Brownie Cookie Sandwich with Salted Caramel

For the past several years I have made it an annual tradition to bake holiday treats and distribute them to my close friends and family. At first I started off small, but by now the box has grown to include more goodies. Of course I always try to improve upon the previous year and use the month or so leading up to the holidays to test recipes for potential new additions to the box.

Last year, I tried a few recipes but ultimately was not satisfied with any of them so I left the box the same as the year before. It contained cranberry bliss bars, berry crumb bars, chocolate crinkle cookies, and almond biscotti. I felt as though I was missing some sort of treat in the "caramel" category but couldn't settle on anything to fulfill it.

So for the past few weeks I have been once again testing nutty/caramel recipes, trying to find something new to include in this year's box. In order to get more opinions, I have gotten in the habit of bringing my baked goods to work and seeing my coworkers' reactions. The first item I tried to make was a pecan pie thumbprint cookie. Although it tasted good, I was not satisfied with the filling-to-dough ratio so for the next batch I reworked it into more of a mini pecan tartlette. This time the filling was much more prominent and I felt the caramel and nut combination stood out.

Then I came across a recipe saved on my browser that I had found months ago but had not yet tested. It was for a cookie that resembled the taste of a brownie, with dulce de leche sandwiched in the middle. You know those two-bite brownies sold in the paper bags at most grocery stores...well believe it or not but these cookies taste exactly like them! The cookie was flaky on the outside and chewy on the inside, simply the perfect bite. Rather than use dulce de leche, I just substituted the salted caramel sauce that I had already made for the previous treats but the result was fantastic.

As soon as I took a bite I knew this cookie was exactly what I was looking for, especially with the slightly salty caramel to offset the rich chocolate, and it fit the bill for the holiday box. Unfortunately, since I already have the chocolate crinkle cookies and two chocolate cookies is too much, I think it will have to replace them. So once again I am faced with a dilemma whether to try and find yet another new recipe, probably something with nuts, or to just swap out the chocolate cookies and leave the box with only four types of treats. I still have a few weeks to decide and test some more recipes.

Brownie Cookie Sandwich with Salted Caramel
Note: This recipe makes about 30 sandwich cookies, 60 cookies overall.

• 300 grams bittersweet chocolate
• ½ cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¾ cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Using a double broiler, combine the butter and chocolate and melt over low heat until completely smooth and thickened. Set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
3. Combine the eggs, sugars, and cocoa powder and mix on medium-high speed until the mixture has doubled in volume and becomes very thick, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Reduce the speed to medium and the melted chocolate. Continue to mix until well combined. Mix in the vanilla.
5. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Mix just until the flour is incorporated.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking tray. The cookies don't spread too much so they can be spaced closely together and flattened if you want them bigger.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The tops of the cookies should look cracked but inside they will be slightly soft and under-baked.

For the salted caramel:
Note: This makes more than enough caramel for the cookies so there will be plenty of extra. Another option is to use dulce de leche as the original recipe suggests.

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted), cut into pieces
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½-1 tsp fine sea salt

1. Heat the sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula. The sugar will start to form clumps and eventually melt into a thick amber-colored liquid.
2. Once the sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful because the caramel will start to bubble rapidly.
3. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Very slowly, drizzle the cream into the pan while whisking. Once again, watch out for the bubbling and splatter.
5. Allow the mixture to boil for one minute then remove from the heat and stir in ½-1 teaspoon of salt, depending on how pronounced you want the taste.   
6. Cool the caramel before straining into a container. Can be stored for two weeks in the refrigerator tightly sealed.

To assemble the cookies: Place half the cookies flat side up. Warm the caramel if directly from the fridge so it is more spreadable (but let it cool and thicken a little as well). Add a teaspoon or so of caramel to one cookie half and top with another. 

Caramel Latte Cheesecake

This year while many families were celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24th, our family was celebrating the silver wedding anniversary of my aunt and uncle. They decided on hosting a big party with many of their closest friends and family and I contributed with my baking. Together with my mom, we baked three cakes for the event over the span of three days. Two of them were well-trusted recipes: my lemon cheesecake and my mom's chocolate cheesecake. The third was a new recipe and also a new shape for me: a caramel latte cheesecake made in a square springform pan.

I was a little hesitant when using the new pan because I had never made a square cheesecake before and I didn't know what proportions to use when scaling the recipe. For example, I doubled the amount of crust and ended up with way too much and was scooping it out of the pan. However doubling the cake batter itself was just perfect and gave me exactly the right amount to fill the pan.

When we brought out the cakes for dessert everyone was thoroughly impressed, especially when they found out we had made all three. They looked beautiful and appealed to people's different tastes with three different flavors. I must say that the chocolate was the biggest hit but this caramel latte cheesecake came in for a close second. I was told by one of my family members that on a scale of 1 to 10 the cheesecake was a 15. My cousin, who loves caramel, was quite pleased when I admitted that I had him in mind when I found the recipe.

Overall the party was a big success and I give kudos to my aunt and uncle for pulling it off. I think that the guests all enjoyed themselves and were genuinely happy to celebrate such a special occasion with their friends. The night had a very festive and happy tone and I was so touched by the warm thanks I received from my aunt and uncle in the end. I hope that one day I too will be celebrating my silver wedding anniversary surrounded by so much happiness and joy.

Caramel Latte Cheesecake
Note: I have adapted the recipe for an 10" or 11" round springform pan as they are more common than square shaped pans.

For the crust:

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup toffee bits

1. Combine all of the ingredients except for the toffee bits in a bowl and then transfer to an 11" springform pan. Gently press down all along the bottom and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. 
2. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the toffee bits in an even layer on top of the crust and press down lightly. Set aside to cool.

For the cheesecake:

• 2 lbs (4 blocks) cream cheese, softened
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp instant espresso

1. Dissolve the instant espresso in the vanilla and set aside.
2. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for about a minute, until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, at low speed. Beat in the sugar. Scape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Beat in the sour cream and then the vanilla and coffee and mix on medium speed until everything is well incorporated. The batter will be fairly liquidy.
5. Pour the mixture into the cooled springform pan and bake for 55 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit using a hot water bath or by placing a pan of hot water on the lowest rack beneath the cake.
6. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and leave the cake to cool for 1 1/2 hours inside the oven. Afterward, remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 4 hours, though preferably overnight.

For the topping:

Note: There will be extra nuts left over as this recipe makes more than enough to use as a topping for the cake.

• ⅓ cup sugar 
• 3 tbsp water
• 1½ cups salted peanuts
• Dulce de leche (or caramel)

1. Put the sugar and water in a 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until
   
   the sugar dissolves. 
2. Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to color. 
3. Toss in the peanuts and immediately start stirring. Keep stirring, to coat the peanuts with the sugar. Within a few minutes, they will be covered with sugar and turn white but keep stirring until the sugar turns back into caramel. 
4. Once the peanuts are coated with a nice deep amber caramel, remove the pan from the heat and turn the nuts out onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, using a wooden spoon to spread them out as best you can. 
5. Cool the nuts to room temperature and then chop them into small pieces. Sprinkle over top of the cheesecake and drizzle the dulce de leche or caramel sauce on top.

Caramel Apple Pie Bars

I find it interesting how having time off of school actually leads to me being busier rather than actually taking time off. Somehow my mind plays tricks on me and convinces me that it's a good idea to try to get every little thing crossed off of my to do list that I have been putting off for one reason or another. The result is that I have set way too many goals of things I would like to accomplish by the end of the week, which is not a good thing considering that the weekend is about to start and then I'm back to school on Monday.

Regardless, today my friend came over and we spent time doing research for a big project we are working on. I know how much my friend loves my baked goodies, as does my family, and I thought I would use the occasion to bake these caramel apple pie bars which I first saw on my favorite food blog Annie's Eats about a month ago. The dessert seemed appropriate for fall with the lovely undertones of cinnamon, sweetness of the caramel, and the crunch provided by the nuts on top.

Although making the bars originally detracted from my research, once they were in the oven I got to work. Later on they provided the perfect little pick me up and boost of sugar we needed to keep ourselves going. I have to admit that we were a little impatient to wait for them to cool and slice, so we spooned them out of the pan and ate them as more of a crumble rather than a composed bar. My family enjoyed it too and my brother even said it was "glorious". By the end of the evening only a quarter of the pan was left. My conclusion: this recipe is definitely a keeper.

Caramel Apple Pie Bars

For the filling:

• 4 large apples, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• 9 oz (252 g) caramel soft chews
• 2 tbsp milk

For the dough:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 12 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: ½ cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts

1. To prepare the filling, melt the putter in a large pan over medium heat. Stir in the apples, sugar, and cinnamon and mix to coat evenly. Continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat once the apples start to brown and the sugar caramelizes.
2. To prepare the dough, combine the flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir everything to blend then add the butter pieces. Use a pastry cutter or two knives (I actually used my hands) to cut the butter into the oat mixture until it resembles a course meal.
3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and knead just until a crumbly dough starts to come together. Press ⅔ of the dough into a 9" x 9" baking pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or until the dough is lightly golden.
4. Meanwhile, while the dough is baking, finish preparing the filling by combining the caramel soft chews and the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until completely melted and smooth.
5. Once the dough is ready, pour the melted caramel and spread evenly over the surface. Strain the apple filling and spread over top the caramel layer. Crumble the remaining dough mixture evenly over the surface and sprinkle with chopped nuts if using. Return to the oven to bake for another 22-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before slicing and serving (or spoon and serve if impatient like me ;)

Alfajores Cookies with Dulce de Leche

These cookies have been in my "to bake" list for so long that I almost can't believe I've finally made them. Months ago, at the start of the summer, I made a tart for my cousin's birthday using dulce de leche which is an Argentinean version of caramel. I prepared my own dulce de leche using sweetened condensed milk and after discovering how easy it was, I decided to look up more recipes that involved the delicious caramel spread. When I typed "dulce de leche" into the search box on my favorite website tastespotting.com, there were close to fifty different recipes for Alfajores, a classic Argentinean tea time cookie. I scrolled through many different variations before I finally picked one to make. Yet somehow, the cookies ended up on the back burner and I kind of forgot about them; not intentionally of course but they kept getting pushed back in favor of other recipes.

Fast forward to this weekend, four months later, and I finally baked the Alfajores. Since my cousin is no longer living in Vancouver, I try to make caramel-focused desserts for his visits because I know how much he loves caramel. Once again, I made my own dulce de leche a day in advance and planned to bake the cookies the next evening. Little did I know that my baking pans would be thwarted by the weather; as I was mixing the cookie dough in my Kitchen Aid mixer the power suddenly shut off. We had been having crazy winds all day and the weather had gotten the best of us. It came back on within a minute and I continued making the dough, but then as I finished it shut off again. Seeing as how my oven is electric I had no hopes for baking the cookies that night.

Instead of baking, I spent the evening playing board games with my brother by candlelight. Unfortunately, he beat me in each game we played (I still haven't figured out how that happened) but we had a great time together. Eventually the power came back on, though way too late for me to bake, so I made the cookies the next morning. The dulce de leche was extremely rich so I decided to make the cookies quite small, about 2" in diameter. They tasted lovely both as a little sandwich and with the two halves eaten separately. All in all, these cookies were a long time in the making but definitely worth it in the end.

Alfajores Cookies with Dulce de Leche

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (4 tbsp) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 2 egg yolks

To make the Dulce de Leche:

1. Pour out the sweetened condensed milk into a shallow pie plate (I used a glass pyrex). Stir in a few flecks of sea salt and cover with aluminum foil. 
2. Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate. 
3. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2-2 hours, adding more water into the roasting pan if necessary as it evaporates. 
4. Once the dulce de leche has turned a golden brown, caramelized color remove from the oven and whisk until smooth. Pour into a sealable container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the Alfajores:

1. Sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
2. Cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until incorporated.
4. On low speed, slowly beat in the dry ingredients and mix until a crumbly dough comes together. If the dough is already crumbly but not sticking together, add a tablespoon of water, but don't overmix the dough.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness. Cut out round cookies and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Don't worry about spacing the cookies too much as they do not spread.
6. Depending on the size of the cookies, bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. They should be white, not brown, when removed from the oven. My cookies were 2" and baked exactly 10 minutes.
7. Place on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, spread the dulce de leche on the flat side of one cookie and sandwich with another. Dust with some powdered sugar over top.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Spiced Cookies

Last week my friends came over to my house for dinner and afterward we made these cookies. When I first saw the recipe I thought it would be fun to make because it seemed to reflect fall flavors with the apple, cinnamon, caramel combination. I also had an ulterior motive in picking this particular recipe because I knew that my cousin was going to be coming to town and he absolutely loves caramel, therefore I wanted to make something that I could bring to his house when I saw him.

Funny enough my mom, who is not much of a cookie lover, ended up eating the most cookies out of anyone. She said that the texture and flavor reminded her of a type of cookie she used to eat when she was little and asked me to make them again sometime soon, a request I will be sure to follow given her enthusiasm. Overall I would rate the evening and the recipe a success; the cookies ended up being very easy to make and my friends and I had a great time catching up with one another. In fact we got so caught up in our conversation that we forgot to check on the first batch and accidentally left them in a little too long, leading to slightly crispy and burnt bottoms. However the second batch turned out perfect and some people who tried the cookies said that they actually preferred the slightly burnt ones...go figure.

Caramel Stuffed Apple Spiced Cookies

• 1 cup (8 tbsp) butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz or 230 g) Spiced Apple Cider drink mix (can be found near the hot chocolate mixes)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 bag  (12 oz or 336 g) caramel soft chews

1. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. 
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the vanilla.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixture until evenly incorporated and a dough forms.
5. To make it easier to scoop, refrigerate the dough for an hour, though this step can be skipped if you're in a hurry.
6. Scoop out cookie dough into 2" balls. Flatten the ball slightly in the palm of your hand then press an unwrapped caramel into the center. Seal the dough around it, covering the caramel completely.
7. Place the cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper about 2" apart. Give them plenty of room because they will spread a lot. 
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cookies are very lightly browned. If using multiple trays, rotate halfway through to ensure even baking. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking trays before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Caramel Fudge Brownies

This weekend my aunt, uncle, and cousins finally moved into their new house now that all of the major renovations were complete. Unfortunately, I had to study for upcoming exams and could not help out but that didn't stop me from taking some time to stop by and bring a yummy treat to celebrate and welcome them to their new home.

I honestly was not intending to blog about this recipe because I didn't think it was so extraordinary. However my family loudly objected and could not stop talking about the deliciousness of the brownies. My cousin, a big lover of caramel, was extremely pleased with the layer of caramel sandwiched inside the brownie. Together with the nuts the brownie was kind of reminiscent of a turtle candy. Personally, I like chewy brownies a little more (and I already have a recipe waiting to be tested) but everyone at the table was crazy about these brownies. Therefore I decided to honor their requests and post the recipe. I'm curious to see how this recipe would turn out if I combined the caramel portion with the brownie batter of my chewy brownie recipe. I guess I'll have to bake another batch to find out...but I don't think anyone will mind having to be a dessert tester for me.

Caramel Fudge Brownies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 12 oz (336 g) chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups nuts, chopped (walnuts, pecans, almonds...anything you prefer)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 12 oz (336 g) caramel soft chews
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Using a double broiler, melt the chocolate and butter together.
2. Whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Stir in the flour and salt just until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
4. Pour half of the batter into a 9" x 13" pan sprayed liberally with cooking oil or lined with parchment or wax paper.
5. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Meanwhile, combine the caramel soft chews and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and keep heating until the candies melt, stirring frequently to help break up the caramel.
7. At the same time, lightly toast the chopped nuts over low heat for about 3-5 minutes or until they are fragrant. Set aside to cool.
8. Once the caramel has melted, stir in half of the chopped nuts and then immediately spread the mixture evenly over the baked brownie layer in the pan. Work quickly because the caramel will start to set.
9. Spread the remaining brownie batter evenly over the caramel layer and then sprinkle with the remaining nuts and chocolate chips.
10. Return to the oven for another 18-20 minutes, or until the top of the brownie looks set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (meaning free of chocolate but it's okay if some caramel sticks).
11. Cool in the pan before slicing and serving.

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake

As per all of our family birthday celebrations, no party is now complete without one of my desserts. Usually I go with some sort of cheesecake, and this time was no exception. Although my brother is a big chocoholic, I really wanted to make a cheesecake that reflected the summertime, and therefore went along the fruit path. I came up with this recipe on the fly, and was quite surprised with the consistency and taste. I particularly enjoyed the comment made by my cousin: "It's like a strawberry banana milkshake in solid form!"

The truth of the matter was that he was right...it had both a distinct strawberry and banana flavor and the little chunks of banana were reminiscent of a milkshake. As for the consistency, my mother likened the cake more to a mousse rather than a cheesecake. However, it seemed that everyone actually enjoyed the soft, creamy texture of the cake instead of the usual density that a cheesecake brings to mind. After seeing everyone's reactions, I think I might try my hand at some mousse cakes and see how they turn out. After all, a girl can experiment with one type of cake for so long before wanting to spread her wings a little.

The cake itself should not have been difficult to make, except for the fact that my mixer broke halfway through the process. My family has been faithfully served by the same hand-held Black and Decker mixer for the past 16 years. Unfortunately, as I was making my brother's birthday cake the mixer decided that it had run its course and, with one last whirl, gave up and died on me. Luckily it had remained alive long enough to do the grunt work...I used it long enough to beat together the cream cheese and sugar, as well as two out of the three eggs for each of the batters. Still, I got quite a workout by hand mixing the rest of the ingredients, starting with the last eggs and then of course the fruit and sour cream.

In the end, it turned out to be a delicious cake and now I'm looking for a new hand-held mixer which will hopefully serve me just as well as the previous one did for so long. My dreams of course would be for a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, but the price tag on it will keep me dreaming a little longer...so I'm settling for a good hand-held mixer instead. Any suggestions would be appreciated, preferably one that has a slow speed setting which is actually slow. Until I get a new mixer, I guess I'll try making other things to pass the time.

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake
Note: I used an 11" springform pan to make this recipe, therefore doubling the proportions of a normal cheesecake and making two complete batters. I still had a little extra left over of each batter and made it into mini cheesecakes in metal tart forms. I honestly don't know the proportions for a regular 9" cheesecake, so I will post the recipe I used. If you're anxious about the leftover batter, either make mini cheesecakes like I did or split the batters in half, make two 8" or 9" cakes and then freeze one. Cheesecakes can sit in the freezer, tightly wrapped for a good three months.

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4-1 cup caramel
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, graham cracker crumbs, and melted butter. Transfer the mixture to a 11" springform pan and press down gently along the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. 

Allow the crust to cool a little before you pour the caramel on top. Make sure to spread all along the bottom, and then sprinkle the mixture of walnuts and pecans over top.

For the banana filling:

• 1 lb (2 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 4 bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Mash the bananas and add the teaspoon of lemon juice to the puree. You can process the bananas in a food processor, but I personally liked having the banana chunks run throughout the cake...it made the banana flavor stand out.

Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla until well combined. Gently fold in the banana mixture until the batter is fully mixed and no streaks are present.

Pour the banana batter into the springform pan halfway up the sides. You will probably have some extra batter leftover, but don't be tempted to use it all otherwise you won't have room for the strawberry layer. Place the pan in the freezer for about 10 minutes, allowing the banana layer to firm up a little before pouring the strawberry layer on top.

For the strawberry filling:

• 1 lb (2 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups strawberries + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp lemon juice

To make the puree: There are proper methods to making strawberry puree using fresh or frozen strawberries, but they involve prepping hours ahead of time, and I often don't plan on making the cake until I actually find the time to do it. Therefore, my simple puree method involved roughly cutting up two cups of strawberries, sprinkling two tablespoons of sugar, and heating it up in a small saucepan until the strawberries became soft. I then dumped it all in a blender and pureed the mixture with a tablespoon of lemon juice, leaving it in there to cool while I worked on the rest of the batter.

As with the banana batter, beat together the cream cheese and sugar, then add the eggs in one at a time and then the sour cream and vanilla. Lastly fold in the strawberry puree until the batter is fully combined. Pour the strawberry layer over the banana layer (you will have extra batter) until the batter is about 2 cm from the top.

Bake the cheesecake in a water bath, or with a pan of hot water on the lowest rack, for 50 minutes at 325 Fahrenheit. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and let the cake sit there for another 1-1/2 hours before removing. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate at least 4 hours, though preferably overnight, before serving.

Note: If you choose to make mini cheesecakes with the leftover batter, bake them in muffin sized tart shells at the same temperature for 15 minutes. Afterward, turn off the oven and let them sit there for another 20 minutes before partially opening the oven door. Allow the cheesecakes to cool completely in the oven with the door ajar and then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake

My birthday baking continues as I keep making more and more cakes for all of my family and friends this month. For my cousin's birthday, I made this great cake which was half cheesecake, half apple pie with caramel, pecans, and walnuts. I originally found the recipe here, but tweaked it a little to make it even more like a cheesecake. The cake was delicious and it had just the right balance of flavors between the cinnamony apples and the cheesecake with a hint of lemon.

Ever since I began to bake on a consistent basis, I have found myself gravitating toward cheesecakes. Somehow, I have found that baking cheesecakes comes naturally to me and they are always popular with almost any crowd. Also, the great thing about cheesecakes is that it's hard to mess them up...I feel like they're designed for amateur bakers like me. As long as you follow a few simple steps, you're almost guaranteed to come out with a yummy product. Once you have the basics down, you can mix and match flavors to create your own unique cheesecake that can become your signature cake. So here are my quick tips to a great cheesecake:

1. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Trust me, it makes a difference. If your cream cheese is at room temperature, it will be much easier to mix with the rest of the ingredients, creating a creamy, soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. 
2. Don't over mix your ingredients. Use the mixer until everything is incorporated, but don't keep mixing beyond that point...keep the mixing minimal. The reason is that the more you mix, the more air bubbles you create which can later lead to cracks in your cheesecake. Going back to the first point, if your cream cheese is at room temperature it is already soft and therefore lends itself to little mixing.
3. Bake your cheesecake with a water bath. You don't necessarily have to actually have the pan submerged in water, because usually you'll find that it leaks. However, place a baking dish in the bottom of your oven, one rack below the springform pan, and fill it with water. The water bath creates moisture in the oven which is necessary to even out the cooking of the cheesecake. It allows for the sides to cook slower than they normally would, giving the middle time to cook as well.
4. This is probably one of the most important steps...don't open the oven. It's tempting, I know, but the key to avoiding cracks it to keep the cheesecake in that moist environment. As soon as you open the oven, you let out some of the moisture and let in cold air. As a result, any tiny cracks on the surface of the cake expand into great caverns. 

It may sound like a lot of work, but eventually if you bake cheesecakes as much as I do, it all becomes second nature to you. Also, if your cheesecake turns out cracked don't worry about it. There are millions of ways to decorate the cake, with fruits, nuts, or ganache, and no one will be the wiser. Just remember to enjoy the cake, and others will follow suit.

Caramel Apple Pie Cheesecake

For the crust:

• 1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2-3/4 cup caramel
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, graham cracker crumbs, and melted butter. Transfer the mixture to a 9" springform pan and press down gently along the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. 

Allow the crust to cool a little before you pour the caramel on top. Make sure to spread all along the bottom, and then sprinkle the mixture of walnuts and pecans over top.

For the apple filling:

• 5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
• 1/3 cup (5 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and cook for one minute, until bubbling. Add the apple slices and toss well to coat.

Continue to cook the apples over medium to medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been reduced. Cool the mixture for a few minutes before pouring into the springform pan over the caramel-nut crust.

For the cheesecake:

• 1 lb (2 blocks) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla and lemon juice. Mix it until all the ingredients are combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you mix. Pour the cheesecake over the apple filling in the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit. Keeping the door closed, turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit inside for another hour. Afterward, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature before refrigerating over night.

Note: If you want to design your own custom made cheesecake, this website allows you to select your ingredients and it will give you the right proportions to use.