Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles

Raspberry Cheesecake is definitely one of my favorite desserts, it's simply divine.  The berry and cream cheese combination is amazing.  I also love truffles, so I've decided to combine the two.  These truffles are purely decadent!  They are bursting with that unmistakable raspberry flavor, both from the raspberry jam and raspberry extract.  These truffles can be made without the raspberry extract if you'd prefer not to purchase it, just note the raspberry flavor won't be as strong.  These truffles are equally amazing covered in white chocolate as they are covered in milk chocolate, so take your pick.  Be sure to store you truffles in the refrigerator.  It may seem strange to have chilled truffles but it's just like cheesecake, it's always chilled.  I even love these frozen too, so if you don't finish them off in the first day or two just throw them in the freezer and enjoy them for weeks.
You may also like to try my White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake or White Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake.

Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles
Yields about 22 Truffles


Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened slightly
14 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor
3 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam 
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp raspberry or vanilla extract
6-8 drops red food coloring


1 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (you can also use bark)
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable shortening


2 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor (for topping)


Directions:
In a mixing bowl, using a fork, mix together cream cheese, 14 ground graham cracker sheets, raspberry jam, and powdered sugar.  Stir into well combine.  Mix in 1/4 cup melted white chocolate chips, raspberry extract and food coloring.  Blend well.  Cover mixture with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to form mixture into balls.
Remove mixture from freezer and scoop mixture out by tablespoons and form into balls.  Place on a wax or parchment covered baking dish or plate.  Cover truffle balls with plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour, or until firm enough to dip in chocolate.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in microwave on 50% power in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth (if using white chocolate I would do shorter intervals as white chocolate is more temperamental).  
Remove truffles from freezer, using a toothpick or fork, dip truffle balls into melted chocolate.  Return chocolate covered truffle to wax paper and sprinkle with ground graham cracker before chocolate hardens.  Repeat process with remaining truffle balls.  Place truffles in refrigerator and allow chocolate to harden.  Store truffles in refrigerator in an airtight container.

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S'mores Cookies

Aren't S'mores one of the greatest treats of all time?  I love s'mores!  Every time we go camping I eat far too many.  But, unfortunately there are those long winter months when you can't get outside to build a fire to make a perfectly golden s'more, so you have to improvise.  That is why I have come up with these.  They taste just like a s'more and they are equally as good!  There are so many s'mores bars/cookie recipes out there, which are good, but I think they are slightly lacking with the main star of the s'more, the marshmallow.  They just don't have enough.  Also, I don't like how some of them add the marshmallow in from the beginning because then you just end up with melted marshmallows rather than toasted marshmallows like an actual s'more.  The other thing I like about this recipe is that it's not a big fat cookie base, because again that would take away from the star of the show, the marshmallow.  It's a slightly thin cookie base with a fairly crisp edge that is screaming with graham cracker flavor.  I believe this cookie has just the right amount of proportion with it's ingredients.  If you like s'mores then please try this recipe, you won't be disappointed!
You may also like to try Marshmallow Brownie Cookies, they're delish.

S'mores Cookies
Yields about 28 cookies


Ingredients:
10 graham cracker sheets, finely ground in a food processor*
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract


5 cups miniature marshmallows


3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3 Tbsp butter 
1 Tbsp water


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, combine ground graham crackers, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until lighter and fluffy about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in egg and vanilla.  Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well combine.  Scoop out 1 Tbsp dough at a time and form into a ball, then place dough balls onto greased baking sheet (I fit 11 per sheet).  Flatten dough balls slightly and bake 9 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  
Meanwhile generously butter a cookie sheet and spread miniature marshmallows in a single layer on cookie sheet.  Heat oven to broil and toast marshmallows (DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM THEM) for about 30 seconds - 1 minute until golden.  Remove from oven and using a buttered spatula, scoop marshmallows over tops of cookies. 
In a small microwave safe mixing bowl combine chocolate chips, butter and water.  Microwave chocolate on 50% in 30 intervals stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Pour mixture into a small ziploc bag or piping bag.  Cut a small tip off the end and drizzle over S'mores Cookies.  Store cookies in an airtight container.


*Graham crackers should basically be ground to powder.  I grind them for about 1 minute in the food processor.

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Balboa Bars

If you've ever been to Southern California chances are you have had a Balboa Bar, if not you've been missing out =).  They are a deliciously amazing vanilla ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and coated in your choice of topping.  I adore them!  My personal favorites are almond and toffee.  One thing I love about this ice cream bar, and making it at home, is the nearly endless possibilities of topping and the ability to even switch up the ice cream flavor.  You could make these for the upcoming Christmas holiday with peppermint ice cream, chocolate coating and crushed peppermint candies.  Or, you could do a cookies and cream bar with cookies and cream ice cream, chocolate or white chocolate coating and crushed Oreos (that would be delish).  These are a bit of work (more waiting than work =), but they are totally worth it!  If you've never tried a Balboa Bar you need to try these, and if you've been lucky enough to have a Balboa Bar before now you are in luck, you can make them at home!  Also, if you have leftover dipping chocolate, I'd recommend dipping bananas and sprinkling them with toppings and freezing them (another delightful treat they sale along with balboa bars).

Homemade Balboa Bars


For this recipe I followed the directions from Williams-Sonoma's site, but I made a few of my own changes.  I used 20 oz. milk chocolate chips (rather than 20 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped) and I used 6 Tbsp canola oil (you could use canola, vegetable or coconut). Then the last change I made was adding assorted toppings.  I did this immediately after dipping the ice cream bar before the chocolate hardened.
*A side note, be sure to allow your ice cream to harden completely in the freezer before you begin dipping, otherwise you're likely to have a messy disaster.  This will likely take more than 1 hour as recipe states.  I'd recommend freezing them 3 hours or overnight before dipping.


Here are some topping ideas I love:
-Toffee bits or chopped heath bars
-Toasted almonds, chopped
-Pretzels, chopped
-Sprinkles
-Chopped Oreos
-Your favorite candy bar, chopped
-Pie crust, crumbled (or graham crackers)
-Shortbread, chopped
-Candied or dried fruit, chopped
-Peanuts or any other nut, chopped
-Toasted, sweetened coconut
-Peppermint candy canes, crushed
-Mini marshmallows


...you get the idea =), make up your own the possibilities are nearly endless.

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Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes and Vanilla Cream Syrup

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes have got to be one of the greatest foods known to mankind! They are definitely one of my favorite foods.  Their taste is something unequivocal.  They present feelings of comfort, relaxation and welcome.  It doesn't get much more homey than this.  
This recipe is my favorite buttermilk pancake recipe of all time!  I tried several before creating this one and now I don't know that I could ever use a different one again.  You may be weary of the oat flour in them, but trust me it makes these pancakes amazing!  It gives them a bit more flavor then you'd find in your average buttermilk pancake containing only all-purpose flour.  It also adds some amazing nutrition to them so you can feel great about eating them.  Also, by adding the blueberries in these pancakes you get two Superfoods (oats and blueberries)!  Maybe I should just call these the Incredible Superfood Pancakes because how could something that's this healthy taste this good?  In my family we eat these pancakes every week, usually a Sunday brunch and many times even for dinner.  These pancakes are fancy and delicious enough to be worthy of a holiday brunch or for serving company.  Or, just make them a delectable new weekly tradition in your home, like I've done. 
Also, note that these pancakes are better with actual oat flour rather than grinding your own in a food processor, if you are able to locate some.  The texture is slightly better then if you grind the oats yourself.      
Also, these pancakes are delicious with raspberries, huckleberries, diced strawberries, sliced ripe bananas, cinnamon, and I'm soon going to be working on an apple version mmm. Enjoy, like you've never enjoyed a stack of pancakes before =)!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Yields about 15 pancakes


Ingredients:

1 cup + 2 Tbsp lightly packed oat flour*

1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Vanilla Cream Syrup, for serving, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat a non-stick griddle over medium heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together oat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl combine buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter. Stir in dry ingredients (mixture should by slightly lumpy, don't over-mix). Pour 1/4 cup mixture onto buttered preheated griddle then drop about 10 -12 blueberries onto pancake. Flip pancake when bubbles start to appear on surface and bottom is golden.  Cook opposite side until golden.  Repeat process with remaining batter.  Serve pancakes warm topped with vanilla cream syrup, your favorite maple syrup and butter, or berry syrup and whipped cream.

*Oat flour can be purchased in the health food section of most super-markets. You can also make your own by grinding 1 1/2 cups whole oats in a food processor for about 2-3 minutes, until it is very fine.  I prefer the actual oat flour over grinding my own, it presents a slightly better texture.  Also, lightly pack the oat flour when you are measuring it, I found it measures a bit different then all purpose flour.


Vanilla Cream Syrup
Yields about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1/4 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sugar, cream, buttermilk and salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil and sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla, whisk for about 10 seconds (it will begin to foam).  Serve warm.  Syrup can be stored in refrigerator up to one week and reheated before serving.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy 

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