Pumpkin-Cheesecake Petits Fours

Ingredients
Shells:

* 2 tablespoons butter
* 4 ounces cream cheese
* 1 package sugar cookie mix
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/3 cup cocoa powder, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting board
* 1/2 cup cake flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting board

Filling:

* 1 cream cheesecake, thawed
* 1 pumpkin pie, baked
* 3/4 cup heavy cream (1/4 cup for cheesecake filling; 1/2 cup for pumpkin filling)
* 1 can pour and frost chocolate icing
* Espresso coffee beans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place butter and softened cream cheese in a small microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave on medium setting stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add cookie mix, melted butter and cream cheese mixture, egg, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and cake flour. Stir until dough forms. Sift together 2 tablespoons each of cocoa powder and cake flour to use for dusting board and rolling pin. Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick. Using cutters slightly bigger than petits fours molds, stamp out cookies. Fit cookies into molds and cut off excess. Bake in batches for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from molds. Cool completely on wire racks.

To make the filling, scoop out into separate bowls the pie fillings of the thawed cheesecake and baked pumpkin pie. Be careful not to get any of the crusts. Discard the crusts. Add heavy cream and beat each filling with a wire whisk to smooth out consistency.

To assemble, using pastry bags or zip-top bag with a star tip, hold the bag on its side and spoon in half of the cheesecake filling. Then spoon half of the pumpkin filling on the other side. Test the frosting by squeezing the bag until both fillings come out. Fill 2 more pastry bags or zip-top bags, 1 with the remaining cheesecake filling and the other with the pumpkin filling. Add fillings to petits fours.

To make the chocolate icing, remove lid and foil seal from chocolate icing. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Pour into small zip-top bag. Snip off tiny opening in corner of bag. Drizzle over petits fours. Garnish with an espresso bean.

Cook's Tip: A tomato sauce or tomato paste can works great as a cookie-cutter for the petits fours.

[via FoodNetwork]

Microwave Apple Crisp

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min
Makes: 6 servings

4    medium tart cooking apples, peeled, sliced (4 cups)
2/3    cup packed brown sugar
2/3    cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/2    cup Original Bisquick® mix
3    tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3/4    teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4    teaspoon ground nutmeg

1.    In ungreased 2-quart microwavable casserole or 8-inch square microwavable dish, arrange apple slices. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.

2.    Microwave uncovered on High 7 to 10 minutes, rotating dish 1/2 turn after 5 minutes, until apples are tender. Serve warm.

[via Betty Crocker]

Orange-Glazed Strawberry Cupcakes

Yield
12 Servings

Ingredients

1 2/3  cups  all-purpose flour
1 1/4  teaspoons  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  salt
8  tablespoons  (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3  cup  sugar
1  large egg plus 1 large egg white
8  tablespoons  (1/2 cup) orange juice
1/2  cup  finely chopped fresh strawberries
1  cup  confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and egg white until well combined. With mixer on low, beat in half of flour mixture. Beat in 6 Tbsp. orange juice, then add remaining flour mixture and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gently fold in chopped strawberries.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each until almost full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes.

Make glaze: In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. orange juice until smooth. If glaze is too thick, stir in additional juice, making sure to add only 1 tsp. at a time, until you reach desired consistency. Glaze should be loose enough to spread easily on cupcakes, but not so thin that it drips.

Remove cupcakes from pan and top evenly with glaze. Let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour. Garnish each cupcake with a strawberry half, if desired.

[via MyRecipes]

Tropical Peach Cobbler   

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 55 min
Makes: 8 servings

1    bag (1 lb) frozen sliced peaches, thawed, drained
1/2    cup sugar
1    tablespoon cornstarch
1    teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4    cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/2    cup milk
3    tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2    tablespoons sugar
1/2    cup dried tropical fruit mix

Total Time: 1 hour 5 min
1.    Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottom and side of 9-inch deep-dish pie plate or 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2.    In medium bowl, mix peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon into pie plate.
3.    In same bowl, stir remaining ingredients until dough forms. Drop dough by 8 spoonfuls onto peach mixture.
4.    Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and topping is deep golden brown and thoroughly baked. Spoon into individual serving dishes, peach side up. Serve warm.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 40 to 45 minutes

[via Betty Crocker]

Frozen Tiramisu Squares

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 5 hours 30 min
Makes: 15 servings

1    cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2    cup sugar
1/3    cup baking cocoa
1    tablespoon instant espresso coffee (dry)
1/3    cup butter or margarine, melted
2    packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1    can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4    cup frozen (thawed) orange juice concentrate
1    teaspoon instant espresso coffee (dry)
1    tablespoon hot water
1/4    cup chocolate-flavored syrup
1 1/2    cups whipping (heavy) cream
Baking cocoa, if desired       

1.    Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix Bisquick mix, sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 tablespoon coffee and the butter until crumbly. Crumble mixture lightly into pan. Bake 6 minutes; cool.
2.    In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in milk. Place about 2 cups of the cream cheese mixture in separate bowl. Add juice concentrate to cream cheese mixture in one bowl. Dissolve 1 teaspoon coffee in hot water; stir coffee mixture and chocolate syrup into cream cheese mixture in other bowl.
3.    In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until stiff. Fold half of the whipped cream into each cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate chocolate mixture. Spoon orange mixture over crust.
4.    Freeze crust with orange mixture about 1 hour or until firm. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over orange mixture. Freeze about 4 hours or until firm. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. For squares, cut into 5 rows by 3 rows. Sprinkle each serving with cocoa. Store covered in freezer.

[via Kraft]

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 25 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 Belgian waffles

Ingredients
2 small unpeeled orange-flesh sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed
1 1/4 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray, for waffle iron
Honey butter, for serving (recipe follows)
Maple syrup, for serving
Fresh whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat waffle iron to medium heat. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a paper towel-lined microwave-safe dish, about 1-inch apart. Microwave on high power for 6 to 8 minutes, turning over halfway through. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, peel and mash the potatoes in a small bowl.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, and brown sugar. Add the sweet potatoes and stir well to combine.

3. In a separate large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture and mix well to combine.

4. Spray the preheated waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Add about 2/3 cup of batter to cover the cooking surface of the iron. Close and cook the waffle until crisp and brown, about 2 to 3 minutes each. Loosely cover waffles with foil and place in the oven while preparing the remaining waffles. Serve hot topped with honey butter and maple syrup.

Honey Butter

Ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Pinch of salt

Directions
Whisk the butter, honey, and salt together in a small bow until blended well. Taste and add more honey and salt if desired. Spoon into a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes about 1/2 cup

[via The Get ‘Em Girls’ Guide to the Perfect Get-Together]

Strawberry-Yogurt Swirl Pops Recipe

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours

INGREDIENTS
1 lb strawberries, hulled
1⁄3 cup plus 1⁄4 cup sugar, preferably superfine
2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups vanilla yogurt

You’ll also need:
2 large plastic squeeze bottles,
10 pop molds (1⁄2-cup capacity)

PREPARATION
1. Place strawberries, 1⁄3 cup sugar and lemon juice in blender; purée 3 minutes. Pour into a large plastic squeeze bottle and screw on bottle top.

2. In a medium bowl, stir remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar into yogurt until sugar is dissolved. Pour into the second squeeze bottle and screw on bottle top.

3. Fill each pop mold with strawberry and yogurt mixtures, alternately squeezing or spooning the mixtures into each mold to create a swirled pattern. Place tops on molds; insert wooden sticks. Freeze at least 6 hours until solidly frozen.

4. Remove molds from freezer. Soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes (or dip molds in warm water a few seconds). Remove pops from molds. Serve immediately, or wrap pops separately in plastic wrap, then store in freezer bag or container.

Tip: Large squeeze bottles (2-cup capacity) are available in crafts stores and baking supply stores, sometimes labeled for candy-making. To easily unmold the pops, use a pair of pliers to grip the sticks and gently pull out pops.

[via WomanDayMag]

Apple Pie Cupcakes
(adapted from Donna Hay Magazine #27)
(makes 24 cupcakes)

Cupcakes
2 1/4 all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
9 ounces (2 sticks plus 2 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon or orange zest
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) whole milk

Apple Topping
3 tbsp (40 g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Cinnamon Frosting
12 ounces (3 sticks / 340g) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

To cook the apples
Place butter and sugar in a large fry pan over low-medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add apple slices and cook for 8-10 minutes or until apples are lightly caramelized. Remove apples from pan and let cool completely.

To make the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 325F. Line 24 4-fl-oz-capacity muffin wells with paper liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides if the bowl occasionally. Beat in the vanilla and grated zest.

On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until flour is barely incorporated. Add the milk and mix until just smooth.

Divide the batter among lined muffin wells, filling each well about 2/3 full. Top with the apples.

Bake at 325F until a cake tested comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool cupcakes on cooling racks. Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting.

To frost the cupcakes
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon and beat for another 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost the cupcakes with an icing spatula or piping bag. Optional: Lightly dust frosted cupcakes with 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon.

[via verbatim AlpineBerry]

Makes 10 to 12 servings

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 10-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate, eggs, vanilla and red food coloring; beat at medium-high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. In a separate medium bowl, combine cream cheese and drink mix; beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute, or until smooth; add sour cream and mix to combine. Add cream cheese mixture to cake mixture; beat to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top.
3. Bake for 25 minutes; cover with aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the remaining pink lemonade concentrate and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Use any remaining concentrate as desired. Pour glaze over cooled cake.

[via Sandra Lee]

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 26 min

Makes:
1 dozen cookie sandwiches or 12 servings, 1...

What You Need
1 pkg. (20 oz.) refrigerated sliceable sugar cookies
12 JET-PUFFED Marshmallows
decorating icing

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Roll out cookie dough to 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into 24 cookies, using 2- to 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutters, rerolling dough scraps as necessary. Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 7 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from baking sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

TOP bottom side of each of 12 of the cookies with 1 marshmallow. Place 4 of the cookies on microwavable plate. Microwave on HIGH 15 to 20 seconds or until marshmallows begin to puff; cover with 4 of the remaining cookies, bottom sides down, to make sandwiches. Repeat with remaining cookies and marshmallows. Decorate with icing as desired.

[via Kraft Foods]