Desserts

Hummingbird Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

April 11, 2016 by Alyssa

I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m pretty sure most people have never heard of Hummingbird Cake. In fact, I have no idea how I eve know about the cake! If you’ve never heard of it, Hummingbird cake is a moist banana cake filled with pineapple, pecans, and sometimes coconut then topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.

I’ve always associated Hummingbird Cake with the South and in my mind, it was a true Southern dessert. I even made up my own little story of its origin. I always picture Hummingbird Cake being originally created by a sweet, old grandma with a thick Southern drawl wearing a blue gingham apron who simply dumped some tropical fruits into her banana cake recipe. She then topped it with cream cheese frosting since her favorite Red Velvet Cake is finished with the same creamy frosting!

As much I love my made up version of the Hummingbird Cake’s origin, it not even close to the truth. If you want to know the truth, read on, if you want to stick with my great Southern story, skip the nest paragraph!

Here’s the true story — which I learned while reach searching the recipe! Hummingbird Cake was actually created in Jamaica — which makes sense when you think about it. The cake is loaded with tropical fruits and both bananas & pineapples are abundant in Jamaica. The cake also shares its name with a Jamaican-native hummingbird species. Some say it received its name because the cake is so sweet it would actually attract the hummingbirds which feed on sweet nectar.

I prefer my story but regardless of its origin, I love Hummingbird Cake because it’s super moist, flavorful, and has a wonderful texture from the mix of pineapple, coconut, pecans and luscious cream cheese frosting.

Hummingbird Cake typically calls for a cup of oil and for most recipes, 2 or more cups of sugar! I chose to lighten the recipe by halving the oil. Instead, I relied on the bananas to bring moisture to the cake.

When it came to the sugar in the cake itself, I chose to only use 1/3rd of the sugar in standard Hummingbird Cake recipes (2/3 cups added sugar in all). To bring some caramel notes, which pair nicely with both the bananas and pecans, I used a mix of granulated and light brown sugar while again relying heavily on the mix of tropical fruits to bring natural sweetness to the cake.

Wanting to make the frosting a bit more special than typical cream cheese frosting, I chose to create a Honey Cream Cheese Frosting. I love the flavor the honey adds to the overall cake and it’s also a bit in tribute to the Jamaican hummingbird that dines on nectar.

With my fat and sugar swaps, this Hummingbird Cake is nothing you need to feel too guilty about eating. It’s a fruit & nut packed cake that’s super moist from mashed bananas, pineapple & coconut while being perfectly sweet when paired with the Honey Cream Cheese frosting.

I highly recommend enjoying this cake on a sunny afternoon on your patio with a bit lemonade or ice tea. After all, that’s how my Southern baking grandma would have enjoyed it when she first created the recipe!

Hummingbird Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

A fruit & nut packed cake that's super moist from mashed bananas, pineapple & coconuts while being perfectly sweet when paired with the Honey Cream Cheese frosting.

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1 20

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large bananas mashed
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup crushed pineapple drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans
8 ounces cream cheese softened (1 brick)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (1/2 stick)
5 cups confectioner's sugar

Method

Preheat your oven to 350*.
Line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake liners and set aside.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon then set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla extract.
Whisk in the mashed banana followed by both sugars.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Fold in the pineapple, coconut and pecans until fully combined.
Evenly distribute the batter among the 24 cupcake liners.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, place the softened cream cheese and butter into an electric mixing bowl and cream together on high for 1-2 minute until fluffy.
Add in the honey and mix on medium for up to 1 minute.
Begin adding in the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing on high before each new addition.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost the cupcakes by placing the frosting into a piping bag or spreading on top of the cupcakes with a spatula.
Refrigerator the frosted cupcakes until serving.
Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature (20 minutes) before serving.

Oreo Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

March 17, 2016 by Alyssa

These cupcakes are ridiculously delicious. I mean, they combine America’s favorite cookie, the Oreo, and mint — probably the best flavor combination to ever exist in the world of desserts! They’re super chocolatey, moist and fudgy. Their chocolate level is definitely in line with that of a brownie, the only difference being these are light and fluffy, rather than dense and crumbly.

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Lemon Pound Cake

March 10, 2016 by Alyssa

Most people believe the origin of the name Pound Cake is based on the premise that eating it will likely cause them to gain a pound. Although stuffing your face with Pound Cake, or over indulging in anything for that matter, can definitely make you gain a few LBs around the middle, this cake’s origin is all ingredient based.

The first recipes date back to the 18th century in Europe. Its name was based on the premise that the cake required 1 pound of each ingredient (flour, butter, eggs and sugar) to make and weighed in at a hefty 4 pounds once baked. This original pound cake produced a very large cake due the quantity of ingredients involved. Nowadays, the ratio of flour, butter, eggs and sugar have been scaled back a bit resulting in a much more consumable portion of cake.

I love lemon which was my inspiration for this Lemon Pound Cake recipe. In Austin, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Spring and in my mind, lemons and Spring go hand and hand. This pound cake screams Spring with lemon throughout each layer, using a whopping half-cup of grated lemon zest and 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice distributed throughout the cake, soaking syrup and glaze.

One of my first memories of pound cake is of my Mom making a lemon poppyseed pound cake. I remember her placing it on a wire cooling rack and watching her brush it with a sugar syrup after it came out of the oven. I also remember thinking “Oh man, that’s gonna be one soggy cake!” But oh was I wrong. The sugar syrup was definitely key in creating a super moist pound cake. The syrup helped balance out the tart lemon flavor, creating a sweet, subtle lemon flavored cake. The syrup also gave the pound cake a wonderful shiny exterior that she then drizzled with a simple confectioner sugar & milk glaze.

That cake was my benchmark for this Lemon Pound Cake. It had to contain the three components of my Mom’s — a dense loaf cake, a sweet lemon syrup, and a traditional glaze. This cake definitely hit the mark on the balance of lemon and sweet. It’s great as a late afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or as a light but flavorful dessert in the evening.

Lemon Pound Cake

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 35

Servings: 16 slices

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh zest**
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk***
For syrup:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
For glaze:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons milk
3 cups confectioner's sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 350*
Butter and flour two loaf pans and set aside
In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and 2 cups of sugar until light and fluffy
Add in one egg at a time, mixing each egg on medium until fully incorporated
Scrape down the sides of the mixer then add in the vanilla extract and lemon zest
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt
In 4 additions, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk
Once incorporated, scrape down the sides of the mixer then add in the 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
Evenly divide the batter between the two loaf pans
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean
If while baking, you notice the tops beginning to brown, simply place some aluminium foil over the cakes to keep the tops from burning
While the cakes are baking, begin on the lemon soaking syrup
In a pot over low heat, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and lemon juice until the sugar has dissolved
Remove from heat and set aside
When the cakes are done baking, let them cool for 15 minutes within their pans
Once cooled slightly, remove them from their pans and place them on a cooling rack atop a large sheet pan (to catch the soaking syrup)
Lightly brush the tops and sides of the cake with the lemon syrup (you will have syrup leftover, and that's okay)
Let the cakes cool completely while making the glaze
In a large bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients, adding milk until you reach your desired consistency
When the cakes are cooled, pour the glaze over top while the cakes are still on the cooling racks
Let the glaze set a bit before slicing and serving

Notes

* If your eggs are not at room-temperature, fill a large bowl with tap-warm water and place the eggs in the bowl while you prep the pans and other ingredients. In about 5-10 minutes the eggs should be at room temperature.
**To quicken the prep period, first grate 3/4 cup of lemon zest (about 6-8 lemons) ahead of time and then squeeze the zested lemons, resulting in about 1 cup of fresh juice. Use this source to make the cake, syrup, and glaze.
***To make 1 cup of buttermilk (if unavailable) add 1 teaspoon of distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup then fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup mark with milk and let sit 5-10 minutes

Cake Batter Cheesecake

March 2, 2016 by Alyssa

When I was younger, my Mom used to make ice cream cake with an Oreo cookie crust. I absolutely loved the crust of this ice cream cake so much that I requested my Mom to make ice cream cake crust cookies. She informed me that this cookie crust I loved was nothing more than crushed Oreos, sugar, and butter. And she would NOT be making be Ice Cream Cake Crust Cookies. But that sure did explain why I loved the crust so much, how could you not love Oreos, sugar and butter all mixed together?

My love for this crust inspired this Cake Batter Cheesecake recipe. I was doubtful when I first came upon Cake Batter flavored Oreos but boy was I wrong. They were spot on delicious. Exactly as you’d dream a Cake Batter Oreo to taste. (Hats off to you, Nabisco, you nailed it!)

Knowing I wouldn’t be able to control my cravings for these Cake Batter Oreos, I decided I had to make something with them. In other words, it’d let me share the wealth and remove the Oreo temptation from our pantry. I set out on creating a Cake Batter Cheesecake for a few reasons

Cake Batter anything is pretty darn spectacular
<3M love cheesecake
I love sprinkles
Cookie crust made of Oreos, sugar and butter = heaven

Using my pal, Martha Stewart’s cheesecake recipe as a base, I set out to make the ultimate Cake Batter Cheesecake.

When making something Cake Batter flavored, there’s only one route to take and that is to add actual cake mix – like the kind you get from a box at the grocery store.

You can dabble with adding a mix of Almond + Vanilla extract and some sprinkles but I promise you, that authentic buttery, vanilla marshmallow-like cake batter flavor will not be achieved. In reality, you just end up making Vanilla-Almond Cheesecake…with sprinkles.

I also modified the base recipe some when it comes to baking technique as I am not a fan of the water bath cooking method. For me, it’s just too much of a risk. You have to ensure your springform pan is perfectly sealed and even if you wrap the bottom with foil, there’s never a 100% guarantee water won’t seep into your cheesecake. I’m not sure about you, but nothing makes me more mad than seeing my hardwork turn into a soggy waterlogged, pudding cheesecake.

When baking this cheesecake, I still include water in the process to ensure a moist cheesecake but the actual springform pan is baked atop another pan that’s submerged in water, guaranteeing that the precious cheesecake won’t drown during the baking process.

The result is a moist, creamy flavorful cheesecake. It has the slight tang of a traditional sour cream cheesecake with a subtle sweetness and a distinct cake batter flavor. The added sprinkles make the cake fun to eat and look at while the Cake Batter Oreos bring in an extra hit of cake batter flavor with a complimenting crunch to match the creamy, smoothness of the cheesecake.

This is definitely a cake I’ll be making again in the future, if I don’t eat all the Cake Batter Oreos first.

Cake Batter Cheesecake

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2 30

Servings: 12

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 package Cake Batter Oreos
6 tablespoons unsalted butter melt
1 tablespoon sugar
4-8 ounce bricks of cream cheese at room temperature
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 cup sprinkles
whipped cream optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 375*
With a bit of the melted butter, lightly brush the bottom and sides of the springform pan
Line the bottom of a spring form pan with parchment paper and set aside
To make the crust, place the Oreos in a food processor and pulse the cookies until a fine crumb forms.
Add the remaining melted butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar and pulse again until combined.
Press cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.
Place the springform pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes
Once baked, place the crust in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool.
To make the cheesecake filling, beat the softened cream cheese in an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in the sugar and beat again for 1 minute until fully combined.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each new egg addition
Add in the sour cream and vanilla extract
Once combined, add in the cup of yellow cake mix until fully incorporated
Remove the mixture from the electric mix and fold in the half cup of sprinkles by hand.
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the cooled springform pan
To prepare for baking, place a round, 9 inch cake pan upside down in a roasting pan
Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the cake pan is 1/2 to 3/4 covered with water
Place the cheesecake springform pan on top of the upside down cake pan and place the entire setup into the oven.
Bake the cheesecake at 375 for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, lower the temperature to 325 and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Once baked, removed the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the refrigerator to cool for 6 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Release the cake from the springform pan.
To cut, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry to make cuts into the cake.
Be sure to submerge and dry the knife in hot water in between each cut.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top and extra sprinkles, if desired.

Ginger Spiced Cookies

February 26, 2016 by Alyssa

These cookies are a delicious cross between a snickerdoodle and a gingerbread!

They contain the warm, flavorful spices of ginger, cinnamon, clove and molasses found in gingerbread yet they’re soft, chewy and rolled in sugar in the same way as a classic snickerdoodle.

They are delicious no matter how they are eaten — warm, straight out of the oven, dunked into a steamy cup of coffee, or frozen straight out of the freezer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle of caramel sauce.

I absolutely love these cookies and they’ve been in my family’s repertoire for at least 10 years. This recipe was shared with me by a fellow lifeguard-friend whom I was working with the summer after my Senior year of high school.

There was a group of us, all fresh out of high school or in our first years of college, who spent every summer together for 3 or 4 years, working as lifeguards at Hamlin Beach in upstate New York. We’d eat most meals together, workout together, train together, and always, party together.

It was only natural that we became the best of friends each summer after spending so much time together. But each year, once Autumn came about, we all departed on separate paths. Even now a days, we ‘keep in touch’ passively via Facebook. Watching one another graduate college, get married and start a family or move across the country. I am very lucky that Kevin (the lifeguard behind the recipe) shared his secret to these Ginger Spiced Cookies with me before we all lost touch.

It’s strange how we don’t even talk anymore but this cookie always reminds me of those summers and my friends at that time during my life. Isn’t it funny how food does that? How it brings you back to a specific moment in time? Making you pause, smile and watch as the memories play in your mind? I love it.

This recipe is one that makes close to 6 dozen so at the time, it was more than enough for a hungry group of lifeguards to share. The cookies don’t have any chocolate or caramels in them so they were safe for us to have about in the sun all day without the fear of melting.

Although I love the original cookie recipe just the way it is, I modified it a tad by adding candied ginger.

This single element makes it seem a bit more ‘grown up’ and mature — matching my current state of life. I love the added chew the finely diced candied ginger brings to the cookie along the small bite of gingery heat that’s hidden inside.

Although the recipe states to roll the dough into round balls then into sugar, you can definitely skip this step if you’re in a rush or don’t feel like any extra effort. They’re still just as delicious even without the sugar coating!

This Ginger Spiced Cookie is one that I will continue to make for years to come, eventually sharing with my own family, and each time, I’ll reflect on those amazing, fun summers spent with my lifeguard friends on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Do you have any foods that bring back a special memory?
Where have some of your favorite recipes come from?

Alyssa

Ginger Spice Cookies

These cookies are a wonderful cross between a snickerdoodle and a gingerbread. They contain the warm, flavorful spices of ginger, cinnamon, clove and molasses found in gingerbread yet they're soft, chewy and rolled in sugar in the same way as a classic snickerdoodle.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings: 6 dozen

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups butter flavored shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup finely diced candied ginger (optional)
1/2 cup granulated or course sugar for rolling

Method

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
Set aside
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and 2 cups of sugar until fluffy.
Add in the eggs and molasses and beat well.
Add in one third of the flour mixture and mix on low to combine.
Continue until all flour is added and thoroughly combined.
Stir in the candied ginger pieces until dispersed throughout.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until fully coated.
Place the cookie dough on an un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 350*F for 12-14 minute or until cookies are light brown and slightly puffed.
Do not over bake or the cookies will lose their chewy quality.
Let the cookies stand on tray for 2 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

February 15, 2016 by Alyssa

I’m a sucker for any holiday as it gives me an excuse to bake holiday-themed goodies. This year, I couldn’t help but be swept up by the mass of hearts, pink, and red that greeted me at Target earlier in the week, so of course, I quickly snatched up a set of heart cookie cutters with the intent of making some holiday themed cookies!

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Indian Cupcakes: Rose Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting

December 7, 2014 by Alyssa

I’m not sure all of you know this or not but I am not a fan of Indian desserts. They’re either too sweet – as the case with kaju burfi or the texture is too different for me – such as ras malai.

Since I usually pass on desserts when at an Indian restaurant or at <3M’s family’s home, I wanted to create a dessert that still had Indian flavors but catered more to my taste and texture preference while still make it something <3M would enjoy and associate with home.

In all, this cupcake was truly inspired by <3M. Indian desserts are something I would never make myself but I wanted to treat him to a Indian sweet of my own and thus I was inspired to merge an American favorite (cupcakes!) with Indian flavors.

The idea for rose cupcakes had been floating around in my mind for months. Now, in all honesty, I don’t even care for rose!
I’m not a fan of it in perfume, I don’t like it in a lassi or kulfi but the thought of it as a cupcake appealed to me – maybe because I knew I could control the depth of the rose flavor if I myself were making it.

Now, the rose cupcake idea was easy, it was the frosting that had me stuck for a while. I have always loved Orange Cardamom cupcakes. The flavors are unique – it has a citrusy sweet touch from the orange and a slight spiciness from the cardamom. Since cardamom is a prominent flavor in Indian foods, I wanted to incorporate it into the cupcake in some way.

How they’d pair with rose, I wasn’t quite sure. I was hopefully though that the delicate rose would off se the spice that cardamom brought and decided to wing it.

I initially searched online for a cupcake recipe within the rose & orange cardamom spectrum but was unable to find one. There were lots of rose vanilla cupcake recipes out there but after reviewing the recipes, they didn’t fit with my baking preferences. Most used a rose extract which I thought would be too strong or too fake tasting.

In my mind, I was set on using rose water. Rose water itself is slightly diluted but fragrant. And after tasting these cupcakes, I knew my intuition was correct – using rose water was perfect. The cake itself doesn’t have a strong flavor of rose but the scent is there and because eating is a multi-sensual experience, you believe you truly are eating a rose flavored cupcake – but it’s enjoyable without the flowery potent taste one tends to associate with rose.

As for the frosting, again – that citrusy sweet, spice combination pairs perfectly with the delicate rose. And there’s the added crumble of pistachios on top for a bit of texture to balance the light fluffy cake and the creamy frosting.

If you decide to make them, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Indian Cupcakes: Rose Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting

Rose Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings: 2 dozen

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

1 and 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
2 egg whites
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk any kind - almond, coconut, cow..
1/4 cup rose water
2-3 drops red food coloring if you wish cupcakes to be pink
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons half and half
1 tablespoon orange juice fresh or bottled
zest from 1/2 orange
2 teaspoons cardamom
1/4 cup pistachios finely chopped

Method

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12-15 cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Once combined, whisk in the egg whites, yogurt, milk, and rose water until combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter, egg, milk mixture ingredients until well combined. If using food coloring, add it at this time.
Divide batter among 12-15 cupcake liners (or 24-30 mini) and bake for 14-17 minutes. Meanwhile, make the frosting.
To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with a stand mixer until smooth and creamy (at least a minute)
Add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, half and half, orange juice, orange zest, cardamom. Increase to speed and beat for 1-2 additional minutes. At this time add the food coloring (if using) and additional powdered sugar if the frosting is too thick - or more cream if the frosting is too thick.
Chill frosting for 15 minutes prior to using.
Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with pistachios.

Notes

**If you care to color your frosting orange, follow your food coloring's directions for doing so. My coloring was 7 drops yellow to 1 drop red.

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Bites

January 22, 2014 by Alyssa

I lied when I said I didn’t like cheesecake. It’s true. I tell everyone that I don’t like cheesecake but the truth is…I do like it and for some reason, cheesecake seems to be a favorite dessert of most people I know. Americans in general are crazy about it. Heck, there’s even a restaurant named after it! I specifically remember my college roommate declaring her love for cheesecake, stating that she’d be having cheesecake as her wedding cake — years before she knew who she’d be marrying.

[And for the record, she had cheesecake. Darn good cheesecake at that. Some how, she mixed my two least favorite desserts, cheesecake & red velvet cake (I’ll talk about that another day), into a wedding cake and it tasted amazing!]

Unfortunately, with the exception of my college roommate’s wedding cake, I don’t tend to go as gaga as most over cheesecake. Not because I dislike the flavor or taste of cheesecake but mostly due to the fact that the texture is lacking and it’s a rather a calorie dense dessert — from crust to filling to the traditional cherry topping.

Let me break it down for you —

Crust:
This is basically cookies [they try to trick you by calling them crackers, but they’re cookies] mixed with butter and baked to make another cookie to use as the crust. Simply put, you just made cookies with butter and more cookies.

Graham Crackers: Simple enough, not really all that indulgent as long as traditional grahams are being used rather than the cinnamon-sugar topped crackers
Butter: Butter isn’t actually horrible for you. But 9 out of 10 doctors don’t recommend drenching cookies in butter.

Cream Cheese Filling:
This is simply fat-added, sugar sweetened, emulsified milk.

Cream Cheese: This is usually full-fat cows milk mixed with emulsifiers to lend firmness, stabilizing the cream and lengthening the cheese’s shelf-life. [Have you ever looked at the expiration date on unopened cream cheese? It’s at least 3 months. Doesn’t that freak you out?]
Cream: Yep, more cream because the cream from the cheese just isn’t enough.
Sugar: This is totally acceptable, this is a dessert.

Topping:

Cherry Pie Filling [from a can]: Yes, I’m specifically stating it’s from a can because the likelihood of someone actually making their own cherry topping is slim to none. America is all about short cuts and there’s nothing easier than “open & dump” when it comes to can goods.This canned pie filling is unnatural and overly sweet. The red filling sure is pretty against the white creamy cheesecake base but doesn’t it look a tad artificial to you? Have you ever seen cherries that hue of red? No?Me either. That’s because it’s fake. And those cherries, they’ve been soaking in that thick, sugary syrup for god knows how long. They’re basically artificially flavored sugar bombs.

Now, usually, cheesecake – and most cakes at that – are served in oversized portions making that fatty, sugary dessert sitting on your plate that much more of an indulgence. And if that’s what your intention is, to completely indulge, then pick up your fork and savor every bite!

But for those of us that want to enjoy cheesecake without guilt as a regular weekday dessert – I went about healthifying my version of cheesecake, creating Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Bites!

They’re portion controlled bites that have a bit of added cocoa powder, chocolate chips and almonds to make for a flavorful, decadent weeknight dessert without the calorie and sugar bomb splurge of traditional cheesecake. The almonds also add a dose of healthy fat, give the crust a bit of extra crunch and the mini chocolate chips add some texture and a touch of bittersweetness to the filling!

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Bites

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Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2 10

Servings: 24 bites

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

5 sheets reduced fat graham crackers
1/4 cup whole unsalted almonds
3 tablespoons butter melted
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese softened*
6 ounces nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup egg whites **
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Line a mini-muffin pan with 24 foil liners and set aside.
First make the crust -- In a food processor, process graham crackers until they reach a crumb-like consistency. Place in a small bowl and set aside. In the same processor, grind almonds into an almond-meal consistency and mix with graham cracker crumbs.
Combine graham cracker-almond crumbs with the melted butter until just coated, it will still be slightly course in texture. Distribute mixture evenly into cupcake liners and firmly press crumbs together to form a tight crust. Bake 7 minutes or until set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool while making the filling.
Now make the filling -- In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese for 2 minutes. This is mandatory as it helps give the filling a light texture by incorporating air. Beat in the yogurt, egg whites, sugar, cocoa powder, and flour until smooth [about 2-3 minutes]. Add in the lemon juice and the vanilla & almond extracts until just combined. Remove from mixer and fold in chocolate chips.
Evenly distribute the filling into each cupcake liner, filling about 3/4 of the way full**. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes. Finish cooling by placing the pan in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve after being well chilled.

Notes

* If you forgot to let your cream cheese soften, remove the paper packaging and place it on top of the pre-heating oven while you make the crust. It should be just soft enough once you finish.
** Either store bough egg-whites or traditional egg whites may be used - simply measure out a 1/4 cup of either.
*** Depending on how light & fluffy you mixed your filling - you may have some remaining. Place it in an oven safe bowl, lightly coated with non-stick spray and bake along side the mini cheesecake bites for a crustless treat.

And just for comparison – let’s take a look at how my healthified chocolate almond cheesecake bites [left] compare to something similar – like the Cheesecake Factory’s Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Cheesecake [right, source].

I’m not sure about the rest of you but 500 calories is almost 1/3 of my daily calorie intake (roughly 1 meal) and 30 grams of fat maxes out my average fat intake for the day. Plus, this doesn’t even account for the whipped cream and adorning chocolate syrup that accompanies the cheesecake to your table.

I know in my case, I’m much safer enjoying my portion controlled cheesecake bite with a glass of red wine on the side while not having to stress about burning the extra calories at the gym in the morning.

Desserts

Hummingbird Cake with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

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Method

If you love cookies, mocha, and cake then my Grandma’s Old Fashioned Drop Cookies with Mocha Frosting are the perfect sweet treat for you!

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients

Method

Notes

Cake Batter Cheesecake

Ingredients

Method

Ginger Spice Cookies

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Method

Indian Cupcakes: Rose Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting

Ingredients

Method

Notes

Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients

Method

Notes

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