Happy National Independant Beer Run Day, Sweet!

Tiered Rainbow Drip Cake, as per my daughter's birthday request.

These are all photos of recipes I've created and shared for family birthdays, Sunday dinners or just working with different ingredients. If you would like to see a particular recipe for any of these pics, simply drop a request in the comments section below and I will try to get it up as soon as possible! 
No Bake Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake/Pumpkin Pie with Apple Pie Cookie Crumbles

*Periodic Table Cake, Platinum, White Cake, Blue Interior, made by Bronwyn

Guinness Stout Piecaken w/ Chocolate Guinness Stout Cheesecake, Guinness Stout Buttercream and Caramel Drip, for my nephew Rob's surprise birthday party!

Apple Pie Mini Cheesecakes w/ Apple Pie Cookie Crust

Brainy Brownies for Halloween Party 2019

Maca Chocolate Cupcakes and Fruit Cups for Genesis' Birthday

Hummingbird Cake w/ Toasted Walnuts, for my Vacation Buddies 2019

Hummingbird Cake w/ Pecans, Easter Edition

White Chocolate Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Easter Edition

No Bake, Walking Cheesecakes

Cheesecake is one of those desserts you just can't go wrong with when looking to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Sometimes, we shy away from treats like this, thwarting the urge to overindulge.  With this quick and easy recipe, portion control is literally in the palm of your hand.  There are a couple of ways I made this recipe, the one below is the quickest, but also very gratifying.
An added plus of this recipe is a dramatic cut of fat and calories, by using a cake cup, instead of a traditional graham cracker and butter crust and the amount of filling that goes into the cup.  This is a part of a movement I refer to as "Bettertarian Cuisine".  We'll go further into detail on what Bettertarian Cuisine is in future posts, so let's get back to this gem of a dessert.  This was quite popular with my tween age girls. Kids respond more positively to food that they've had a part in preparing!
You can have a Walking Cheesecake Bar by offering a variety of toppings like strawberry, blueberry, caramel, fresh berries , candied walnuts,etc... and let each person customize their cheesecake to fit their needs. More cherries? no problem, no cherries? piece of cake, the possibilities are many fold and guaranteed to be just right. Creamy, light, crunchy and satisfying all at once.  Easy, Elevated and Delish!

Instructions:
Boxed no bake cheesecake mix
Pie filling of choice, chilled
Cake cups
Pastry bag, or resealable bag with corner snipped

Prepare the cheesecake mix according to directions on box and place in piping vessel of choice.
Chill for 2 hours.
When ready, pour graham cracker crust crumbs into a small bowl.
Dip cone rim into a small bowl of milk, water or melted butter, then dip into graham cracker crumbs.
Pipe the filling into cone to desired height and garnish with topping of choice.
These treats are made to order, so there's no waste and less waist! ;)
Enjoy.

Meyer Lemon Pound Cake and Other Lemony Delights

  Meyer lemons are a fragrant and bright citrus fruit, that is a a cross between a lemon and a mandarin.  They made their appearance in the Americas in the early 1900's.  Their season is between November and March.  I was in place at just the right time to catch them for $2 for 2 lbs.  Knowing the standard price encouraged me to buy many many bags and set aside a day and an evening to process the whole lot.  I spent quite a few hours peeling and juicing the yellow gems and wanted to go ham in the lab aka the kitchen to see what I could could come up with.  After peeling the lemons, I laid the peels out on parchment and dried in a 200 degree oven for about 2 hours.   I used some of the fresh peels to make Meyer Lemon Peel Candy. I spiked mine with Crown Royal Apple Brandy.

Apple Brandy Lemon Peel Candy

I used ice cube trays to freeze the zesty juice in portioned increments to fit the bill for likely amounts in recipes: 1 and 2 tsp. amounts and 1 tbsp. increments. After freezing the cubes, I placed them in separate resealable zip lock bags for easy accessibility, works like a charm!!  I also used my mortar and pestle to make a course ground powder to use in soups, stews and water baths.  My daughter Bronwyn was the first to actually make a tall and frosty jar full of this delicious Meyer Lemonade!  The tangy citrusy and lemony drink was perfect.  I love the idea of having these cubes on hand for many of our treasured treats, which brings me to the featured recipe.
 I am obviously a fan of things lemon, and this creation stemmed from the wonderful fragrance that filled the air during my lab or kitchen time, that's devoted to the development of one specific item or technique.  I also made my first preserved lemons from this batch, I impatiently waited in angst for the 3 week time frame the lemons needed to be ready to eat/use.  I have used them thus far in a recipe starring pork and they were fabulous, albeit, a little goes a long way.  I  rehydrated some of the Meyer Lemon peels and incorporated a touch of that water into the glaze for the end.  Lemon zest will do just fine if you don't happen to have dried peels on hand.  If in season, zest some of the fresh peel into the batter for even more sweet/tart twang.
Recipe:
3 1/2 c. cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/4 c. sugar
6 large eggs
1 c. or 2 sticks softened butter, unsalted
1/4 c. canola oil
1 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. Meyer Lemon juice
1 tsp. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste*
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Combine dry ingredients until well blended. 
In another bowl, cream sugar, eggs, butter, oil and milk
Add juice and extract.
Mix in flour in two batches, careful not to overwork batter, producing a tough cake.
Pour into a large greased and floured bundt pan, tapping on hard surface to release any air pockets.
Bake until toothpick or skewer inserted comes out clean, about 55 minutes to 1 hour.
Let cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
For Glaze:
1 c. confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. milk, more or less for desired consistency
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. meyer lemon peel water
1/4 tsp. *MBVBP
zest of one lemon
pinch of salt

In a medium bowl, combine confectioner's sugar, butter, vanilla and salt.
Add milk slowly until you reach the desired consistency.
Fold or stir in lemon zest.
Spread or pour over cooled cake.
Serves 16-18.