VALENTINE BROWNIE MOSAIC CHEESECAKE!

It seems that most people fall into one of three categories when it comes to Valentine’s Day:

Group #1: They enjoy the holiday and celebrate. Usually gifts and dinners at nice restaurants are involved.

Group #2: They think Valentine’s Day is nice, but over the top. They still recognize the day with cards, maybe a small gift, and prepare a nice dinner in.

Group #3: This last group completely hates the holiday, brands it a “Hallmark holiday” and wants nothing to do with acknowledging it.

Where do you fall on this spectrum?

This Cheesecake is for those of you that fall in-between #1 and #2!

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

Equipment used:

9" x 13" glass baking dish
Food processor
Stand mixer
10” Springform pan
Sheet pan

Part One: One Bowl Brownies

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Baker’s chocolate, optional of course)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.
Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not over bake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cool brownies, then cut** them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will have more than the two cups of cubes, loosely measured, than you will need, and I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to decide for yourself what to do with the extra.
Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

** I find that brownies are fantastically easy to cut once they’ve been refrigerated–you end up with nice clean lines, and in this case, a sharp pizza wheel was especially helpful. Also, brownies taste better cold. I’m just saying.

Part Two: Crumb Crust

3 cups finely ground Oreos
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Part Three: Cheesecake

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups brownie cubes (from recipe above)

Make crumb crust as directed above for 24-centimeter cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.
Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.
When completely cool, top with following glaze.

Part Four: Ganache Glaze

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). With the machine running, pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

MAY GIVEAWAY & RECIPES FOR MOTHER'S DAY!

Sorry I am late on posting the May Giveaway. I have had so much company that it seems like I have a revolving front door!

May’s Monthly Giveaway!

I have started a Monthly Giveaway. and I will be drawing names from followers that comment.

The drawings will be on the 1st of each month! .

The May Giveaway is

“Eight Homespun Wrapped Clothes Pins and Small Wooden Bowl”

Each time you comment on a new post, it will give you another chance to win.

*If you post about this Giveaway on your side bar you will earn 2 more chances to win + a surprise gift!.

Be sure to tell me you have posted the Giveaway in your comments.
The bowl in the picture is not the one you will receive. It is a smaller bowl.

Some Recipes for Mother's Day!

PINK LEMONADE CREAM CHEESE PIE

Very simple, very tasty pie. Cooking time is time in the freezer (don't leave it in there too long!) plus time to finish in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate
4 drops red food coloring (optional)
8 ounces whipped topping, with additional for garnish
1 graham cracker pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

In large bowl, beat cheese, lemonade concentrate and optional red food coloring until smooth.
Fold in whipped topping and put in graham cracker pie crust, garnishing with additional whipped topping.
Freeze 20 minutes, then move to refrigerator until serving

ALMOND CHICKEN WITH STRAWBERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE

Crispy chicken with a sweet-tart sauce, served alongside wilted spinach for this special Mother’s Day meal

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
1/3 cup unblanched almonds, coarsely ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
Butter-flavored cooking spray
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup strawberry preserves
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 package (9 ounces) fresh baby spinach

DIRECTIONS:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs, almonds, salt and pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large nonstick skillet coated with butter-flavored spray, cook chicken in 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
In the same pan, cook shallots in remaining oil until tender. Stir in the broth, preserves, vinegar and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5-6 minutes or until thickened.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add spinach; cover and boil for 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Drain; serve with chicken and sauce

ORANGE SODA CAKE

This is a very simple to make cake. It's light and cool enough to be great anytime.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake
1 white cake mix
2 egg whites
1 can diet/regular orange soda

Filling

1 small box orange sugar free/regular jello
2 cups boiling water

Frosting

1 cup milk
1 small box instant sugar free/regular vanilla pudding
8 ounces Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS:

For Cake:
Mix cake mix with Orange soda. Put batter in a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan, sprayed with Pam
Bake 30-35 minutes at 350degrees F.

For Filling:
When cake is cooled; poke holes all over cake with fork. Mix box of Jello with 2 cups boiling water until dissolved and poor directly over cake evenly, refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or until set. Frost

For Frosting:

Mix instant pudding with milk and beat until thick. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cake. Refrigerate.

DIRTY PEARS & COLA PORK CHOPS

DIRTY PEARS OR APPLES:

2 Cups ground cinnamon
1/2 Cup ground nutmeg or cloves
2 Cups applesauce
Whole cloves
Small thin twigs
Mix spices and apple sauce well. It will form a stiff dough. Add more spices if needed to make firm...Shape dough into pear or apple shapes. For pears just add a stem; for apples add clove on the bottom and a short stem..Let air dry on cookie pans/sheets that are covered with foil then wax paper...The foil keeps the bottoms from turning black...until hard (up to 5 days)or bake on waxed paper lined cookie pan/sheet at 150%....Allow to cook overnight...I prefer the air drying...Note during the drying process dough may start to show small cracks. This is normal..
To wax dip the dirty pears/apples you melt beeswax adding essential cinnamon oil and spices....stir well when melted, then dip the fruit using a slotted metal spoon (pick one up at thrift shop or garage sale)...Allow to dry on the wax paper and dust with more spices...Remember to be careful melting the wax...never do it over direct heat....Make your self a melting pot....Take an old large can, put it in a pot with water and simmer till the wax melts....Use a large can that tomatoes come in or a pound coffee can....

COLA PORK CHOPS:

This is a tried and true recipe for pork chops, but it works great using chicken too. With chicken, cooking time is more like 40 minutes for thick breasts."
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup cola-flavored carbonated beverage
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to tast
8 pork chops
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix together the ketchup, cola and brown sugar.
Place pork chops into a baking pan and pour cola mixture over, coating well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for about one hour depending on the thickness of the pork chop.