Sopapilla Cheesecake

I occasionally get emails from the blog and I love it. When I get these kind of emails, I love it even more. When I was already going to share this on the blog AND I get an email, it kind of seems like providence. Plus, this recipe is totally butt kickin'.

Hi Kristi,

Would you share your cheesecake recipe that you mentioned you ate with your girlfriends last week?

Thanks, J. 

The reason I loved this email so much is because we didn't just have plain, old cheesecake. We had sopapilla cheesecake, y'all.  I have a great traditional cheesecake recipe but there is something awesome about a cheesecake desert that takes 10 minutes flat to prepare and only 30 minutes until it's ready to eat. Right?! Get ready for a taste bud happy dance, baby.

Creamy cream cheese center with crunchy, sugary topping. I hear a choir, people. 

OK...First, get these together. And honestly, something so simple just seems like it shouldn't be this good. But, it is.

Two packages of cream cheese, two tins of crescent rolls, one stick of butter (I use unsalted), 1 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and real vanilla extract.  If you only have "faux"-nilla, then use it but I'd suggest making a store run. This is all you need to make this dessert and words cannot describe it's fabulousness!

Preheat the oven to 350. Then, mix two softened packages of cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon (or there about) of vanilla with your mixer on high. I don't measure my vanilla because I don't care if I get a little extra. Vanilla is one of my favorite things ever, but you do what works for you. Scrape the sides of your bowl and mix on high until the mixture is super smooth and creamy.

I left my mixture getting all creamy and yummy while I go do this:

Line a 9 x 13 glass dish with one tin of the crescent rolls. As you can see, you don't have to be super duper particular about every inch being covered. It'll puff up and cover the bottom of the dish really well.

Next, pour your cream cheese mixture over the top of the crescent rolls:

Then, place the second tin of crescent rolls over the cream cheese mixture.

Again, it doesn't have to be perfect.

 

 

 

 

Melt 1/2 cup of butter and pour it over the entire thing! (Just pretend like the calories are soaking into the crescent roll or something)

Finally, mix 1/4 cup of sugar and a heaping tablespoon of cinnamon together and sprinkle liberally over the top of the butter.  (I usually sprinkle another dash or two of cinnamon over that just because I think it's pretty and I like cinnamon. You do whatever taste you like, though.)

 

Now, bake your Sopapilla Cheesecake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  NOTE: I always check it at around 18 minutes or so. My oven is a double oven and my smaller one cooks a little quicker, so mine is usually done in around 20 minutes. However, most ovens will tend toward 30 minutes, though each one is unique. Don't burn the crescent rolls!! They should be golden brown.

 

Let it cool to at least room temperature and then slice this baby and watch your eyes roll back in your head. This is a rich, cream cheesey (is that a word?) dessert with a crunchy, buttery topping that is spectacular.  It's the perfect thing with coffee or, if you're like my kids, a cold glass of milk. My girlfriend's and I enjoyed this so much and there's nothing better than visiting with people you love over a  decadent dessert.

Make this. Trust me, just make this. It's the best thing ever.

Coconut Whipped Cream

This is GOOD y'all!

First, get a can of this stuff and stick it in the fridge for 24 hrs.  I always use this brand because it's Non-GMO and it tastes fab. You can NOT skip the fridge part, by the way. It causes the coconut fat in the milk to solidify and you need that.

Then, the next day take it out of the fridge, flip it upside down and open it.  You'll see the remaining milk at the bottom and just dump it in a bowl to save for something else. (Like smoothies!!)  See how the milk is all there?  The fat is at the top for our yummy whipped cream.

 After you dump out the milk, the fat will be waiting for you.  It looks like this:

I put it in that small bowl so you could see it. You'll want to actually put it in a bigger bowl so you can whip it.  (that's kind of kinky, but it's not that kind of whipping, OK? Unless that's your thing.)  Next, add at least one teaspoon of vanilla (REAL vanilla extract. Not faux-nilla), 1 cup of powered sugar and the tiniest pinch of sea salt and cinnamon. I use a tablespoon of cinnamon, but you use whatever floats your boat)  It looks like this now:

Then whip it all together!

I stick mine back in the fridge for a few hours.  Finally, add it to everything in the place of whipped topping made from who knows what.  This stuff is good for you, people!!  Awesome.

Om Nom Nom

How easy was that?! 

A New Life

We started a brand new life about two weeks before Christmas and I wanted to share it with my readers here so that you could join the journey if you'd like.  It's here:

http://tillthewheelsfalloff.wordpress.com/

I've always been overly responsible, but what I haven't always been is responsible for what I eat.  I'm Southern, which means I was born and bred on sweet tea, sugar and all things fried.  It's called comfort food for a reason, people.  Food will lull you into believing it's OK because it makes you feel good.  I'll admit to being a bit persnickity, but something about treating food like it's a treat and I'm a dog has never sat well with me. I am not a dog and food is not my treat. Food should be good for you and fuel your body.  Right now, that's not the case for most Americans, so we decided to take control of ourselves and responsibility for what passes our lips.  I hope you'll join our journey, we're having a blast.

Kristi  :)

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies...Ever!

I occasionally post some recipes on here, but this one is a real keeper. Good doesn't really do them justice.  I LOVE chocolate chip cookies, and when I decided to make some homemade ones years ago, I couldn't find a recipe that I actually loved.  So, I combined about three different ones to make these little jewels.  Actually, little isn't really a good word...I mean they're huge when we make 'em.  The way I see it, if you're going to totally screw your eating habits up, you may as well do it up right...right?!  ...grin...

Here's what ya need:

I'm not a food photographer, but you get the point! And yes, that's TWO sticks of butter. 

                                    

First, make sure your butter is room temperature.  Mix it with your sugars.  Start with 3/4 cup of regular sugar and then slap 1 and 3/4 cups of well packed brown sugar.  Here's the butter and regular sugar:

Mix the butter and sugars until they are nice and fluffy!! These are obviously before the fluffy happened.

       

Next add two eggs....One. At. A Time.!

Eggs..........My bowl looks like something exploded in it in this picture!

         

Then dump in one teaspoon of vanilla.  I think it's pretty important to use GOOD vanilla.  Actually, I think it should be a crime to use the imitation stuff, but if that's what ya've got...use it.  These won't be the same without some kind of vanilla, even if it's "faux-nilla".

In a separate bowl, mix 3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Make sure to use the WHOLE teaspoon of salt.  This brings out the sweetness in the cookie!  Then, dump 1/2 of this dry mixture into your wet ingredients.  Mix slowly or you'll be wearing most of it.  After this is incorporated, mix the last 1/2 of your flour mixture in and mix it just till combined.  No need to beat it to death.  

Here's what your cookie base should look like:

I'm pretty sure I mentioned I'm not a food photographer, right?!

OK....now here's the thing with this cookie base;  you can make any kind of cookie you like from this point.  This cookie dough is the TICKET!  My cousin calls me pretty often to ask for white chocolate and pistachio cookies.  THIS is the cookie dough I make those from, too.  You just mix white chocolate chips instead of regular ones, then slap 4 or 5 pistachios on top.  They're divine, by the way. I digress.  For our purposes, here's what you should have:

That's 1/2 bag of semi-sweet morsels and 1/3 bag of milk chocolate.  YAY...two kinds of chocolate.  I'm now two kinds of happy about these cookies!!

                         
Now, we're making semi and milk chocolate cookies, but my momma always requests these with semi, milk AND dark chocolate.  If that's your happy place, then add the same amount of dark as you do milk chocolate and you're all set.  Yes, that's a LOT of chocolate.  Something about that just flips my switch, people!  Mix this in with a plastic spatula, or a big spoon.  Don't beat 'em up with your mixer. 

Here's what ya get:

These were heaped on with a large spoon.  I'd say they are about 3 inches across.  Not even kidding.  Like I said, if you're gonna blow the calories...do it right.  

You have to taste these to really feel the love, but there's definitely love in there!

Here's the whole deal:

1 cup of butter (yes, that's two sticks...shoot me)
3/4 cup of white sugar
1 3/4 cups of light brown sugar...pack it down, you'll want every last bit
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 bag (or more) of semi sweet morsels
1/3 bag of milk chocolate morsels

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes depending on how well done you like your cookies.  My man can eat warm dough and I like mine just beginning to turn golden brown.  Whatever works for you!

** You can add dark chocolate, too,  if it floats your boat. You can add white chocolate or peanut butter morsels if that floats your boat.  They're both out of this world!  My sister and mom also like walnuts in theirs.  Nuts don't belong in chocolate chip cookies in my Universe...but, whatever works for you will work in this cookie dough.  It's genuinely the best dough I've come across!  ENJOY!!