Easter Weekend Bake-a-thon

What did I do over Easter weekend?

I made Strawberry and Banana Oatmeal Brulee...

I have a real problem with turning desserts into breakfast- first it was carrot cake pancakes, now this! This recipe does have some healthy attributes, though- fresh oatmeal and fruit. The bananas browned and caramelized a little faster and better than the strawberries- I'll definitely use this recipe again, but I'll leave out the strawberries.

Banana Oatmeal Brulee

3 cups water

½ tsp salt

2 cups old fashioned oats

¾ tsp vanilla extract

3 Tb brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Swirl of honey

1 banana, sliced thin

Demerara sugar

Combine water and salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the oats, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey.

Divide oatmeal between warmed serving bowls. Top with sliced bananas in an even layer. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the fruit in an even layer- just enough to help the surface caramelize. Heat with a kitchen torch until the surfaces are golden brown. Serve immediately.

I also made Red Velvet Cheesecake...

This was my birthday dessert this year. This cheesecake was AMAZING! Bright, bright red, and absolutely delicious. Also perfect for a Halloween dessert or a Twilight party-themed dessert.

For goodness’ sake, SIFT the cocoa powder; if you don’t, it just gathers in balls throughout your cheesecake mixture- still turns out ok, and very chocolate-y and delicious- but save yourself some heartache and sift the stupid cocoa powder. And yes, you read that right- TWO 1-oz bottles of red food coloring. It won’t seem natural (cuz it ain’t), but it’ll make your cheesecake a brilliant red like no one’s ever seen. Another tip- this cheesecake batter is a tad bit runny when you put it in the oven, so make sure you wrap tinfoil at least 3 times around the bottom of your springform pan. This will stop the drips from getting all over the place, and your cheesecake will bake ever so nicely.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Crust:

1 ½ cups Oreo cookie crumbs

¼ cup butter, melted

1 Tb sugar

Cheesecake:

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tb unsweetened cocoa powder, SIFTED

1 cup sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring

Topping:

4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

2 Tb butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Oreo crumbs

Spray and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper- spray again. To make the crust, combine the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add eggs, SIFTED unsweetened cocoa powder, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring. Mix on low speed just until fully combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until the center is firm. Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly, and let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven; cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Take off the sides of the springform pan (leaving the cheesecake on the bottom part of the pan). Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

To make the topping, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator and spread the topping evenly over the cheesecake. Sprinkle oreo crumbs on top. Serve and enjoy!

Finally, I also made a Lemon Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle...

I've made this before- it's a Pampered Chef inspired recipe- it's easy, a little time consuming to put together, but beautiful and a real crowd pleaser.

Lemon Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

1 prepared angel food cake, cubed

2 lemons- zest one lemon, juice one (then slice the zested lemon)

1 ½ cups milk

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cool whip

2 small boxes of cheesecake pudding

Fresh, sliced strawberries

Grated white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)

In a big bowl, pour lemon juice over cubed angel food cake and toss. In a separate medium bowl, mix sour cream, ½ of cool whip and milk. Fold in zest, add pudding and whisk (the mixture will thicken fast). Layer trifle 3 times in this order- angel food cake, strawberries, white chocolate, then 1/3 of filling. Garnish top with leftover cool whip and lemon slices.