I asked my Mom to make my birthday cake for me. I know I can’t leave such a task to Adam, and wanted something delicious. My Mom was nice enough to go with it. Then we ended up having a larger birthday party and ordering a cake, but she made these about 2 weeks after the fact. It was SOOOO worth it.

I love all things cheesecake, but the caramel sauce that goes with this, oh man. Yea that caramel sauce is amazing. Such great flavor. The recipe made WAY more caramel then needed, I promise it didn’t go to waste

Salted Caramel and Vanilla Baked Cheesecake (As Seen On: Greedy Gourmand, Originally From: Donna Hay)

• 500g plain sweet shortbread biscuits
• ½ cup (60g) almond meal (ground almonds)
• 150g butter, melted
• 350g ricotta
• 500g cream cheese
• 1 cup (175g) brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream
• 1 cup (240g) sour cream
• 1 tablespoon icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

caramel sauce

• 1 cup (250ml) single (pouring) cream
• 60g butter, chopped
• 1 cup (175g) brown sugar

To make the caramel sauce, place the cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, bring to the boil and cook for 5–7 minutes or until thickened. Set aside and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Place the biscuits and almond meal in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the butter and process to combine. Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a lightly greased 22cm springform cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Place the ricotta and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 5–6 minutes or until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for 3–4 minutes or until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the golden syrup, table salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and beat until well combined. Spoon the mixture into the biscuit shell. Place the tin in a baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the tin. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove cheesecake from the baking dish and allow to cool in the tin. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Place the cream, sour cream, icing sugar and remaining vanilla in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Top the cheesecake with the cream, drizzle with the caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt flakes to serve. Serves 8–10.

When I found out my sister-in-laws boyfriends birthday was the day before New Years Eve and we would be celebrating New Years with them I asked her his favorite cake. Her response from him was Strawberry Cheesecake. I love cheesecake, and don’t make them nearly as often as I want… so I was happy with this answer.

I didn’t have a lot of time to search for a recipe, but this one turned out good. I didn’t like how the strawberry part was so much more creamier then the rest. I like it more dense then how this was creamy. But everyone else loved it including the birthday boy so I call that success.

Strawberry and Cream Cheesecake (From: Martha Stewart)

• 1 pound strawberries, hulled
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 cup finely ground graham crackers (about 4 sheets)
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pound plus 13 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
• 8 1/4 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with corn syrup, and toss gently to coat. Bake until syrup thickens and strawberries turn deep red and shrink slightly, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer strawberries and syrup to a medium bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Let cool completely.

Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter in a small bowl. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to make an even layer. Bake until crust is firm to the touch and has just darkened, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let crust cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Put cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-low speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, then gradually add remaining cup sugar and the salt. Scrape down sides of bowl; add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl, and mix in vanilla bean seeds and mascarpone until very creamy and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes. (Reserve vanilla bean for another use.)

Transfer 5 cups cream cheese mixture to bowl with mashed strawberries; stir to combine. Pour strawberry-cream cheese mixture on top of crust; smooth with an offset spatula. Carefully spoon dollops of plain cream cheese mixture on top, smoothing with an offset spatula.

Wrap the exterior of the springform pan in 2 layers of foil; set in a large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with boiling water until water reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake cheesecake until set, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours (up to overnight).

The December theme for What’s Baking was brownies, as it is national brownie month. I wasn’t too excited about this as we are not big brownie people. They are probaly my list favorite dessert. Thus why these are the first brownie recipe. I found a recipe for red velvet cream cheese brownies and was going to make those… Then the holidays too time away and before I knew it it was T day. I got a call from church to make a pan of brownies for a funeral and decided to go the tradition route and then I could bring the pan there.

I did make a small separate pan for us to taste but my husband ate most of it before I could get a picture. These are a very cakey chocolately brownie. I added the chocolate chips at 20 minutes like she said and would add them earlier or prior to baking as they all sat on top.

The Best Brownies Ever (From: Bliss, Orginally From: King Arthur Flour)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chocolate chips

We have had a cookie baking day in our family for years. It started out as My Mom and I. Then my aunt and Grandma joined in. This year there was 7 of us. We all bake a few cookies and bring with and then swap. And make some there. My Mom made these and although they aren’t cookies they are like crack. Once you start it’s really hard to stop. They are delicious!

Rolo Turtles (As Seen On: So Marvelous)

• snap pretzels
• rolos
• pecans

Put the pretzels on a baking sheet.

Place one rolo candy on each pretzel.

Pop them in the oven at 350 (or around there) for 4-5 minutes. They will look shiny, but they will still look like a rolo, they shouldn’t melt all over the place.

I am a sucker for the seasonal Oreos. They have the best flavor and the double stuffing just takes it. I bought a bag of them and had about 3 and then the pregnancy aversions hit me and they sat and sat. Adam isn’t big on them so I knew I would end up throwing them away. Then I saw this recipe. I had 1/2 bag of pretzels and candy corn sitting around. I bought some bark and made this.

This was super simple to make, and fun for our 2 year old daughter. She loved mushing the cookies and pretzels up and adding the candy corn. I poured the chocolate in and then she topped with candy corn. So it was a fun family activity. Although this is really sweet, and I can only manage a small piece at a time it really gives you the sweet salty sweet flavor. And so fun for Halloween!!!

Halloween Candy Corn Cookie Bark (From: The Girl Who Ate Everything, Originally From: Recipe Girl)

Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Spread broken cookies, pretzels and about 3/4 cup of the candy corn onto the prepared cookie sheet in a 9×13 shape. Place almond bark in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth.

Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly. It may seem like it’s not enough but just try to evenly spread it. The ratio of chocolate to toppings will be off if you add more almond bark/white chocolate. Sprinkle remaining candy corn and colored sprinkles over the almond bark/white chocolate while it is still wet. Do not let it harden. Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces – it’s really rich. Makes around 20-24 pieces. Store in air tight container.

Brownies are my least favorite dessert, that being the case I am not sure why these jumped out at me, especially because I am not a big black bean fan. But these were a hit with black bean lovers, brownie lovers, and haters of both. These were SO simple to make really really delicious. If you didn’t know you would never know what is in them. They are soft, chewy and fall apart when you cut or touch them, but ohhh so delicious.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies (From: Pennies On A Platter, Originally From: Meal Makeover Moms)

1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed very well
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Grease an 8-x 8-inch baking pan; set aside.

Process the black beans in the bowl of a food processor until smooth.  Add the rest of the ingredients, minus the chocolate chips and process again until smooth.  Mix in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips and pulse a few times just until the chips are incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides and it passes the toothpick test.  Cool completely in the pan, then slice into squares.

Salted Caramel is all the rage right now. I haven’t decided if I love it. I like it but one of those do I like this or not flavors. But when I saw these on pinterest I knew I had to make them. Mostly because I LOVE pudding pops. The vanilla are actually my favorite but these worked.

I have never made homemade pudding and never realized how easy it was. After making it I will be making more. And more pudding pops playing with different and new flavors. These were DELICIOUS and such a fun summer treat!

Chocolate and Salted Caramel Pudding Pops (From: Endless Summer)

Chocolate Pudding

• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups cold whole milk
• 3/4 cups dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt and whole milk in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously. Transfer mixture to a heat-proof bowl and place over (not on) simmering water for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pudding is ready when mixture coats the back of the spoon.  Add chocolate and stir to combine. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

Salted Caramel Pudding

• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups cold whole milk
• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (recipe follows)*
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Combine cornstarch, sugar, salt  and whole milk in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously. Transfer mixture to a heat-proof bowl and place over (not on) simmering water for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pudding is ready when mixture coats the back of the spoon.  Add salted caramel and stir to combine. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

*Salted Caramel Sauce

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons of heavy cream
• ½ teaspoons of kosher salt

Instructions:

Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Add salt and stir to combine.

Assembly:

For easy layering place cooled pudding in a pastry bag or Ziploc bag and cut the corner. Pipe alternating layers of chocolate and salted caramel pudding into a small Dixie type of cup. Place cups in the freezer for one hour until the pudding becomes semi firm, then place a popsicle stick in the middle an continue to freeze for another 2 hours.

Cake batter is hands down one of my favorite flavors. So after making the cake batter cookies and having a box of cake mix just sitting in the cupboard I decided to make these too.

I really liked these, they weren’t too cake flavored just a hint. Try these if you have some cake batter extra from the cookies you wont be disappointed.

Cake Batter Rice Crispy Treats (Found On: Gimme Some Oven)

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows
• 1/4 cup yellow cake mix
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

This might just be my new favorite cake. It was SOOO good, and so moist. I am trying to find a reason to make another experimenting with different kind of pudding mix.

Pistachio Cake (From: Lolly Jane Boutique)