Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

My crazy neighbors are some of my best friends. I met them four years ago in the dorms freshman year. They are some of the best guys I know and they are also pigs. So when I came home the other day and found my Cooking Lite magazine open to the Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies and a note that said "Refill Please" I just burst out laughing. And what did I do? I made these and they were delicious!

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE BATTER:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg

CHEESECAKE BATTER:
1 (8-oz) block 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. To prepare chocolate batter: Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl. In large bowl combine brown sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and egg whites. Beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until blended.
3. To prepare cheesecake batter: Place cheese, sugar, and peppermint in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. Add 1 egg and 1 egg white, beat well. Add flour and beat until blended.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of chocolate batter. Pour remaining batter into a 9-inch square baking pan (I used a 9-inch pie pan) coated with cooking spray. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over top and spread evenly. Dot cheesecake batter with reserved chocolate batter. Swirl top two layers of batters together using the tip of a knife. Bake for 26 minutes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Unfortunately this year I won't be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family. A horrible phenonmena called BLACK FRIDAY exists and those working in retail know all too well how hectic life can get on that day. My boss has the whole crew scheduled to work that day, with no chance of having it off. Because of that, I am not able to go with my family to Southern California to visit more family and celebrate the day of thanks. So I went home this weekend and we did a pre-Thanksgiving together. I'm going to be so sick of turkey next week.

Anyway, I really hate pumpkin pie, so I decided to take charge of dessert and made a pumpkin cheesecake. It was so delicious, so filling, so rich.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs

3/4 cup ground hazelnuts

3 tablespoons brown sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin (I used fresh)
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

4 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.

2. Using a fork, combine gingersnaps, hazelnuts, 3 tablespoons brown sugar and melted butter. Press mixture onto the bottom and two inches up the sides of the pan to form the crust.

3. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin. Mix in the cream, cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or until center of cheesecake is set. Allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Cheesecake isn't my favorite flavor. But it really is one of my favorite things to bake. How that makes sense, I really don't know. The first cheesecake I ever made was a pumpkin cheesecake, and ironically I enjoyed it, despite my HATING cheesecake and pumpkin pie. However, the taste of the pumpkin balanced out the taste of the cheese and the taste of the cheese balanced out the taste of the pumpkin. The reason I initially decided to try to bake the cheesecake was solely to challenge myself. I never imagined how much fun I would find cheesecakes to be.

I have also began the habit of making birthday cakes for my friends (be looking for a homemade funfetti cake either tomorrow or Wednesday). Eric's 21st birthday was yesterday and had requested me to bake him a "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake". I was a little nervous since I could only find one recipe (thank you allrecipes.com) and I really didn't want it to suck. I would have been so sad. But of course, once again, I have made a cheesecake Iwill eat! I actually think this is the best one I've had/made thus far. The cookie dough chunks in the cake are so good, oh my gosh, I'm literally eating a piece right now.

Now, the picture really sucks, but that's because I forgot to take a picture till most of the cake was gobbled up!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, diced
2 cups sour cream
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons white sugar

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Mix the chocolate wafer cookie crumbs with 2 tablespoons of the white sugar, and the melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 8 minutes.

3. To Make Cookie Dough: In a bowl beat 1/4 cup butter or margarine with the brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the white sugar. Stir in the water and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat in the flour and the semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until combined.

4. To Make Cheesecake: In a food processor or with a mixer beat 1 cup of the white sugar, and all the cream cheese. Add 1 cup of the sour cream, the eggs, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Mix well and pour into prepared crust.

5. Drop cookie dough in 2 tablespoon portions evenly over the top of the cake, pushing dough beneath the surface. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 40 minutes. Cake will jiggle slightly in center. Spread topping over hot cake. Let cake cool than chill in a refrigerator until cold, at least 4 hours.

6. To Make Topping: Mix the remaining 1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the 2 teaspoons white sugar until smooth. Spread over hot cake.