No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake

Posted on October 11, 2014 by HintofNutmegg

I’d like to apologize.

I don’t know where my manners went.

How could I have forgotten to wish you a Happy National Coffee Day?

How selfish of me. And rude. And mean.

Okay, I’m just being dramatic here. But, seriously, Happy Belated National Coffee Day.

How belated exactly? Fourteen days. National Coffee Day was on September 29th. Better late than never, right?

If it makes you feel better, I didn’t really celebrate. In fact, I only had one cup of coffee that day, which is much smaller than my usual amount. Saddening, I know.

This is why we (yes, you and I…no one wants to celebrate alone) need to sit down, clink are forks together, and dig into some No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake.

Or, should I say some No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake with a Kona Coffee Shortbread Crust topped generously with homemade whipped cream and mocha syrup.

Try saying that five times fast. It’s a mouthful. A delicious mouthful. A coffee infused mouthful. But, still, a little long. Hence the shorter name for this dessert.

Let’s break this down.

Starting from the bottom, we have a Kona Coffee Shortbread Crust. Sounds like a lot of work to make, huh? It’s not. Trader Joe’s has these amazingggg Kona Coffee Creamy Half-dipped Shortbread Cookies, which you simply have to crush up and bam snap clap (just go with it) you have a crust for your cheesecake.

Next up, we have the Mocha Cheesecake. The mocha flavoring is very subtle and doesn’t overpower the creamy taste of the cheesecake in any way. In fact, you don’t taste the mocha until you swallow your first bite. The flavor is easily adaptable too—want more mocha? Add more of the mocha coffee. Need it to be sweeter? Add more sugar. Want a hint of vanilla? Add some vanilla extract. Play with the taste of the cheesecake until you love it.

Lastly, we have the optional, but highly recommended toppings of homemade whipped cream and mocha syrup. This isn’t a very sweet dessert, so adding the whipped cream definitely kicks up the sweetness a little bit. The syrup tastes exactly like mocha—a little chocolate, a little coffee, and a little bit bitter—and adds the perfect final touch to this dessert.
As a whole, you definitely taste the coffee in this sweet treat. Which, if you think about it, is the ideal way to honor National Coffee Day…no matter how belated we may be.

No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake
Yields: 5-6 servings

Ingredients:
Kona Coffee Shortbread Crust
9 Kona Coffee Shortbread Cookies (I bought these at Trader Joe’s)

Mocha Cheesecake
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3-1/2 cup Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino Coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional

Mocha Syrup & Whipped Cream (optional)
1/2 cup Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino Coffee
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream, for garnish

Directions:
Kona Coffee Shortbread Crust & Mocha Cheesecake
In a food processor, pulse the Kona Coffee Shortbread Cookies until finely crumbled–I added butter to help combine the crust, but it ended up getting a little hard (still delicious, but you had to stab it with your spoon for it to crumble) after the cheesecakes chilled in the fridge, so I suggest not to use butter, or if the crust needs help combining, add just a little bit of melted unsalted butter to help.
Divide the crumbles into each mason jar equally and press into the bottom. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with a whip attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Scrape into a separate bowl (you can reserve half a cup to use as a garnish on the cheesecakes or you can make fresh whipped cream after the cheesecakes have chilled, up to you!) and set aside.
Using the same bowl you whipped the heavy cream in, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar, mocha, and vanilla (if you decide to use it) until combined–the taste is up to you, if you want it to be more mocha flavored add more of the mocha coffee, if you want it to be sweeter add more sugar, or if you want a hint of vanilla add some vanilla extract. Using a spatula fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake mixture until just incorporated.
Spoon or pipe the cheesecake mixture evenly into the mason jars, make sure to smooth the tops. Let chill for two hours in the fridge.

Mocha Syrup & Whipped Cream
While the cheesecakes are chilling, make the mocha syrup. In a small saucepan, whisk together the mocha coffee, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until syrup begins to thicken.
Once thickened, remove saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla. Let mixture cool down before pouring over the cheesecakes.
Top cheesecakes with reserved or fresh whipped cream and drizzle generously with mocha syrup.

*Mocha Syrup recipe adapted from Pastry Affair

Baked Banana Donuts Dipped in Peanut Butter Ganache & Drizzled with Chocolate

Posted on August 29, 2014 by HintofNutmegg

Let me tell you about yesterday morning.

5am wake up time. Yes, it’s the worst. And no, that’s normally not when I wake up. Typically I’m up at 5:29am, that is, if I work morning shift at the hospital. I prefer setting my alarm to odd-numbered times. Psshh, don’t you?

My brother brought the puppies (remember Archer & Meeka?) over to stay the night. On a good day they’ll sleep in until a little after 6 before scratching the door to be let out to go to the bathroom. Yesterday, the scratching and adorable howling (even at 5 in the morning I think they’re cute) started at 5:15am. There was no going back to sleep for me.

I was ready to leave the house by 5:50. Played with the puppies for 5 more minutes, put my sweater on, grabbed my keys, and headed outside to start the car. Wait, I forgot something important. I was carrying a green sparkly—if we are being specific here—rectangular Tupperware container filled with these mini Baked Banana Donuts Dipped in Peanut Butter Ganache and Drizzled with Chocolate. I wanted to share them with my coworkers, who, by the way, are pretty awesome.

Can we just talk about that title for a second though? Could I have made it any longer? Probably. What can I say, I’m complicated like that.

And, so, with the donut filled container buckled into the front seat and Taylor Swift blasting on the radio, I left for work. At this point, you may be asking yourself, when is she going to drink her morning coffee? Or, more likely, why is she telling us this story? Don’t worry, I’m getting there. You’ll have all the answers very soon.

I stop at a Starbucks near my work. Normally, I make my coffee at home and take it with me, but Starbucks FINALLY has Pumpkin Spice Lattes again. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am about that. And, I think I may hold off on telling you just so that I can write an entire post on my love for PSL’s. Seriously, please go to Starbucks and try it. And, if you already have and LOVE it like I do, this is me, standing next to you, as we both do a little happy dance. Back in the car, sipping on my PSL, singing to ‘22’ by T-Swift I think, “best idea ever to stop at Starbucks”.

I’ll regret this thought in a few minutes.

I find a parking spot right in front of the hospital and get out of the car. Standing outside, I lean over to get my purse from the front seat, secure it on my shoulder, and then lean over to get the Tupperware container. I throw my keys into my purse. Mistake one. Always keep them out until you lock the car. I grab my PSL from the cup holder, keep it in hand, and realize my phone is still on the driver’s seat. I place the PSL on the top of the car and balance the container under my left arm, using my side for support and my left hand to hold the bottom of it, as I reach for the phone with my right. I grab my coffee cup again. Mistake Two. Should have left it on the top of the car.

I now have my coffee and phone in my one hand and am still balancing the container with my other. I go to lock the car. Mistake Three. Not using the lock on the door to lock the car. I manage to fish out my keys pretty easily with my left hand while using my arm and side to keep the container from falling. But, of course, my keys are all jumbled up, so I have to untangle them. Stupid. Fussy. Key Chain. I decide to balance my coffee on top of the container, while I use my right hand to untangle the keys and hold my phone. My fourth, and final, mistake. Should have put something down.

Just as I’m about to hit the lock bottom, my coffee spills all over the container and down my shirt. Keep in mind, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are orangey in color, and I’m wearing a light pink blouse. Needless to say, some ugly words were yelled as I placed the cup on the ground and tried to clean myself off.

Bright side. I managed to still clock in on time. I was able to remove most of the stain on my shirt—I even got complimented on how cute it was. And, most importantly, the donuts weren’t ruined. In fact, my coworkers couldn’t stop telling my how good they were.
Cause, guys, these mini donuts are pretty bomb. It’s banana, peanut butter, and chocolate. The ultimate trifecta if you ask me. The donut itself is super moist (thanks to the sour cream) and has the perfect amount of banana flavoring. It’s then topped off with a creamy peanut butter ganache and a light drizzle of chocolate to complete the perfect bite-size morning (really, any time of day) treat. Honestly, there wasn’t a single negative review about these donuts. Trust me. Make these. They can turn even the worst of mornings, cough cough, much better.

Baked Banana Donuts Dipped in Peanut Butter Ganache & Drizzled with Chocolate
Yields: 36 mini donuts

Ingredients:
Baked Banana Donuts
¾ cup (12 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, melted, browned, and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup sour cream
1 ½ cup mashed banana (about 3 large bananas)

Peanut Butter Ganache
½ cup peanut butter chips
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Drizzle
½ cup light cocoa candy melts, melted

Directions:
Baked Banana Donuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease mini donut pan. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. As it melts, the butter will foam and crackle. Stir (or swirl the pan) as the butter cooks. When the butter begins to brown (mine was a very light brown color) and you smell a nutty aroma, take the saucepan off the heat. Pour the butter in bowl, whisk for about 30 seconds, and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk until lumps are gone.
In another bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla, and sour cream until well combined. Mix in the mashed bananas.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and using a spatula, mix thoroughly until just combined.
Transfer batter to a piping bag with a large round tip or a Ziploc baggie with the tip cut off. Pipe into prepared donut pan, about 1/2 way full.
Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the top of the donut springs back when touched. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 5 minutes.

Peanut Butter Ganache & Chocolate Drizzle
Once the donuts are cooled, begin making the ganache. In a small saucepan combine peanut butter chips and heavy cream over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Once the mixture is of drizzling consistency, remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature (about 10 minutes).
Dip the top of each donut in the peanut butter ganache–make sure to hold it upside down for a bit to allow extra ganache to drip off. Let ganache set before drizzling the tops with chocolate.

Baby Boy Cupcakes

Posted on July 30, 2014 by HintofNutmegg

Anytime there is a social gathering I have a role. And, even if I get to choose my role, I always always pick the same one.

Dessert Maker.

Yeah, I know, my title needs a little sprucing up. How do we feel about Baker Extraordinaire? Okay, okay, you’re right, a little too over the top. I’m open to ideas if you have any.

With my family and friends, it’s simply assumed that I will be making some sort of sweet. The question has become “what are you making for dessert?” rather than “are you making anything for dessert?” And, don’t get me wrong I’m totally fine with this, except for the few rare times when I don’t make dessert for some reason or another. Those are the times that I strongly dislike my title. Why you ask? Let me paint you a picture.

“What did you make for dessert?”

“Oh, I didn’t make anything.”

“Haahah. Good one. Seriously, I’m craving chocolate. I hope what you made has chocolate.”

“No, seriously, I didn’t make anything. I didn’t have any time.”

Smile instantly disappears. Serious face ensues. Eyes are looking watery (okay, this one may be a figment of my imagination).

“So, there’s no dessert?”

Have you ever had a child ask you if Santa or the Tooth Fairy is real? Because the face they make, the one that says I-heard-the-other-kids-say-they-weren’t-real-but-I-don’t-want-to-believe-them-tell-me-they-were-lying-please is the same exact face I see when I don’t make any dessert. How do I deal with it? I just promise to make something the next time that is a) extremely delicious and b) has large amounts of chocolate in it.

Now, back to me volunteering for this role. This past weekend at my work we put together a little baby shower for one of my coworkers. Her name is Mari and she is expecting her second child and her first baby boy.

Let me tell you a little bit about Mari. From the moment I started volunteering at the hospital she was beyond nice to me—always including me in conversations, inviting me to eat lunch with her, and overall helping me feel extremely welcome. Once I was hired, she was one of the people in charge of training me. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher. She was extremely helpful, thorough in her explanations, and not only supportive, but also patient with me during the learning process. She is honestly one of the sweetest people I have ever met and this baby boy, along with her other children, are lucky to have her as their mother.

So, naturally, when I was asked what I wanted to be in charge of for the baby shower, I said dessert. I knew I wanted to do something special for her, and after looking around on Pinterest (don’t you just love Pinterest?), I settled on making baby boy cupcakes. And, I’m so so glad I did. Because, look at them, they are so freaking cute. Plus, she loved them, which really is the only thing that matters.

If I were to make these again, I would try to make them even cuter. Add some hair using black licorice vines. Possibly give him some blushing cheeks—mix a little pink food coloring with some of the frosting. Or, even, give him some freckles. These were super easy to make, a huge hit at the baby shower, and would be pretty easy to turn into a baby girl if necessary.

I mean, come on, look at these cuties. Don’t you want these at the next baby shower you go to?

Baby Boy Cupcakes

Ingredients:
24 cupcakes (flavor of your preference, I used chocolate)
1 batch of vanilla frosting
Ivory food coloring gel
48 Candy eyeballs
24 Blue pacifiers

Directions:
Bake cupcakes according to the recipe instructions and let cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, make frosting according to the recipe instructions as well. I baked the cupcakes in dark blue chevron liners to keep with the baby boy theme, so feel free to do that too or use a completely different colored liner if you want! Add ivory food coloring gel to the frosting until it reaches the desired shade of tan.

Using an icing spatula spread frosting on top of each cupcake, dividing it evenly between the 24 cupcakes. Once each cupcake has been frosted, place two candy eyeballs in the upper center part of each cupcake. Using the tip of a sharp knife, gently cut a small horizontal line in the cupcake—this will make it easier for the pacifier to go in—and push the pacifier into the cupcake.

If you want to doll up your baby a little more, you could add hair (cut 3 small pieces of black licorice vines and place on the top center of the cupcake) or, you could mix a little pink food coloring with some of the frosting to give the baby pinky colored cheeks. You could also give the baby freckles (dip a toothpick in brown or orange or red food coloring and make three little dots in a triangle pattern on each side of the face) or, if you are making the baby a girl, add a little bow at the top of her head. I thought of these ideas after the fact, but let me know if they turn out for you!

NOTES:
*I used this cupcake recipe minus the peanut butter.
*I doubled this vanilla frosting recipe, but only used 4 cups of powdered sugar and added a little extra vanilla.
*I purchased the candy eyeballs at Target.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcakes

Posted on July 13, 2014 by HintofNutmegg

Guys. I have BIG news to share. And, I mean BIG in the really exciting sense. Really, really, exciting.

Are you ready for this? Okay, here goes.

I now have a JOB. Insert pumping of fist and overly excited squeal. And, yes, I do expect you to join me in the pumping and squealing. Come on. No one likes to do that alone.

Remember awhile back I said I was volunteering at a psychiatric hospital? Well, they officially hired me on. You are now looking at (or, technically listening to) the newest addition to the Admitting department. Whattt? High fives all around. I’ve been training the past two weeks—hence the lack of new recipe postings—and am honestly, really happy about working at this facility. I officially feel like a big kid now.

Anyways, speaking of recipes, lets talk about these cupcakes.

Nabisco came out with a new Oreo flavor. For the record, I’d like to state that this is the BEST flavor in the history of Oreos so far.

I introduce you to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreos.

There is now REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CUP OREOS in the world.

REESE’S. PEANUT. BUTTER. CUP. OREOS.

I really don’t know why I’m capitalizing everything today or, repeating everything for that matter, so just bear with me please.

These Oreos are like a dream come true. Let’s rewind a bit here. So, for those that don’t know, I like Oreos. And, I love love love peanut butter. And, my favorite way to eat Oreos is to smother them with a heaping spoonful of peanut butter, and then, of course, drink some milk. Seriously, it’s the most delicious thing in the world. Go try it if you haven’t.

Okay, back to dreams coming true. These Oreos taste exactly like smothering a plain Oreo with peanut butter. That is in no way an exaggeration either. Scouts honor. You know what else tastes just like smothering a plain Oreo with peanut butter? Yup, you got it. I see it rolling off the tip of your tongue. The answer is these cupcakes.

These Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcakes. Just look at these little beauts.

The cupcake itself is a vanilla cupcake that is super moist, super fluffy, and packed with crushed up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreos. The cupcake is then topped with a creamy peanut butter frosting—I dare you not to eat it out of the bowl with a spoon…seriously, it’s impossible to stop—and decorated with half an Oreo and some crumbs. If you like peanut butter and Oreos then you ~~must~~ ~~need to~~ should definitely make these cupcakes right away. Make sure you have a cold glass of milk next to you too. Trust me, you’re going to want it.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcakes
Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
¾ cup vanilla soy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
15 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreos, roughly chopped

Peanut Butter Frosting
¾ cup peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons heavy cream
6 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cookies, cut in half

Directions:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar—the mixture will be very thick.
Add the egg whites, whisking until incorporated, and then the greek yogurt until just combined. Add soy milk and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is uniform in texture.
Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined and no lumps remain.
Using a spatula fold in the chopped Oreo pieces.
Divide batter between the 12 cupcake liners—about 3 tablespoons per each—and bake for 21-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool completely on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Frosting
While cupcakes are cooling, start making your frosting. In a medium bowl beat together peanut butter and butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add heavy cream. Beat until incorporated and frosting looks creamy.
Frost cooled cupcakes with a piping bag or smooth frosting on with a knife.
Decorate with Oreo halves and Oreo crumbs before serving.

*Cupcake Batter and Frosting recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake Yields: 5-6 servings

Baked Banana Donuts Dipped in Peanut Butter Ganache & Drizzled with Chocolate Yields: 36 mini donuts

Baby Boy Cupcakes

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcakes Yields: 12 cupcakes

No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake
Yields: 5-6 servings

Baked Banana Donuts Dipped in Peanut Butter Ganache & Drizzled with Chocolate
Yields: 36 mini donuts

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Oreo Cupcakes
Yields: 12 cupcakes