Black and White Cheesecake Bars

Last week was my birthday week so I decided to make something special. Let me just warn you in advance that these are a tad bit messy to make so grab some latex gloves at the store or just wash your hands a lot!


This is mostly Martha!

What you will need:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
21/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both long sides, then spray parchment.

3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.



4. Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish (this is where you need to use your hands). Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.

5. Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base; pipe reserved dough in a lattice design using a medium round tip. You may need to let the reserved dough warm to room temperature first so it is easier to pipe. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang. Cut off the edges and cut into squares or bars.

Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats

So I'm not going to lie, my first effort to make Rocky Road Rice Krispie treats completely crashed and burned. "How can you mess up Rice Krispie treats?" you might ask. Well, I made the mistake of trying to take a microwave shortcut. Let's just say they came out a tad dry and being completely abhorred at my creation, I set out to right my food injustice. My second batch turned out absolutely delicious! So here's a recipe for all of you, like me, that like to let the little kid in you show more than just once in a while.


Ingredients:
4 tbs butter
4 cups rice cereal (I used a chocolaty off brand)
3 cups small marshmallows or 40 large ones (according to my mom who only uses large mallows in her recipe)

Rocky Road part:
1 cup small marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used dark)
1/2 cup almond pieces (optional)

Steps:
1. Melt butter on low heat
2. Stir in marshmallows (3 cups) and mix until melted
3. Add rice cereal and stir until all the cereal is covered with stickiness
4. Spoon half of the cereal mix into a square greased pan
5. Sprinkle Rocky Road mix on top of the cereal mix in the pan
6. Spoon the remaining cereal mix on top of the Rocky Road mix
7. Using a damp paper towel press the rice krispies down into the pan and let cool

1. Melt butter on low heat

2. Stir in marshmallows (3 cups) and mix until melted



3. Add rice cereal and stir until all the cereal is covered with stickinessYou can see the strings of sticky goodness that are necessary to glue the cereal pieces together.

4. Spoon half of the cereal mix into a square greased pan
5. Sprinkle Rocky Road mix on top of the cereal mix in the panYes you can see the I, myself have omitted the nuts. While I do agree that its not true Rocky Road without them I think the treats are crunchy enough. So do what you will with yours! I will omit the nuts :)

6. Spoon the remaining cereal mix on top of the Rocky Road mix
7. Using a damp paper towel press the rice krispies down into the pan and let cool

Selva Negra! (That's Black Forest Cake ya'll)

I made this cake for my hubby's birthday this past week (he's the one who calls it Selva Negra). Since I had to work until 7pm (I know!) After I went to the store to buy ingredients and everything, I was a tired little baker and didn't take very many pictures. But never fear! The cake turned out AMAZING! I googled a ton of recipes and made one up. The only thing you might want to add when making this is putting cherries in the layers. They were out of canned bing cherries so I just left that part out.

Ingredients:
Cake
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray pan with flour spray two 7 or 8 inch round pans.
3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
5. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour evenly into pans.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
7. Cool completely and turn out of pans.
8. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers total.
9. Sprinkle layers with the 1/2 cup kirshwasser.

Ingredients:
Filling and Frosting
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoon kirschwasser
1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

1. In mixer (trust me, use a mixer!), whip the cream to stiff peaks.
2. Beat in sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 teaspoons of kirshwasser.
3. Frost each layer and top and sides of cake. Be sure the middle layers are thick because the weight of the cake will thin them out. You might even want to half the recipe and whip it stiffer (or add cherries!).
4. Sprinkle with chocolate curls made by using a potato peeler or cheese grate on semisweet baking chocolate.

I bought a little piping kit but you could use a ziploc and piping tips to decorate.

Refrigerate!