Pineapple Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Most of you should have noticed by now that my blog looks different...it even has a new title. The old title was from when I made an account long ago (that I never used, nor remembered setting up) and doesn't really describe what this blog is all about, which is awesomeness, magic and food. As I am very much a "recipe reader", I use cookbooks, magazines and blog posts to guide me, hence the new title. I still want a customized blog, but this will do for now. In the past few days I've been busy planning and hatching culinary ideas in my head. It all kicked off today.

Today is a special day. Not only is it Veteran's Day (thanks to all who serve!), but it's Sarah Beth's First Cheesecake Day. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert, and while I am not much of a heavy chocolate lover, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory is my favorite. But I am determined to force my taste buds to branch out and try things I never would have tried (a good example would be the paneer I ate for the first time earlier this week -yum!). I am not one for carrot cake, but this recipe sounded too good to pass up.

Amazing.

Pineapple Carrot Cake Cheesecake
from Pennies on a Platter

For the cheesecake:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs

For the carrot cake:
3/4 cup veggie oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
8 oz can crushed pineapple, packed in 100% juice, drained well, reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

For the Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice

Preheat oven to 350˚F and grease a 9- or 9 1/2- inch springform pan.
For the cheesecake batter, in a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Mix in the flour, eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.  Set aside.

To prepare the carrot cake batter, combine the oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and spices.  Stir into the egg mixture and mix well.  Add the pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.  Stir until just combined.
 
To assemble the cheesecake, pour 1 1/2 cups of the carrot cake batter over the bottom of the prepared pan.   Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese batter over the bottom layer of carrot cake, using up 1/4 of the batter and reserving the rest for the top layer. Top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter.  Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife.
Bake for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through.  Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate.  When the cake is cold, prepare the Pineapple Cream Cheese frosting.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and pineapple juice. Beat until smooth.  Add additional juice or sugar to desired spreading consistency.   Frost the top of the cheesecake.  Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

I used about 3 tablespoons of pineapple juice in my frosting, as I wanted it a little thinner and more pineapple-y. I also topped my cake with more walnuts and coconut. The carrot cake was perfectly moist, which was due to the pineapple, that you can't even really taste.

Ohhhh cheesecake....

Carrot cake....

All baked up....

This mixer of mine caused me to want to do a sort of Julia & Julia thing. I got a new cookbook last night and it is magical.

I know that is a completely unoriginal idea, but a) I don't care and b) it's fun (and I don't care). This cookbook is categorized with "whisk ratings" from 1 to 4 whisks based on the difficulty of the dessert. I plan on starting with the 1 whisk desserts and making all of those, then moving on to the two whisk desserts and so forth. I will do most of my baking on Sundays when I have the most time, it'll be Sunday Sweets.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

What a day. Not only was I trying to finish grades and it was just crappy weather, but I come home to find out that a cousin from England died in a motorcycle accident today. R.I.P. Steven, you were the coolest British guy I know.

I had planned on making these muffins for the Alumni meeting tonight...but I never really planned anything for dinner...tonight or Wednesday night. I guess I was just too excited about baking and corn chowder (which was just as excellent today at lunch as it was last night fresh out of the pot!). Good thing Mum doesn't mind me mooching off of her every once in a while. She supplied me with some steak, corn and a baked potato. Thanks Mum!

Now, I am new to pumpkin things as of last year. I just never really tried anything pumpkin flavored, and was always freaked out by it as a child. Other than pumpkin seeds...which doesn't count. These are DELICIOUS. I wish I had made 80 of them.

I prepped the filling for it yesterday, as I was limited on time between work and the meeting tonight, and the filling needs to thicken up in the freezer for at least two hours. When I took it out of the freezer today it wasn't really all that hard...which might have been from using waxed paper and not plastic wrap to wrap it in.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
from Annie's Eats

Yield: 24 muffins

Ingredients:
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)

Naturally, the one muffin I cut into for the filling photo has the smallest amount of filling out of all the muffins.

I have already had 2 and will definitely have more at the meeting. So much for healthier eating....

Post #2: Margarita Cupcakes

Let me start this post off with expressing my disappointment. I was so super excited to use my new mixer and to make these cupcakes, only to be let down by the frosting. The cupcakes came out great, but they would have been fantastic if the frosting had worked out.




Beautiful, just beautiful.


This is only picture you will see of my cupcake adventure today. It's a horrible picture at that, but the way the frosting turned out is a bummer, and they do not look pretty.

Margarita Cupcakes
recipe from here

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 limes, zested and juiced
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:
2 cups sugar
8 large egg whites
Pinch fleur de sel (coarse salt)
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2-4 tbsp. tequila

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir with a fork to blend. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lime zest, lime juice and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (don’t worry, it will come together, though it may take a long time!) Stir in the lime juice and tequila and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.

Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the buttercream. Garnish with lime zest and lime slices as desired.

When the recipe says that the frosting may take some time, it literally means just that. I had my electric mixer going for 45 minutes and it still didn't thicken up enough. No frosting is worth that unless it's made with pure gold or diamonds....and this frosting was not.

They are still good though. They are very lime-y and tart, which is nice for me, since I am not much of a sugar person...plus the tequila makes it better. I brushed the top of the cupcakes with tequila also before frosting them.

Corn Chowder

Today was a long day of festivities and food. I woke up at 7:30 (seriously daylight savings? seriously?) and couldn't fall back asleep. So I decided I might as well start my day by showering and grocery shopping. I prepped some stuff for my muffins I'm making tomorrow and then headed off to Bernie's Benefit Fundraiser. I won a lovely Christmas decor basket. Then, when I got home...it was cooking time! I am separating this into two posts so each recipe has it's own post. Tonight I made Corn Chowder and Margarita Cupcakes.


Corn chowder has so many ingredients....



But it's worth the smell of sauteing veggies and garlic.


And so worth this.

Corn Chowder
adapted from here

5 strips thick cut bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 sweet onion, diced
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/4 cup all–purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon chipotle seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like some heat)
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
6–8 ears corn (I used a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen Sweet White Corn)
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I used Trader Joe’s Just Chicken)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Green onions, sliced for garnish (I used both the white and green parts)

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon and allow to drain. Reserve for garnish.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, jalapeño and thyme to the bacon drippings and cook until the vegetables are soft; about 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour, chipotle seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and stir to coat well.

Cook vegetables, flour and seasonings for 2 minutes; stir frequently.

Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a rapid boil. Allow soup to boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down. This process will help thicken the soup.

Cut the corn kernels off the cobs and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add in the cooked chicken. Simmer until the corn is soft and chicken is heated through; about 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in the parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon and green onions.

I added in shrimp (thanks to a brilliant idea from Jaime who somehow knew I still had leftover shrimp from Erin's birthday...I think she sneaks into my fridge every night while I sleep.)

This was the first time I've ever eaten corn chowder, so I have no basis for comparison, but it's pretty awesome.

As a bonus to this post, I finally took some (horrible quality) pictures of sushi and things from last night's dinner. Behold....food from Karma.

Karma 3 Layers. Scallop and crab meat with spicy mayo topped with white tuna and special sauce. NEW FAVORITE.

Oysterssss. Still the best oysters I've had of all the places I've tried them. Better than Union Oyster House and Cedar's Steakhouse at Foxwoods.

Special Volcano Roll and Spicy Salmon Maki. Volcano roll is spicy tuna tempura topped with the crab and scallop mix with spicy mayo and cheese. And there's asparagus hidden in it. Spicy salmon maki is pretty self-explanatory.

Grilled Mushroom Cheddar Melts

Today was a big day. Mum and I went to look at couches (again) at the JCPenney Home Store, because they are having a sale. Their sale prices were ridiculous, so then we looked at curtains. Nothing. Then....then....I saw them. The standing mixers. They had Sunbeam mixers in several colors on sale. I grabbed a box and made a Christmas bargain with Mum. I ventured off, giant box in arms, and looked at other fun kitchen things. And then, the best thing happened (I know, I tricked you into thinking the mixer was the best part). I saw the KITCHENAID STANDING MIXER. I looked at Mum...she looked at me....shaking her head and rolling her eyes. We made yet another Christmas bargain. A saleswoman told Mum that if I was going to get one, I might as well get the Kitchenaid one, since it is the best. This woman also had a spider crawling on her jacket, but I didn't tell her. With my luck, she would've brushed it off onto me and I would've had to beat her with the meat tenderizers hanging on the wall at the end of the aisle.

So, I am now a proud owner a brand new red Kitchenaid standing mixer. My mom is way better than any other mom. Don't argue with me, or I'll poison your food. I also own some new cast-iron pans...but I bought those for myself.

Onto tonight's course. Grilled Mushroom Cheddar Melts. They were super easy and super yummy.


These are just some of the ingredients. I have decided that Yankee Candle should make a Balsamic Vinegar scented candle...


Melt some butter.


Saute some mushrooms and onions.


Melt some more butter with garlic and thyme.


Brush bread with melted butter mix.


Et voila!

I tweaked the recipe to fit what I had on-hand, and it still turned out great. Next time, I definitely want to try it with the shallots and a thicker bread. I also used dried thyme from a a jar and used less of what the recipe calls for as it is much more potent.

Grilled Mushroom Cheddar Melts

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lg. shallot, thinly sliced (I used green onions I had on-hand)
1/2 lb. mixed wild mushroom (store didn't have any, so I use baby portabellos)
1 tsp. fresh thyme, plus 3 sprigs (I used dried thyme)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 garlic clove, chopped
4 slices country bread (I used a hearty white bread)
1/3 lb. white cheddar, sliced

1. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms, and saute, stirring every few minutes, and until the mushrooms have begun to release their liquids, about 5 minutes.
2. Season with a sprinkle of salt and add the vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine and thyme. Scrape up any mushroom drippings. Saute until mushrooms are dark and caramelized, and the liquids have been fully absorbed, about 5 more minutes. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, melt remaining butter, garlic, and thyme. Arrange bread on work surface and brush both sides with garlic butter. Divide cheese among each slice. Top one half with mushrooms and sandwich with remaining bread. Heat grill pan to med-high and brush with olive oil. Grill sandwich for 2 minutes, then rotate for those nice grill lines and cook for 1 more minute.

I used a Foreman Grill and it came out fabulously.

Yumminess

I know I promised everyone that I would be cooking tonight, but I forgot that I have dance tonight. And something tells me that mowing down a Wild Mushroom and Cheddar Panini wouldn't sit well while dancing. Luckily, I went to Trader Joe's before coming home. I love Trader Joes, and every time I go, I buy something new to play with. Today, I bought a few new things. First, I bought some Paneer Tikka Masala. It's the frozen kind, but I am still easing into Indian food. I know eating the frozen version of anything is no way to get into a food...Trader Joe's Biryani is nowhere near as good as the Biryani I tried at the one Indian restaurant I ever ate at all the way in NYC, but whatever. I also bought Pumpkin Pie Spice (and pumpkin puree at another store), and polenta.

I also got what I just snacked on (it was more of a meal, actually). I got Pork Char Siu Bao!!!! It definitely deserves the 4 exclamation points I gave it, or at least the authentic version does. The first time I had Char Siu Bao was at a Dim Sum restaurant with my dear friend Elaine (whose cooking makes me look like a child with an Easy Bake Oven) and her parents. We needed her parents to go so they could translate for us, as the restaurant was pretty authentic and they spoke Chinese (I think?). I've had it a couple of times since at the buffet at The Mirage in Las Vegas. Someday, I WILL get Dim Sum again. Char Siu Bao are these little fluffy dumpling/roll/buns filled with a barbecue type pork mix. The buns are slightly sweet and so soft and fluffy....

Anyways, I made these the lazy and most awful way I could (shame has fallen upon me)...I microwaved them (in my defense, I was STARVING). I will definitely buy them again and steam them, and then actually get Dim Sum and eat real homemade ones. They were actually pretty tasty in the microwave.



Right before I ate, I was asked a very important and life-changing question...

"What do you want for Christmas?"

And then, I was given the following options:
- money for airfare
- a new couch
- a standing mixer

I have no idea which to choose. A couch would be the most expensive, and very much needed (read last night's post about my current apartment state). A standing mixer would get a lot of use if I decide to become a phenomenal baker (which I've given some serious thought to as of late), and airfare provides me with tickets to go see my cousin in Florida, who I've been meaning to visit for years, and to see my brother in California (where the Saddle Ranch restaurant has the most amazing BBQ chicken nachos ever! And seeing my brother is awesome...).

Ok, I have an hour to relax before heading off to work off these Char Siu Bao calories, and I will do just that.

Such a Letdown

Tonight, I tried a papaya for the first time. What a letdown. I halved it, seeded it, cut it up, and then I ate a piece. Instead of hearing bells and whistles, all I heard was the sound of my tongue continuously smacking, trying to summon more flavor...or get rid of the flavor. Either way, I switched to a mango and achieved satisfaction.

That's pretty much all I have to say in this post...though I could update you all on my lovely new kitchen purchases I made tonight.

I bought new cutting boards, a citrus juicer, a new santoku knife, an oil drizzler bottle thingy (do those have a specific name? They probably do and I now sound like a bigger amateur cook than I already am...), a new can opener, some magnetic clips, and some tabletop decor. I almost bought some fun napkins, chair cushions, and curtains, but they didn't have the curtains I wanted. I also saw some fantastic pillows, but they were $24 a piece (at Target!). They will match the new living room once it gets painted and a new couch is in place. \

Did I mention I am redecorating? My living room/kitchen is one room and it is mauve (yes, mauve, mom). I have some old furniture from my parents, which consists of a couch and over-sized chair that are hunter green. They are so, so, so comfy....by my cushions are literally tearing off the couch and vomiting out the stuffing. Plus, they are hunter green...with mauve walls and mauve blinds. While my pillows are dark and my kitchen scheme is black and red. I need some flow and consistency in this place. When all is said and done, I will take some photos and show the newly decorated place. I redecorated my bedroom a couple of months ago, and it is still a work in progress. I used to love everything in black and white, but I added lots of color. I got a nice bright floral bedspread, blue nightstands from Ikea, repainted my dresser, got a new smaller dresser, and lots of new artwork for the walls. So far, it's a great improvement.

This post ended up being pretty long for only wanting to say that I don't care for papayas. I didn't cook tonight, I mooched some fajitas. Tomorrow I will make what I had planned for tonight. For now, you'll just have to wait in suspense.

Also! I have to add something to my wishlist. A standing mixer...preferably a really good one...and they cost around $250. Laurin gave me an immersion blender, so that can be crossed off.