cream Cheese Frosting when I made it for his birthday, so she wanted that cake again. I didn't want to make the same cake because that just wouldn't be special. I asked her if I could put my little twist on it, and she said that was fine. Well, my twist was going to include Carrot Cake (since she requested it), but it was also going to include Hummingbird Cake + White Chocolate Cheesecake. YES, you heard me right... I didn't stutter. Three different cakes in one glorious birthday cake. If y'all aren't from the South and you haven't heard of Hummingbird Cake. It is like the sister of Carrot Cake. Instead of shredded carrots, the cake has mashed bananas, crushed pineapples, and chopped pecans. It also has cream cheese frosting, just like Carrot Cake, which was kind of the common denominator that I knew would drive these two together. Since they are sort of similar, I thought they would be great together in one cake, and boy was I right. These cakes were born to be layered together. But I couldn't just do any ole' cream cheese frosting... I had to kick it up a notch. Instead of frosting in between each cake, I layered in White Chocolate Cheesecake. YESSSSSS. Cheesecake in a layer cake? Amazing. It tasted exactly like a cake with frosting, but with a little more body and well, deliciousness. To tie it all together, I made a white chocolate cream cheese frosting. This cake was by far my favorite cake that I have baked so far, in all its' Southern glory. Please make this cake for your next party, birthday, holiday, or today... whatever. It doesn't matter. It's worth it. And sorry for the kind of bad pictures, it was hard to get a good lookin' picture when you're celebrating & chowing down at the same time! Enjoy :)

The Whole "Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

The Cake Gettin' Sliced Into

Layers of Hummingbird Cake, White Chocolate Cheesecake, Carrot Cake,  & White Chocolate Cream Frosting

"Southern Classics" White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake

For the Hummingbird Cake Layers:

1 ½C AP Flour

½t Baking Soda

½t Salt

1C Sugar

½t Cinnamon

2 Large Eggs, Beaten

½C Vegetable Oil   

1t Vanilla

4oz Crushed Pineapple, Undrained

½C Chopped Pecans

1C Chopped Bananas

For the Carrot Cake Layers:

2 Eggs

½C + 2T Vegetable Oil

1C Sugar

1C AP Flour

1t Baking Soda

1t Baking Powder

¼t Salt

1t Cinnamon

Pinch of Ground Ginger

1 ½C Grated Carrot

½C Golden Raisins

½C Chopped Pecans

For the White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:

¼C White Chocolate Chips, Melted & Cooled

4 8oz Packages of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1C + 4T Sugar

2T AP Flour

4 Eggs, Room Temperature

2t Vanilla

2T Heavy Cream

For the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8oz Blocks of Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

½C White Chocolate Chips, Melted

1t Vanilla

2C Confectioners’ Sugar

Toasted Coconut, For Decoration      

Pineapple Slices, For Decoration

Pecans, For Decoration

White Chocolate Chips, For Decoration

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray 7 cake tins (2 Carrot Cake, 2 Hummingbird, & 3 Cheesecake) with Pam and line with parchment, and then set them aside.

2. To Make the Hummingbird Cake Layers: Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and add the eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened (do not beat). Stir in the vanilla, pineapple, pecans, and bananas. Pour the batter into two prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and then remove from the pans and cool completely on the wire racks. *Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to help with stacking*

3. To Make the Carrot Cake Layers: In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the carrots, and the fold in the pecans, and golden raisins. Pour the cake batter into the other 2 prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. *Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to help with stacking*

4. To Make the White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 3 cake pans with parchment paper and spray with Pam. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed until creamy, and then slowly add in the sugar, mixing slowly until smooth. On low speed, mix in the flour. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula. Add one egg at a time; making sure each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla and cream until the mixture is smooth. Using a large spoon, fold in the melted white chocolate until just incorporated. Pour the batter equally into the prepared pans and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until the center is set when you slightly shake the pan. Allowing to cool completely before removing from the pan. Place into the refrigerator and chill the cheesecakes overnight before assembling the cake.

5. To Make the White Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the melted white chocolate and vanilla. Next, beat in the sifted confectioners’ sugar until blended and smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes in order to set up a little.

6. To Assemble the Cake: Place one layer of humming bird cake and layer on some of the cream cheese, followed by one layer of the cooled cheesecake, another layer of cream cheese frosting, a layer of carrot cake and some more cream cheese frosting. Repeat this process until all the cake has been used. Finish by spread the cream cheese frosting up the sides and on the top in a smooth, even layer (swirling decoratively). Press the toasted coconut onto the sides of the cake and top with the different garnishes on top of the cake. Put the cake in the refrigerator to set up the frosting, about 30 minutes. But then let the cake come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating.

*Check out Sweets for a Saturday for this recipe, as well as many others!!*