It's kind of a long story how me and my little 6 year old daughter decided to make this recipe. Last week as I'm making dinner and baking at the same time, she sits herself on the counter next to me and with a very serious look on her face she asks me, "Mom, how come you like to cook so much?"
Kind of taken back, mostly because of the look on her face. I could tell she had been giving this a lot of serious thought. Since most of you have never met my daughter, I feel I have to describe her a little bit to give you the full picture behind this scenario. First thing you gotta know is she is way to smart for her own good!! She looks like a 6 year old. Her attitude is even that of a 6 year old, but the mind behind those big blue eyes is that of a much older person. So I've learned to take her seriously when she really wants to know something, even if it's as little of a thing as why I love to cook/bake so much. But still I had to laugh a little bit about how serious she was about it.
So long story short, we jump into the conversation. We go from peoples talents and gifts, to how Nanny (my mom) also liked to cook, and finally we get to things my mom used to make me for Valentine's Day. This is one thing I described to her and she demanded I make it. I actually had forgot how good this stuff is. So simple but yet still one of my favorite cakes to this day. And I remember now why it was so fun to make with my mom. There is just something so mad-scientist fun about poking something and pouring liquid over it. It's the perfect Valentine's Day cake activity for kids. Enjoy!!
Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
1 box white cake mix (including ingredients needed to prepare cake as per directions)
1 4 ounce box Strawberry Jello
1 8 ounce tub whipped cream
Prepare cake as per cake directions.
Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan (this cake works best in a 9 x 13, but we used the heart cake pans for Valentine's Day). Let cool to room temperature.
When cooled, use a fork to poke multiple holes in the top of cake and pushing 3/4 the way to the bottom.
Prepare Jello mix as per directed on the package.
After preparing immediately pour over the top of cake slowly and making sure to pour evenly over the entire top of the cake. Place cake into fridge and let chill. At the same time pull the tub of whipped cream out and let it de-thaw.
After about 20-30 minutes in the fridge, pull out the cake and frost with the thawed whipped cream. Decorate with sprinkles if desired and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Wow!! This week is crazy eventful! We have Valentine's Day the 14th, my blogs 1st birthday the 16th, and then my anniversary is the 19th. So to celebrate I think this week is going to be dessert week!!
To kick off a week of straight sweets I thought I would post this amazing first! I don't know why I've gotten bitten by the chocolate and cherry bug this V-day, but every chocolate/cherry recipe I see perks my attention and makes me think, "Ew, I wanna make that!!"
Maybe it's the deep brown and bright red colors that I'm drawn to so much, cause I think the combination is completely gorgeous!! Not to mention delish! But when I read through this recipe and saw that it includes a box of brownie mix instead of cocoa powder, I was like, "Wow!! Now that has got to be good!"
I actually had to doctor the original recipe a bunch cause in the instructions it asked for things that weren't even included in the ingredients list. So I went ahead and added them in my own quantity and it turned out great. So creamy and the crust, although you can't really tell from the picture, give the perfect firm contrast to the the cheesecake and cherry filling. And yes, you definitely still get the subtle taste of the brownie mix. Not so much that it overwhelms that cheesecake flavor, but just enough that compliments the other flavors. It's truely amazing!! Enjoy!
Cherry Fudge Brownie Cheesecake
1 box (about 1 lb 3 oz) fudge brownie mix
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
Stir together 3/4 cup of the dry brownie mix, flour and melted butter.
Press mix into bottom of an ungreased 9" springform pan.
Should look something like this.
In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese on medium speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl frequently, until smooth.
Add remaining brownie mix and heavy cream.
Beat on medium speed until just combined.
Add chocolate syrup and water. Beat on low until mostly incorporated, scrape down sides of bowl, and then beat on medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute).
Scoop over crust and spread until level.
Place spring form pan over a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Let cheesecake cool for 20 minutes. Then run a sharp knife or metal icing spatula between the side of the cheesecake and the pan. This step is to loosen the cheesecake away from the pan and to preventing cracking. Top with pie filling, cover, and refrigerate overnight (or for about 6-8 hours until chilled threw out). Before un-molding, run a knife or spatula along sides of cheesecake again. Refrigerate any leftovers.
I wasn't going to do anything strawberry and chocolate this year for Valentines Day cause strawberries are so expensive this time of year, but I found this amazing farmers market that had a whole crate of strawberries for like 5 bucks. So, it gave me the perfect excuse to make this amazing recipe, and hopefully a couple others.
I got a little carried away with taking pictures, again, but I love tarts and pastries.They're just so pretty! Cakes are ok, but in my opinion anything with a light flaky crust and fruit has got my vote!! And in my defense, look how gorgeous this dessert is!! I couldn't help but take an extra picture, or 10. I know, it's sad. It's a medical condition that I am seeking counseling for ;) Totally kidding, but, sometimes in my kitchen, there I am taking pictures and this little crazy french accented photographer pops in my head and totally takes over. It's actually pretty comical. I don't know how food can "work it" or "own it", or where that phrase got implanted into my head, but some days when all I have is my 3 year old to keep me sane, we, my french split personality photographer and I, get carried away. (No I'm not french at all, but one can pretend ;)
This recipe is completely amazing though!! The crust is completely perfect in every way, and then the cream cheese gives this tart a kind of cheesecake feel. Which, we all love cheesecake right!? Can never go wrong there, and then top that all off with fresh strawberries and chocolate. Um, Yes Please!! Totally decadent and indulging. I topped my tart off with the extra chocolate ganache left over from the crust, but you can also do the melted chocolate like instructed in the recipe. I just wanted the extra gooey syrupy look and feel, but I also feel like it just tied the whole tart together, but either way works. And it's not like you can mess this thing up. It pretty much turns out amazing no matter what! Enjoy!!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart
For the crust:
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For the ganache:
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or cream
For topping:
Fresh strawberries, sliced (approximately 12 oz.)
Melted bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, for drizzling (optional)
To make the tart shell, whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside.
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Process briefly to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture.
Process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles course meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses.
With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch dish.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.) Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan. Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top. Set the dough-liner tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights. (If you don't have pie weights, you can also substitute for pinto beans or rice. Also make sure that you have enough foil to rap around the bottom of the tart pan or else if the top edge of the crust is not covered it will brown too quickly.) Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.
Let sit 1-2 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms. If there are still bits of unmelted chocolate, microwave in 10 second intervals, whisking in between, until the ganache is completely smooth. Whisk in the butter.
Spread the ganache in a thin even layer over the bottom of the cooled tart shell. Allow the ganache to set before proceeding.
To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in a bowl on medium-high speed until smooth.
Blend in the vanilla and milk or cream.
Mix should appear smooth and creamy like so.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled ganache in the tart shell.
Starting from the outside and working toward the center.
Place the sliced strawberries in concentric circles slightly overlapping each other.
Gently press the berries into the cream cheese mixture to help keep them in place.
Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Chill until ready to serve.
