Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Recipe from Table for Two

Last week I had such a craving for Oreos. I had to bring a dessert to my brother-in-law's engagement party and though Oreo cheesecake bars are not the fanciest things in the world, they were really quite delicious! The best part (surprisingly) was the crust! I was wondering why the recipe bothered to grind up Oreos rather than just using Oreo cookie crumbs...but now I know why. The crust had the perfect amount of sweetness from the Oreo icing and it offset the tart cheesecake beautifully! 

What you'll need

For the crust:

23 Oreo cookies

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

6 tbsp sugar

6 tbsp sour cream, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

How to

1.  Preheat oven to 325F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang so that it's easy to pull the cheesecake out when done.

2.  To make the crust: in a food processor, pulse the Oreos until they're finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the cookies are moistened. 

3.  Transfer the ground Oreos to the prepared baking pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes then set aside, leaving the oven on.

4.  Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium high until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar until well-combined.

5.  Blend in the sour cream, vanilla and salt. Beat in the egg and egg yolk until well-incorporated.

6.  Gently stir in the chopped Oreos.

7.  Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cheesecake is set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the centre.

8.  Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours (or overnight). 

9.  Lift he overhanging parchment paper from the pan and place on a cutting board. Slice into bars, cleaning the knife after each slice to keep the edges pretty.

10.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

Happy Thanksgiving! When given the choice of what to bring to a family gathering, I always choose dessert. I like any excuse to make something I wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to make. I'm not actually sure where this recipe is from because it has become a concoction of a few different recipes. I love these squares. The cheesecake is light and fluffy. The sour cream topping brings a tartness to balance out the sweetness of the crust. Together these layers make a perfect cheesecake.

What you'll need
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

Topping:
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup chopped pecans

How to
1.  For the crust: Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all crust ingredients and press into the bottom of a parchment lined 9x9-inch metal baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

2.  For the filling: Decrease oven to 350°F . Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spread over crust and bake until set, dry in centre, and beginning to rise at edges, about 20 minutes.

3.  For the topping: Mix the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Spread evenly over hot filling. Bake until topping sets and bubbles at edges, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle pecan pieces evenly over topping.

4.  Let cool completely in pan on rack. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours. Cut into squares.

Platz

Platz is one of my favourite mennonite desserts! I think it's all the fruit and butter that make this dessert so scary delicious. You can really use any soft fruit. My favourite is plum or appricot. A few weeks ago I went blueberry picking with my dad and sister and I used nearly all my pickings for this dessert, but it was worth it!

What you'll need
2 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp almond extract
Fruit such as apricots, plumbs, peaches or berries

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar

How to
1.  Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the butter and mix in with your fingertips until coarse crumbs form.

2.  In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, eggs and almond extract. Stir into dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix, it's ok if the batter is a little bit lumpy.

3.  Pour batter into a greased or parchment lined 9 x 13 inch baking pan. If using apricots, plumbs or peaches, slice and place over batter in rows, covering most of the batter. If using berries, cover the batter with a layer until most of the batter is no longer visible.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients, mixing with fingertips until  coarse crumbs form. Spread evenly and loosely over the fruit.

5.  Bake in a 350°F oven for 30-40 minutes, until a fork pierced in the centre comes out clean (you can expect some fruit on the fork, you just don't want to see any thick batter), and the topping is a light golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Recipe from bettycrocker.com

My husband's cousin gave us three huge bags of apples this year. After having made three apple pies and a very large pot of apple sauce, I asked my husband, "what should I make next?". "Apple pie" he replied. "Seriously? I've already made you three!" Yup, he was serious. I have to admit, this apple pie recipe is really quite amazing (you can find it here), but really, I could not make another apple pie! I found this apple crisp recipe and thought I'd give it a try instead. Well, my husband was still happy. He actually described it as "addicting"! That is not a term in my husband's vocabulary when it comes to food, so I think that's a pretty good sign that this apple crisp is amazing!

What you'll need

4 medium Tart apples, sliced (about 4 cups)

3/4 cup Brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup All-purpose flour

1/2 cup Old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup Butter, softened

3/4 tsp Ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp Ground nutmeg

How to

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish.

2.  Spread the apples over the bottom of the dish.

3.  In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

4.  Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.  Serve warm with ice-cream.

Double Chocolate Brownies

Recipe slightly modified. Original from Real Simple magazine.

This recipe is so simple and delicious, I promise, you will never buy brownie mix from a box again! The butter is key in this recipe. Rather than using oil, the butter gives these brownies a rich creamy texture that's hard to resist.

What you'll need

3/4 cup All-purpose flour

1/4 cup Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 cup Unsalted butter

3/4 cup Semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Sugar

2 large Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1/2 cup Pecans, chopped (optional)

How to

1.  Heat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3.  In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and chocolate chips. Microwave on hight in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly. Whisk in the sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

4.  Add the flour mixture and pecans (if using) and mix until just combined (do not overmix).

5.  Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.

6. Holding the paper overhang, lift the brownies out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares (4 rows by 4 rows).

Rhubarb-Brown Sugar Crumble

Recipe modified. Original recipe from Fine Cooking magazine.

There is a little bit of lemon in this crumble that brightens up the dish wonderfully. Eat it warm or cold, with whip cream or ice-cream, or all by itself!

What you'll need

1 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

Topping:

3/4 cup All-purpose flour

1 cup Light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup Old-fashioned oats

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 cup Unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Filling:

7 cups Rhubarb, sliced into 1/3-inch thick pieces

1 cup Light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/4 cup Cornstarch

1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Lemon zest, finely grated

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

How to

1.  Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish with the softened butter.

2.  For the topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and using your fingertips blend it into the flour mixture until the mixture has the texture of coarse meal and clumps together when squeezed lightly.

3.  For the filling, combine the rhubarb, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl and stir with a spatula until evenly mixed.

4.  Transfer the rhubarb mixture to the baking pan, and sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit; the pan with be very full, but the crumble will settle as it bakes.

5.  Bake until the topping is lightly browned, the rhubarb is tender (probe in the centre with a skewer to check), and the juices are bubbling thickly around the edges, 45-60 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature and to allow the juices to thicken, at least 1 hour.

Cranberry Lemon Squares

Recipe by Canadian Living.

These squares are amazing! They are perfectly sweet and perfectly tart.

What you'll need
2 cups All-purpose flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Butter, cubed and softened

Filling:
2 tbsp All-purpose flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Eggs
1 3/4 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Lemon juice
2 cups Cranberries (fresh or frozen), quartered
2 cups Coconut (shredded or flaked)

How to
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Sprinkle with butter; cut in with pastry blender until crumbly and moist enough to squeeze together. Spread in a 13 X 9-inch parchment paper lined cake pan, pressing to level. Bake at 350°F until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and lemon juice; whisk in flour mixture. Stir in cranberries and coconut and scrape onto base.

4. Reduce heat to 325°F. Bake until pale gold and filling is firm in the centre, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack.