Strawberry Margarita Cheesecake Bars

by giraffescanbake // May 3, 2014 // 7 Comments

Strawberries. Lime. Tequila. Cheesecake. Perfect!

Cinco De Mayo is almost upon us and what better way to enjoy your celebratory margarita than in cheesecake form! I’m a huge fan of tequila, put it in a cocktail and I’ll be sure to love it, nothing beats a good frozen margarita though. Good margaritas are hard to find in the UK so I decided to make my own and put it in a cheesecake!

These are so creamy, so tasty and so good you’ll never want to drink a margarita again (but you definitely should, preferably while eating one of these bars!). They have a digestive biscuit crust with a hint of lime in it, a creamy lime and tequila cheesecake filling and a strawberry tequila mix swirled into it!

The best part about this strawberry margarita cheesecake bars recipe is they’re so simple to make, much easier than a whole cheesecake and you don’t have to worry about any cracking. The hardest part is probably making up the fresh strawberry mix, which is really quite simple it just takes the longest. You bake them for about 45 minutes until puffy and lightly browned at the edges, you don’t want to over bake this! Actually, the hardest part is probably waiting for them to chill and then stopping yourself eating up the whole pan (I won’t judge you if you do, ’tis the season!).

Why not make up a batch of these this weekend and then take them into work on Monday. Your coworkers will love you and you’ll get to enjoy a cheeky margarita during the work day! Of course, if you live in the UK you’ll just have to eat them all up yourself (shame) since Monday is a bank holiday! These aren’t just great for Cinco De Mayo, they’re a great summery dessert all round!

[recipe title=”Strawberry Margarita Cheesecake Bars”]
Ingredients

For the crust:

300g digestive biscuits
180g unsalted butter, melted
135g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp grated lime zest

For the strawberry mix:

450g fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp tequila

For the cheesecake filling:

900g full fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
100g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp tequila
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp grated lime zest

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a 13×9″ brownie pan with foil so there’s plenty of foil overhang.
Make the strawberry mix first so it has plenty of time to cool. Toss the chopped strawberries in the cornflour and then place in a small saucepan. Add the tequila and sugar and heat on medium, stirring frequently. Heat for about 20 minutes. The juice in the strawberries should make enough liquid, but if it starts to get dry and stick to the pan too much add 1 or 2 tbsp of water. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
To make the crust, put the digestives in a food processor and make into fine crumbs. Add to a bowl with the melted butter, sugar and lime zest and stir to combine. Press crust mix into the pan, bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool.
To make the cheesecake filling, beat all the filling ingredients using a hand or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Spoon the filling onto the cooled crust and spread out evenly.
Spoon big dollops of the cooled strawberry mix on top of the filling and then swirl into the cheesecake using a knife.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned
Cool in the pan on wire rack for about 30 minutes then move to the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.
Remove the cheesecake from the pan using the foil and cut into squares.

Notes

If you’re in the US and can’t get your hands on digestives, graham crackers will be just as good
If you’d like to make a smaller pan, just halve the recipe and use a 9×9″ square pan
You’ll probably have plenty of strawberry mix left over, store this in a tupperware to eat with the cheesecake or it’d be great on ice cream!
Store in the fridge, covered for up to 5 days

[/recipe]

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

by giraffescanbake // April 26, 2014 // 9 Comments

Ridiculously gooey, fudgy brownies swirled with rich cheesecake, there’s only one word for these – AMAZING!

These cheesecake swirl brownies have to be my favourite brownie creation so far, if I had to eat one brownie for the rest of my life it would be these ones, no contest! I think I perhaps underbaked these a little and that’s why they were so decadently gooey but I wouldn’t change a thing and you shouldn’t either! The texture is perfect and melts beautifully with the creamy cheesecake

The brownie base for these is an adapted version of the cocoa brownies recipe, they’re still made with cocoa but I upped the eggs to make them moister (is that a word?!). I also added baking powder to give them a little rise and increased the butter to keep them fudgy! They’re then stuff full of chunky chopped chocolate, meaning they just ooze chocolate with every bite! I think I like this adapted recipe even better, but maybe that’s the cheesecake talking!

The cheesecake is a nice simple cheesecake mix, very rich and creamy making it the perfect brownie partner. And all you need to do is mix up the cheesecake ingredients and swirl it into the brownie batter. I find the best way to do this is run the back of a dessert spoon in lines down the brownie batter making little trenches, pour the cheesecake into the trenches and then use a knife to run lines in the opposite direction. Then you bake them until you have cheesecake brownie heaven! I adore this cheesecake swirl brownie recipe and I hope you will too!

[recipe title=”Cheesecake Swirl Brownies”]
Ingredients

For the brownies:

225g unsalted butter
500g caster sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla
160g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
190g plain flour
200g chopped dark chocolate

For the Cheesecake:

225g cream cheese, room temperature
80ml sour cream
115g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg, room temperature

Method

Grease and line 9″ x 13″ brownie pan and preheat oven to 180C/350F
For the brownies, melt the butter with the sugar in microwave in 30 second intervals, until all is melted, stirring between intervals. Allow to cool slightly
Add the cooled melted butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Add the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and flour and beat until all combined.
Stir in the chopped chocolate and spread batter into the pan.
To make the cheesecake, beat together all the cheesecake ingredients until smooth.
Make trenches (4 or 5) along the length of the brownie batter using the back of a dessert spoon and fill each trench with the cheesecake mixture. Run a knife in rows the opposite way to the trenches to “swirl” the cheesecake into the brownie batter
Bake for 30 minutes
Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to the fridge too cool before cutting into squares

Notes

Bake for about 40 minutes if you want a less gooey, underbaked texture.
Store in the fridge, they will last about a week in a sealed container (but you’ll be lucky if they last a day once people taste them!)
It’s important to make sure the butter isn’t too hot when you add the eggs or they’ll start to cook!

[/recipe]

Spiced Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns

by giraffescanbake // April 18, 2014 // 1 Comment

The perfect recipe for this Easter weekend!

I’d been thinking about what to bake for Easter for a while and my mind kept going back to hot cross buns, even though I’m not a huge fan of them. So my challenge was to make these traditional Easter buns even more festive and tasty, and so these spiced chocolate & orange hot cross buns were born, I think I did a pretty good job!

These sweet and sticky buns are loaded with chocolate just like the Easter bunny intended and warmed up with lovely spices and hints of orange. They’re finished off with a gooey, sticky orange glaze to give them that extra yum factor!

These do require a little patience to make, but with only two rising times you’re not doing too badly for a hot cross bun recipe! And even though they’re “quick”, you won’t see any decrease in yummyness (a technical baking term), they’re still soft and delicious! It’s a fairly simple recipe too, and a bit of a messy one while you’re rubbing the butter into the flour, cocoa, spices and salt with your fingers. Then it’s spoon city as you stir in the sugar and yeast and then beat in the eggs and milk. Knead. Rise. Knead some more (adding chocolate and orange!) and rise again until finally it’s time for the oven (but not before those all important crosses!), then you just glaze and eat! These are best served warm and with lashings of butter, preferably this cinnamon honey butter because it’s to die for!

Hot cross buns are traditionally served on Good Friday so I am a little late with this post, but let’s be honest you can enjoy these yummy buns all Easter weekend, even all year (I know, I’m just talking crazy now!!). It may be midnight in the UK, but it’s never too late to whip up a batch of yummyness, so get your apron on and get baking, you’re family will thank you!

[recipe title=”Spiced Chocolate & Orange Hot Cross Buns” servings=”12″]
Ingredients

For the buns:

400g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
25g cocoa powder
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp mixed spice
1tsp salt
85g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
100g golden caster sugar
2 sachets dried instant yeast (7g each)
1 large egg, room temperature
190ml lukewarm milk
75g dark chocolate, chopped
Zest of 1 orange
75g chopped candied orange peel

For the crosses:

75g strong white flour
1 tbsp vegetable oil
5tbsp cold water

For the glaze:

Juice of 1 orange
50g golden caster sugar

Method

For the buns:

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, spices and salt into a bowl. Add the chopped butter and, using your gingers, rub the butter into the flour mix until you get a breadcrumb texture. Stir in the sugar and yeast and make a well in the centre
Whisk together the warm milk and egg and pour into the well, quickly beat with a wooden spoon until combined.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for around 10 minutes, until you have a soft, smooth dough. Put in a large, lightly oiled bowl covered with oiled cling film. Leave to rise for an hour in warm place until doubled in size
Place the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and knead in the chocolate, zest and candied peel until it is all distributed evenly.
Divide into 12 equal balls and shape into smooth buns. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray, leaving a small gap between each roll. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. The buns should now be getting cozy and touching each other.
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F

For the crosses:

Mix the flour, oil and water together to form a smooth paste. Pop into a piping bag and snip the end off.
With a serrated knife, score the tops of the buns with a cross. Pipe the mixture along the lines, you can use your knife to cut off the flow.
Bake the buns in the oven for 15-20 minutes until firm to the touch

For the glaze:

Put the sugar and orange juice into a small pan and heat on low until all the sugar as dissolved
Bring to the boil and bubble until thickened, around 3 minutes.
Once the buns have been removed from the oven, turn out onto a cooling rack and glaze.

Notes:

The buns are best served warm
They will stay fresh in an air tight container for about 3 days, but buns that are going stale will still be great toasted
You can freeze them too, just wait to glaze them. Once defrosted, warm through and glaze before serving.

[/recipe]
Happy Easter Everybody!

Cinnamon Honey Butter

by giraffescanbake // April 15, 2014 // 9 Comments

We all remember those special moments in our life, the momentous occasions that helped shape who we are; the first time you fell in love, your first kiss, the day you graduated, the first time you tried this cinnamon honey butter….

Oh yes, it really is that good. I spread it on a nice, warm bagel and I was in heaven. How I stopped myself digging in and just eating it up with a spoon I’ll never know! It’s so sweet and buttery with a real cinnamon kick that keeps you coming back for more. Maybe I’m a little biased because cinnamon is my absolutely favourite flavour in the world and if you add it to something I’m sure to love it! But really, this butter is amazing!

I made this butter to go with the hot cross buns I made for Easter, the recipe for which I’ll be sharing with you this weekend but I just had to share this cinnamon honey butter recipe with you first! This butter will go great with pretty much anything you could dream to put it on; bagels, dinner rolls, biscuits, baked sweet potatoes, waffles, pancakes, banana bread, EVERYTHING! I will be making this butter every chance I get and I’ll slather it on everything I possibly can to the point where I may have to make my next post from a hospital bed after my butter induced heart attack! (I’m kidding of course… hopefully!).

And what makes this butter even more awesome? It’s so simple and quick to make, with only 3 ingredients! You can whip this up in a matter of minutes and you’re on your way to a buttery, cinnamon heaven! It’s also super simple to adjust to suit your personal tastes. What could be more perfect than a recipe that’s super easy to make and will transport you to a state of bliss?

If you can bear to part with it, you could even package this up in cute little jars and give it away as Easter gifts. What better way to start Easter Sunday than with a slice of toast with this smothered all over it, before you break into all the yummy chocolate!

Okay, I will stop teasing you! Here’s the recipe

[recipe title=”Cinnamon Honey Butter”]
Ingredients

200g good quality unsalted butter, softened
4 tbsp good quality, clear honey
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Method

Combine the all the ingredients in a bowl using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer with beaters. Beat for 3 minutes.
Serve at room temperature

Notes:

It will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a few weeks, I doubt it’ll last that long though!
Makes approximately 1/2 cup of butter, you can divide or multiply the quantities to make as much as you need
Adjust the amount of honey to make it more or less sweet, same goes for cinnamon.

[/recipe]

Fig Bars

by giraffescanbake // April 12, 2014 // 6 Comments

When I think of Figs I think of my days at University and eating my body weight in Jacob’s Fig Rolls while I wrote last minute essays at 3am and somehow that still brings back warm and fond memories! Despite my love of figs I have never actually baked with them and when I came to that realisation I decided I had to fix that fast!

These fig bars aren’t your typical fig rolls (or fig newtons as they’re called in the US), they’re so much better! They have a pastry like crust then lots of yummy fig filling and have an nutty, oaty topping. I made these with dried figs as they don’t really come into season until Autumn and they’re hard to find when they are in season due to their short shelf life, besides you’re going to be cooking them down so I would recommend dried figs either way to keep the moisture. If you don’t want to make the filling yourself you can always use a fig butter or jam, I’ve heard good things about it if you get it from Trader Joe’s (for you American folk) so I’m sure they’ll be just as yummy. However if you do it like that they may be a little on the overly sweet side!

My favourite thing about these is the secret ingredient, orange! It really brings out the flavour of the figs and although it’s not a necessary ingredient I wouldn’t omit it, it brings them to a whole new level of tastiness! One of the great things about this fig bar recipe though is they’re so easy to make, they do require baking in stages but it’s so simple to do you won’t mind. And you can make the fig filling while the crust bakes, then you just quickly whip up the crumbly topping, sprinkle it on top and stick them in the oven for 15 minutes. It takes about 45 minutes start to finish! You will want to let them cool before you eat them though, as hard as that may be, that filling is going to be very hot!

[recipe title=”Fig Bars”]

Ingredients

For the crust:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain flour

For the filling:

1/4 cup caster sugar
Juice from 1 orange
1 cup boiling water (you will not need the whole cup)
9oz dried mission figs, chopped

For the topping:

1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Zest of 1 orange

Method

Preheat over to 350F/170C. Grease and line a 9″ square pan.
For the crust, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla on a medium speed until combined. On a low speed, beat in the flour until a soft dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and bake for approx 15 minutes, until the centre is set and it is just turning a light golden colour
While the crust is baking, make the filling. Pour the juice of the orange into a measuring jug and fill up with boiling water until you reach 1 cup.
In a small saucepan heat all the filling ingredients over a medium/high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until figs are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Don’t be afraid to cook it for longer is need be, you want a jam like consistency, just make sure you keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Spread it over the cooked crust and set aside.
Now make the topping. In a small bowl mix the flour, brown sugar and butter using a fork or pastry blender until you have a crumbly streusel like texture. Stir in the oats, walnuts and orange zest. Sprinkle over the filling.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Leave to cool completely before cutting into bars.

[/recipe]

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