Reese's Pieces Cheesecake Brownies

Yes - you read that title correctly.  And yes, you are salivating on your keyboard.

These hybrid brownie-cheesecake thingys are decadent and rich and totally diet busting.  But they're oh so worth it.  I spotted this recipe on, you guess it, Pinterest, and knew I had to find an excuse to make them.

My excuse - a Sunday afternoon and a baby who graced me with a 2 hour nap.  Perfect!

They take a little bit of time as the layers firm up but they are really super easy to make.  So easy that I may have to make them again in the future (darn!).

Enjoy!

Reese's Pieces Cheesecake Brownies
(adapted from Pip & Ebby)

1 - 19.5-oz. box chocolate fudge brownie mix
1-  8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 - 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
12 oz. Reese’s Pieces candy
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions. Spread the batter in pan and set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with hand-held mixer until fluffy. Add condensed milk and peanut butter and beat until smooth. Spoon the mixture over the batter. Spread evenly.
Sprinkle Reese's Pieces candies over the cheesecake layer.
Bake for 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and cream together, stirring constantly.
Spread over cheesecake layer.
Allow top chocolate layer to harden before slicing. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Yes, you read that title correctly. Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies... there is such a thing and let me tell you, my life is better just by knowing in exists.

By combing creamy cheesecake with the dense, chocolate laced red velvet cake, we have a match made in heaven in these brownies. Be warned, I can't guarantee you won't want to eat the entire pan yourself so make sure you decide to make these when you have some sort of soiree to attend. Party guests will thank you for bringing them and your jeans will thank you for not eating the whole pan.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
(adapted from: Baking Bites)



1 cup butter
4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 tsp red food coloring
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

16-oz cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 13x9 square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and salt into the bowl and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.
Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Prepare cheesecake mixture. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.
Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled.
Brownies can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.

Lady Finger Cheesecake with Balsamic Macerated Strawberries

Having friends who love cooking as much as you do are amazing. Not just because you're guaranteed a good meal when you visit their house, but also because they'll share the yummy recipes they use with you! My friend Nicole (who introduced me to the incredible Toffee Dip) had myself and a few other of our girlfriends over a few weekends back. The meal was delicious, of course, but the dessert... to die for cheesecake. We all begged for her to share the recipe and needless to say, we were all thrilled when we realized that the recipe did not include any baking. A no bake cheesecake that tasted incredible and was impressive? Yes please!!

I adjusted the recipe slightly, as I did not have vanilla extract on hand but did have a whole vanilla bean. But, if you're without vanilla bean, you could easily use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Then I decided that the cheesecake needed a topping. Nicole served hers with cherry topping but I decided to get a little crazy and go for strawberries... but not just any strawberries. Balsamic Macerated Strawberries. These were amazing and impressive to my dinner companions and paired so very well with the sweet and smooth cheesecake.

Make this and I promise you'll re-think ever making a traditional cheesecake ever again.

Enjoy :)

Lady Finger Cheesecake with Balsamic Macerated Strawberries



For the cheesecake...
3 packages of lady fingers
4-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, stripped

Mix cream cheese, sugar & vanilla. Set aside. Whip heavy cream until stiff. Combine whipped cream with cream cheese mixture.
Line spring form pan with lady fingers (bottom and sides) spread 1/2 of cream cheese filling. Put another layer of lady fingers and then spread on rest of mixture. Refrigerate over night. Top each piece cut with strawberries and serve.

For the strawberries...
1 container of strawberries, hulled and sliced in four pieces
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Place the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar, tossing to coat. Refrigerate overnight.
30 minutes before serving, pour balsamic vinegar over top and toss. Serve over cheesecake (or eat straight from the bowl - I won't judge you).

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

Mr. TL's birthday get together is always a time for me to flex my baking muscles! While I opted not to make his cake this year (a local restaurant offers a Heath Bar Crunch cake that is AH-mazing!), I did whip up two other sweets for people to munch on. These chocolate chip cheesecake bars are to die for good. Seriously. And did I mention easy? 4 ingredients and you're on yoru way to cheesecake heaven. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
(adapted from Pillsbury.com)



16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 egg
2 rolls of refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth.
In ungreased, 9x13 pan, break up one roll of cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough. Crumble and sprinkle remaining roll of dough over cream cheese mixture.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. Cut into squares and store in refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Sandwiches

Yes... they are as decadent as they sound!!!!

This is certainly one of my easiest and best recipes that I have... they're always yummy and can be so festive! I made them for my bridesmaid Laurens college grad party and rolled the edges in red & blue (her school colors). I ended up quadrupling the recipe and with well over 40 sammies, there were none left!

Try these once and I guarantee you'll be making them again and again!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Sandwiches
Makes 10 sandwiches



10 Chips Ahoy Cookies
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. sugar
1 C Cool Whip, thawed

Beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Stir in the whipped topping.
Cover the flat side of the cookie with approx. 1 T of the cheesecake filling (note: I used a cookie scoop for quick & even filling!). Top each with the second cookie, bottom side down, to form a sandwich.
Freeze for 3 hours.

NOTE: You can dip the sandwiches in chocolate or roll the end in small chocolate chips, coconut, sprinkles, etc! Make them fun & festive!

Cheesecake & chocolate? A match made in heaven!!

In anticipating of going to my matron of honor's house tomorrow night for some serious Wii playing, I decided that I would bring dessert! I baked off a batch of these yummy cream cheese brownies which are basically cheesecake brownies.

The layer of cream cheese filling on top is soft and gooey and the chocolate brownie is incredibly fudgey and rich. Mmmm, I've found a hit!

I'm thinking that next time I make these, I will swirl the cheesecake layer into the chocolate one for a bit of a swirled look! I guess that means I will be forced into making these again. Darn ;)

Enjoy :)

Cheesecake Brownies



Brownies
1 pkg Duncan Hines® Chocolate Lovers'
Double Fudge Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Topping
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs
1 lb confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 13 X 9 pan.
2. Combine all of the brownie ingredients (including fudge packet from mix) and stir with spoon until well blended. Spread into pan.
3. Beat cream cheese in large bowl at medium with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs, sugar, vanilla until smooth. Spread over brownie mixture.
4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until edges and top are golden brown.
5. Cool completely and the refrigerate until well chilled.

Best. Cheesecake. Ever. The End.

Simply put, this is by far the best cheesecake I've ever had or had the pleasure of making! It was so simple to make and baked up perfectly!!! I brought it to my future in-law's last night for dessert and it was a huge hit... delicious!

I eyeballed the cookie dough though... I used 1/2 of the small tube of Nestles chocolate chip cookie dough. I mixed 1/4 of that in and then the remaining 1/4 of that all around the top. It looked pretty that way too!

I may try this next time around with an Oreo cookie crust instead of the graham to give it more of a chocolate punch!!

Enjoy this one... yum-yum!

PS: I am going to make a conscious effort from here on out to actually note where I am getting the recipes from! So if any of the ones on this blog are yours and I haven't credited you, let me know and I'll do it ASAP! :)

Cookie Dough Cheesecake



2 pkg (8oz each) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup prepared or refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, divided
1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough; drop by teaspoonfuls into batter. Stir gently until well blended.
Pour into crust. Top with level teaspoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup cookie dough.
Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.