Anyone Have A Sweet Tooth?

Who doesn't have a sweet tooth on occasion? Keep reading and I guarantee you will have one before you finish this post. Three recipes, sweetness overload! And no, I did not make all three at the same time!

Let's start with an amazingly sweet dish that works well for brunch or dessert - Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. This cake will impress every person at your table and you can tell them that you slaved over it when in fact, it could not be easier.

Step one was to make the cream cheese filling. I beat eight ounces of softened cream cheese with one half cup of sugar until light and fluffy. I added one egg and a splash of vanilla extract, beat until combined, and set aside.

Step two was to prepare the cake batter starting by whisking my dry ingredients together - two cups all purpose flour, one teaspoon kosher salt, and one half teaspoon each of baking soda and baking powder.

The wet ingredients were mixed in a second bowl - one stick of softened unsalted butter beaten with one half cup of granulated sugar and one quarter cup of light brown sugar until light and fluffy, and then I added one egg, one teaspoon of almond extract, and three quarters cup of sour cream.

I slowly added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.

Step three was to start building the cake. I added two thirds of the batter to the bottom of a greased nine inch springform pan, spreading to create an even layer.

Next I added the cream cheese mixture and spread to evenly cover the cake batter.

Lots of fresh raspberries!

Next, I added the rest of the cake batter over the raspberries.

The final step before baking was the streusel topping which I made by combining one half cup each of all purpose flour and light brown sugar with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and four tablespoons of melted butter.

I sprinkled the topping all over the cake batter and baked at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until the center no longer jiggled.

I let the cake cool, ran a paring knife around the edge and carefully released the sides of the pan.

More raspberries, fresh mint, and a dusting of confectioners sugar and you are done! It was as pretty as it was delicious!

Sticking with raspberries for a bit, here is a great recipe for Raspberry Sorbet. I love sorbet, especially in the hot summer weather and this is the perfect dessert to cool off on a hot summer night! I started with three packages of fresh raspberries (twelve ounces each) in my food processor along with one cup of water, one and half cups of granulated sugar*, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the juice of one lime. I processed until smooth and then poured through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove all of the pulp and seeds.

*If you want your sorbet to be more tart, you can use one half cup less sugar.

The only other step was to pour the mixture into my ice cream maker, following the manufacturer directions, and finish in the freezer for at least four hours. Depending on the size of your machine, you may have to make the sorbet in batches. (Mine took three batches.)

And for the grand finale, an over the top decadent Oreo Cheesecake. While not difficult, this recipe does take a bit of time but it is worth every second! I began by blitzing two dozen Oreo cookies in a food processor and then I slowly added two tablespoons of melted butter. I pressed the cookie crumbs into the bottom and an inch up the sides of a nine inch springform pan. I tightly wrapped the bottom and sides of the pan with aluminum foil.

I then began working on the cheesecake layer which consisted of three blocks of room temperature cream cheese that I beat until light and fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. I slowly added one cup of granulated sugar and five eggs, one at a time. I added one cup of sour cream, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and one quarter cup of flour and mixed until just combined. Using a spatula, I folded in five more crushed Oreos and poured half of the entire mixture over the crust in the springform pan. I added a layer of whole Oreo cookies and then poured over the rest of the batter. I placed the pan into a bain marie (a larger roasting pan filled halfway with boiling water) and baked the cake at 325 degrees for one hour, at which time I checked for doneness using a toothpick which came out clean. The cake can take up to seventy minutes. I placed the pan on a cooling rack and allowed it to cool before covering and refrigerating overnight.

The next morning, I made a chocolate ganache by bringing three cups of heavy cream to a boil. I added three cups of semisweet chocolate chips to a bowl and poured the hot cream over the chips. After letting it sit for three minutes, I stirred the melted chocolate until smooth and shiny. I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and two cups of granulated sugar, stirring until dissolved. I allowed it to cool in the refrigerator for several hours. When I was ready to finish the cake, I beat the ganache using a hand mixer until it was fluffy and spreadable. I spread it over the top of the cheesecake, reserving some extra to pipe on top. I added more whole Oreo cookies and a few more crushed for decoration.

I would recommend any of these recipes for your next gathering. You won't regret it, and neither will your guests!