Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

I had absolutely no idea that Tiramisu Bars existed.  And if you read my blog then you may know that I love Tiramisu.  It's fluffy, creamy and filled with coffee and liquor yumminess.  But I had a request from one of my farmers market customers to make Tiramisu Bars for her daughter's birthday.  

Uh.  Huh?  I was filled with questions.  Can you pick them up?  What do they look like?  I've never heard of such a thing!  Shocking, really, considering I follow a gazillion blogs, am a Tiramisu fan, and hoard cookbooks like they're going out of style.

Never one to turn down business, I told her I would search for a recipe and make them if it sounded like they would turn out.  I mean, a birthday is a lot of pressure!  Lots of people eating my goodies; what if they are terrible?!  Cookie Crazed Mama's name could be tarnished! 

With a few tweaks to the original recipe, and an espresso bean garnish, these looked edible and hopefully what the birthday girl was looking for.

Tiramisu Cheesecake Bars

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker

Base

-Sugar Cookie Mix

-1 egg

-1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine all the ingredients with a stand or hand mixer.  Press dough evenly into pan.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Filling

-2, 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

-1, 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

-1 Tbsp. espresso powder

-1/2 tsp. vanilla

-1 1/2 tsp. dark rum

-2 eggs

-1 c. mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with hand mixer until creamy.  Add milk and beat until combined and smooth.  In a separate small bowl, lightly whisk espresso powder, vanilla, rum, and eggs.  Add mixture to cream cheese/milk mix and beat until well blended.  Fold in mini chocolate chips, and pour over sugar cookie base.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until set-the center doesn't jiggle.  Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes and the refrigerate for additional 30 minutes.

Topping

-6 oz. cream cheese, softened

-2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

-1 Tbsp. dark rum

-1/2 c. whipping cream

-2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, and rum.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip cream.  As it starts to thicken add sugar and whip until soft, stable peaks form.  Add whipped cream to cream cheese mixture and blend until just combined.  Spread evenly over the cooled cheesecake filling.  Refrigerate for 3 hours to overnight.

Garnish

-Semi-sweet chocolate in bar or block form

-Chocolate covered espresso beans

Using a zester, zest chocolate over the bars until you get a nice even coating of chocolate.  Cut bars into 24 even pieces.  Top each bar with an espresso bean and serve!

My lovely customer told me this past Saturday that these were a hit at the party!  I was so relieved since I wasn't able to sample these bars.  It is rare that I sell something I've never tried just in case it isn't delicious enough, but these bars made just enough for her order.  I can't wait to see her pictures of people enjoying them at the party!  If you make them, let me know what you think.

Indoor S'mores

I've said it before, I love S'mores.  Last year I gave you S'mores Biscotti.  But while I say I love S'mores, I guess I'm not a fan of making traditional S'mores.  They're huge.  There's a big piece of cold, thick chocolate.  One bite, and you've got a mess.  The only enjoyable part for me is the marshmallow.  I usually skip the frills of the S'mores and go straight for the melty, charred goodness that is the marshmallow.

This is all good and great, but I still crave the harmony of chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow in one bite.  Enter S'mores Skewers.

Okay, so these are super easy and all the ingredients you need are right here in this picture:

-Candy coating chocolate, enough for 1 c. melted
-One sleeve of Honey Graham Crackers, crushed
-Skewers, most likely in the kitchen supply section of grocery store
-One bag of Giant Marshmallows.  Giant.  Brands I've seen: Campfire and Kraft

Giant, I tell you.

Instructions:

-Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals.  Stir after each 30 seconds.  I melt and dip in a 1-cup Pyrex measuring cup.

-Take Marshmallow and dip halfway down into the chocolate.  Sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.  Dip end of skewer in chocolate and then push 3/4 of the way down into marshmallow.

-Let sit so chocolate can harden.

-Serve as is, OR....

Give it a pretty package and give as gifts.

OR

Use a brûlée torch and set on fire!

And enjoy that melty goodness that only comes from a campfire.  But this time...
Indoors!

I like mine nice and charred.

Cornflake Chocolate Chip Cookie

Howdy, all!  Have you missed me?  No?  Well, if you have, then I've been at our local farmers market peddling my baked goods.  I'm wheeling and dealing, turning out my sugary treats and man, oh man, have I been turning out sugary treats!

I'm making about 8-12 new items every week.  Whew!  I'm generally always coated in sugar and flour, and I no longer have delicate lady hands due to the constant dish washing.  But all that aside, I'm having a great time!  I meet new people, I'm starting to see the same people, and overall my goods seem to be well received.  So if you want to see my cheerful, round face, come to the Tippecanoe Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9-12.  But since some of you may not be in the area, then let me share a cookie I made this weekend.

Cornflake, Chocolate Chip, Marshmallow Cookie.  It's a mouthful.  A mouthful of yum!  This is my adaptation of a Milk Bar cookie.  My version has a quarter the amount of salt, but trust me, you get plenty of sweet and salty thanks to the caramelized cornflakes.  This renders any healthy benefits of the cornflake obsolete.  But hey!  It's a cookie, not a health food!

Cornflake-Chocolate Chip Cookie
adapted from Momofukufor2

Caramelized Cornflakes:
-5 c. cornflakes
-9 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
-1/2 c. powdered milk
-3 Tbsp. sugar
-1 tsp. kosher salt (less if you really don't want a sweet/salty cookie)

Preheat oven to 275º.  In a bowl, lightly crush cornflakes, breaking down into slightly smaller pieces. Sprinkle dry ingredients over cornflakes. Pour melted butter over the top.   Toss to coat.  May have some clumping, and that's okay.

Evenly spread cornflakes on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool completely before use.

Cookie Batter:
-1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/4 tsp. baking soda
-1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
-1 c. unsalted butter, softened
-1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
-2/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
-1 egg
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2/3 c. mini chocolate chips
-1 1/4 c. micro marshmallow, mini if that is all you can find
-3 c. caramelized cornflakes, approx. one batch

Preheat oven 375º.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter and sugars until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes.  Scrape down bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat on med-high for 7-8 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Add chocolate chips, marshmallows, and cornflakes.  Hand mix into batter or combine on slow until just incorporated, do not over mix.

Use a 1/3 c. ice cream scoop or roll into large balls on baking sheet, press down tops and wrap tightly  in saran wrap. Place dough in fridge for at least one hour (up to a week). On prepared baking sheets, place dough 2 inches apart.  Bake chilled dough (not at room temp) for 12-15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy the sweet, salty, crunchy, chewy combo of this cookie with a tall glass of milk.  Use the cornflakes as an excuse to eat this for breakfast.  And share if you must.  It's probably the nice thing to do.