a breakthrough

Remember the Kahlua Coffee Cocoa Cheesecake I shared with you?  Well, if you'll recall I could not find espresso powder, as the recipe called for.  Well, I have good news...we found a better substitute.  I used the espresso ground coffee brewed as a liquid one time (check out that post here) and that worked well but this solution is closer to the original.
We were at Winn Dixie (we love their buy one get one deals) and my husband found his espresso coffee in instant coffee form.  He uses Cafe Bustello and I know nothing about coffee but, he says it's a stronger, better one.
I used that this time in place of the espresso powder and he loved it!  I mean, he ate five cheesecake cupcakes in the three hours before we went to work.  Just wanted to share my little find with my faithful bloggies!
Oh, and if you wonder why I always make my cheesecake in cupcake form, it's because I do not have a spring form pan yet.  I am planning on getting one sometime with a 40% off coupon but, just haven't yet.

double dose of decadence

Just a mere four days ago I had never in my life even attempted to make a cheesecake.  Now, I've made three batches of two different types of cheesecake!  I'm addicted and I don't even eat them!  I remade the Kahlua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake cupcakes (we just call is Kahlua cheesecake) today, with the right ingredients.
As I said last time, I didn't have the espresso powder.  Well, this time I couldn't find the espresso powder either...my husband and I looked ALL up and down the coffee isle in Wal-Mart and couldn't find any.  I looked online and it said you could find it in specialty stores and such...boo, that's not Wal-Mart.  However, it did also tell me that I could substitute the espresso powder for dark ground coffee.  Though, don't do like I did the first time and pour the coffee grounds in, add boiling water to it.  I had my husband brew some of his coffee and I just took some before he poured his cup.  Perfect!  Once again, I halved the recipe and it worked wonderfully.  My husband and co-workers approve!

 I wanted to share with you the second batch of cheesecake cupcakes I made today.  They are cookies and cream cheesecake cupcakes, made with Oreos.  My best friends sister-in-law made these for her birthday one year and I thought they were so clever.  I got the recipe from her and whipped up a batch.  I am going to give you the whole recipe which makes 30 cupcakes.  Holy Cow!  I do not need that many cupcakes.  I halved the recipe and it worked just fine.

What you need:

42 Oreos - 30 are needed to be left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temp (4 packs of 8 oz cream cheese)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs room temp, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
pinch of salt
Cupcake pan
Cupcake liners
Electric mixer

What to do:
Preheat Oven to 275, line muffin pans with liners.  Using plain white ones it best, you will be able to see the Oreo through the paper.
Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each cup.
With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth.
Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined, beat in vanilla.
Drizzle in the eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Beat in sour cream and salt.
Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
Divide the batter into the cups, filling each almost to the top.  I used my ice cream scoop to fill it up and it was just the right amount.  (Remember they won't rise like normal muffins.)
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.
Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely.
Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Remove from the muffin tins before serving.

My husband was quite fond of this sweet little treat.  Try it out, or use the simple cheesecake recipe I shared with you and make your own unique flavor or a few!  When you make the cheesecakes in cupcake tins you not only promote portion control you can make many different flavors.

a tipsy little cake

I shared with you the other day a cheesecake recipe my aunt gave me.  That got me thinking about a cheesecake that my husband declared as his favorite cheesecake ever as soon as he ate it.  It was the Kahlua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.  I went to looking for the recipe online and was so excited to find it!  We went to Wal-Mart (my husband was excited about this find too) and got the ingredients.  The recipe called for espresso coffee, which my husband said that he had.  However, I later found out he didn't...only after putting his ground coffee into the mix.  UGH!  However, it turned out to be a happy little accident.  I am going to attempt the actual recipe eventually. I halved the recipe and made cheesecake cupcakes however, I am giving you the whole recipe.

What you'll need:
15 Oreo cookies, crushed (I used whole cookies instead and just put one in each cupcake liner before filling with the cake mix)
3 tbsp Butter, melted (omit this if you are not crushing the cookies)
24 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs (for halving, I used two eggs)
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 cup flavored instant coffee powder (I used french vanilla)
1/3 cup espresso coffee
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp Kahlua (or any other coffee liqueur)
9 inch Spring Form Pan (if making one large cake)
Cupcake pan (if making cheesecake cupcakes) and Cupcake liners
2 Mixing Bowls
Electric Mixer

What to do:
Mix crushed cookies and butter and pat into bottom of pan, set in refrigerator - OR -  put one cupcake liner into each cupcake dish, put one whole Oreo in each dish

Mix cream cheese and sugar until well blended
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well
Divide the cream cheese into two parts, 3/4 in one bowl and 1/4 in the second bowl

In the larger mixture, add flour, flavored coffee powder and coffee liqueur, mix well

In the smaller mixture add the espresso powder and cocoa powder, mix well (this is the part I messed up, so my cheesecake cupcakes did not have this layer but, my husband liked them just as much!)

Pour the larger mixture over the crust, top with the remaining smaller mixture

Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes (for a cake).  I only cooked mine about 25 minutes and they are good though, I only had one pan of cupcakes.  You know when the cheesecake is done when just the center wiggles a little.

Run a knife or metal spatula around the rim of the pan to loosen.  Do not remove the cake until it is completely cooled.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

You can top the cake with Cool Whip, chocolate shavings, chocolate syrup...whatever you'd like!

creamy cheesy cake

My Aunt made a cheesecake for Christmas day and it was just so pretty!!  I think Cheesecake looks so delicious but, I just don't care for cream cheese..quite the dilemma, I know!  Don't fret...I had my husband try it!  He said it was quite the tasty little treat!
I was thinking of my sweet, loyal readers and wanted to share it with you.  Aunt Shelly sent me the recipe as soon as she got home Christmas night and now I have it to share with you.  How exciting!

What you need:
1 1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 8oz PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
9 inch spring form pan (she used a pie dish because she didn't have a spring form pan)
Mixer

How to make it:
Heat oven to 325
Mix graham crumbs, 3 tbsp sugar and butter (she added a few shakes of cinnamon...mmmmm), press into bottom of spring form pan
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended
Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speeds after each just until blended
Pour over crust
Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set
Loosen cake from rim of pan (or not, if you aren't using a spring form pan)
Refrigerate four hours
Top with fresh fruit just before serving

How easy is that?  I never tried to make cheesecake before because I assumed it would be so hard to do.  Now that I have this recipe my husband may get to eat it more often!  Since this is a very basic recipe I might even try adding a few things to see how he likes it.  He had Kahlua cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory and loved it, I might try that sometime!  Oh, the ideas running through my head are endless!

I just wanted to share with you the woman who gave me this recipe...look at how cute she is!  Thanks  Aunt Shelly for the recipe.