SALTED CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

Hey guys! I’ve been trying some new recipes that pop up in my social media. Saw this recipe last week and I just had to try it! It’s delicious!

Ingredients

Crust:

Cooking spray, for spraying the foil

2 sleeves (10 ounces) graham crackers

1/2 cup pecans 

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs 

1/2 cup sour cream 

Caramel Topping:

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

6 tablespoons salted butter 

One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions

Special equipment:

 a candy thermometer

1. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch rectangular baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Place the graham crackers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbs. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. If they come up the sides, that’s okay!
3. For the filling: Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix again.
4. Pour the mixture into the crust, smooth the top and bake for 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door, leaving the cheesecake to sit in the oven with the door open for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool for an hour.
5. For the caramel topping: Add the brown sugar and butter to a pan, set over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Add the condensed milk, corn syrup and vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
6. Place a candy thermometer in the caramel mixture and continue to boil until the caramel reaches 225 degrees F. Turn off the heat and let the caramel cool for about 5 minutes before pouring over the cheesecake.
7. Allow to set for 2 hours, then cut into squares with a sharp knife. Arrange on a plate and garnish each square with a pinch of sea salt.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

All done!

BUTTER COOKIES

If you love melt in your mouth butter cookies you need to try these! It’s a softer batter so you can pipe easily with it. This is one of my childhood faves ❤️❤️

Do yourself a favor and make a double batch, trust me 😂😋😋

INGREDIENTS

• 9 oz butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• Rainbow sprinkles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place butter in stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer) and mix until creamy.
3. Add sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing for 12 mins until it becomes white and creamy.
4. Using a spatula mix (sifted) flour into the mixture until completely combined.
5. Put batter into a piping bag with a star tip (1/2″ to 1cm)
6. Form cookies on the prepared sheets, sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.

6. Bake for 12 mins or until the base turns light brown.

7. Let the cookies cool completely before serving.

MIXED BERRY COMPOTE

Here’s a simple recipe that can be made with fresh or frozen berries. I like to use it over crepes, cheesecake, sweet breads etc 😋😋

INGREDIENTS

3 cups berries ( I like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

2 tbsps lemon juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsps butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Put skillet over medium/low heat and melt butter.

2. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir until dissolved.

3. Add berries and stir gently until the juices spring.

4. If you like a thicker sauce you can mix some cornstarch with cold water and add to the compote and cook for a couple more minutes until thickened. 

Serve warm over crepes, or on cheesecake, sweetbreads, muffins, a hamburger 😂 ok maybe not a hamburger. 

PUMPKIN AND CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

My mini chef and I experimented with pumpkin muffins today and it was quick and super easy! They are moist and yummy, can’t wait to have another for breakfast!

Filling Ingredients

8-ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Muffin Ingredients

1 package spice cake mix
15-ounces canned pumpkin

Optional: confectioners sugar to sprinkle on top 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put muffin liners into pan.

2. Beat filling ingredients together until combined.

3. Beat muffin ingredients together until combined. (only use the mix and the pumpkin, nothing else) Batter will be thick.

4. Drop about 1 tablespoon of the batter into each muffin cup, spreading it to cover the bottom.

5. Drop in a level tablespoon of filling.

6. Cover with enough batter to fill the muffin cups full.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Makes 12 muffins

THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER!!

So today was the first day of my diet….. and I made cinnamon rolls 😂😂😂 The universe was trying to tell me something because this recipe from twopeasandtheirpod kept appearing on my news feed! You must try this recipe! It’s so delicious!

yield: 30 CINNAMON ROLLS

cook time: 17 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CINNAMON ROLLS:

• 2 packages yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons), dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water
• 6 tablespoons shortening (Crisco)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (you might need more if the dough is sticky, up to 9-10 cups)
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Softened butter
• Brown sugar
• Raisins
• Cinnamon

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

  DIRECTIONS:

  
  

  1. 1. Add yeast to cup of lukewarm water and sprinkle in a little sugar. Set aside for about five minutes.
     2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add shortening, sugar, and salt to hot water and beat for 30 seconds, using the beater blade. Let cool to lukewarm temperature. Stir in 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture and mix until well combined. Mix in the beaten eggs.
     3. Gradually stir in the remaining flour and mix with the dough hook for about 2 minutes. Remove dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured counter. Knead by hand, add a little flour if the dough is still sticky. Knead until dough feels satiny and smooth.
  2. 

4. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. After the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and divide it in half. With a rolling pin, roll one half of the dough into a rectangular shape. Spread dough evenly with softened butter. Sprinkle dough with brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. Make sure you use LOTS of brown sugar…you can omit the raisins, but my family loves them, and sprinkle on loads of cinnamon.

• 

 

5. Roll up dough into one long roll. Cut rolls, using a piece of dental floss or thread, about two inches thick. Place rolls in greased 9X13 baking pans. Now follow the exact same steps with the other half of the dough.

• 

 

6. Let the rolls rise until double in bulk. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake until brown-only about 5-7 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let the rolls cool to room temperature.

7. While the rolls are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Frost the cooled cinnamon rolls generously!

GOOLAB JAMOON

Here we have my favorite Indian sweet with a Caribbean twist, goolab jamoon. The fragrant, rich dough is heavenly. It’s the second sweet that I learned make from my mama *grandmother*. Now I’ve visited a couple Indian restaurants in the US and whenever I order the goolab jamoon I get something totally different! It’s these round balls soaked in syrup. Which leads me to believe that the recipe must have changed on its way to the Caribbean from India.

Nevertheless both are deliciously sweet and I can easily eat them all in one sitting 😂😂

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter
4 cups flour
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup oil for frying
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp grated ginger
4 cups water

DIRECTIONS

1. Rub butter into the flour, cardamom and powdered milk until crumbly

2. Add the other milks to the flour and knead lightly to combine. * Or use a food processor with dough blade*

3. Form almond shapes about 2 inches long and deep fry until golden brown

4. Boil sugar, ginger and water to a thick syrup (it should spin a thread when the spoon is raised)
5. Pour syrup over the fried goolab jamoon and stir continuously until the sugar crystallizes .

SUPER QUICK CHOCOLATE CAKE IN THE MICROWAVE! YES!

SOOOO… no dessert?! what to do? Chocolate cake in the microwave in less than five minutes and minimal clean up?!? What?!? YES PLEASE PASS IT OVER HERE!

I stumbled across this recipe from A Table for Two and I just had to try it as the chocolate cravings were stabbing me in head! You have to try this! Mix it up, add more stuff, I used chocolate and peanut butter chips!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup AP flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp white sugar (I added an extra tsp)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp hazelnut chocolate spread

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl
2. Mix in oil and milk until batter is smooth with no lumps
3. Pour into a microwave safe mug with enough space for the cake to rise without pouring over
4. Drop chocolate spread or chips or whatever floats your boat in the middle, no need to push it down.
5. Put a paper towel in the microwave and place mug on top of paper. Microwave on high for 70 seconds.

And that’s it folks! Warm, moist chocolate cake in under 5 mins! Your tummy will thank you! 😀

    

CHOCOLATE RICE KRISPY TREATS

I’ve realised that inviting people over and telling me 20 minutes before they arrive is a genetic trait of my husband and it’s now presenting itself in my son *slaps forehead* *mutters curses*

Yesterday I had to come up with a very quick dinner and a treat for his little friends. Baking a cake or cookies would take too long, jello takes forever to set and pie takes even longer than forever. As I stood there staring into my pantry I noticed a box of rice krispies in the corner! EUREKA! Rice krispy treats! Quick, easy and done in less than 10 minutes, perfect!

I fancied it up a little with some left over Reese’s Pieces from Easter * Ok ok I keep a secret stash in my underwear draw because that’s the only place none of my kids or the hubs would look in 😀 You can try adding sprinkles, m&m’s, or whatever you have on hand….well….maybe not sardines.

Here’s my quick recipe!

• 4 tbsp butter
• 16 oz mini marshmellows
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 cups rice krispies ( rice cereal)
• chocolate chips
• reese’s pieces or m&m’s or chocolate chips for toppings

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add marshmellows and stir frequently until melted.
3. Add vanilla and stir.
4. Pour in rice krispies and a handful of chocolate chips and stir well.
5. Remove from heat and pour into a pan and let cool a little.
6. Spray hands with cooking spray or a little oil (this keeps it from sticking to your skin) and press until flat and smooth.
7. Add more toppings on top and press in! Easy peasy!

 I’m bringing this treat to fiesta Friday with the dynamite duo of J & J! That’s Justine @ Eclectic odds n sods andJhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook. 

BANANA WALNUT BREAD

Lucky me! All of my bananas went soft and the skins were starting to turn brown and as I was about to throw them out my hubs ran into the kitchen in slow motion screaming “NOOOOO MAKE BANANA BREAD!!”… ok maybe it wasn’t that dramatic.

I really just wanted to lay in bed and finish dying from this flu, but I pulled out the old recipe book and whipped this up. It’s so good with a lot of butter * I also put cheese on mine, don’t judge me, I love cheese <3*  Man am I glad I thought to make this 😉

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¹⁄₄ cups sugar
• ¹⁄₂cup butter or ¹⁄₂ cupmargarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups mashed very ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
• ¹⁄₂ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ¹⁄₂ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8X4 inch) loaf pans.
2. In large bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla; beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
3. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and nuts (if using) just until moistened. Pour batter into pans.
4. Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool about 1 hour before slicing.

TIP : If you don’t have buttermilk, you can add 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before using in your recipe 🙂

I’m bringing this yummy warm bread toFiesta Friday, a party by Angie of the Novice Gardener. This week it’s co-hosted by the lovely Julianna @Foodie On Board and Hilda @Along The Grapevine

EGG CUSTARD

I grew up in a small village in south Trinidad. Most people in that area are really close-knit but my immediate neighbors are like my family. It feels like I spent as much time in their house as I did in mine!

Aaron *my neighbor closest in age* and I have been buddies forever! He loves my mom’s sweetbread and cakes and I love his mom’s pholourie and egg custard.

It’s funny how we would always know to show up when food was ready! With as much as we ate I’m surprised we don’t weigh 2000lbs! Miss Nelly makes lots of yummy things but her egg custard is the best! It’s so easy to make and you just need a few ingredients. The texture is smooth and light and not too sweet.

I’ve been homesick recently so I decided to make this to ease the heartache a little 💜

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 2 cans evaporated milk
• 1 can condensed milk (add a little more if you like a little more sweetness)
• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger (you can use more or less)
• 1-2 tsps lemon or lime zest
• A pinch of nutmeg

Beat all the ingredients together until combined, bake at 375 F for about 45 mins or until the center sets. ( If you used the whole peel like I did, remove it before baking)

I’ve also just started a facebook page! check me out at www.facebook.com/youngsunshinescooking

I’m bringing this dish to FiestaFriday.net @ Fiesta Friday #62 ! Let’s party with Jess @Cooking Is My Sport! And Prudy @Butter, Basil and Breadcrumbs! 🍻🍻🎉