Can I tell you a secret? I’ve only made a real cheesecake once before. I was a nervous wreck waiting to see if it would crack, and wondering if I’d be able to loosen it from the pan without a total mess. It turned out just fine, but I’ve yet to make another since. I know, I’m silly. But I have been seeing a bunch of no-bake cheesecakes lately, served up in cute individual dishes. Up until last week I had yet to try a recipe for one myself, but then I discovered this recipe from Tasty Kitchen member, Anna, for a No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake. This recipe has a little sumpin’ sumpin’ that tempted me to give it a go: a Biscoff cookie crust. Yes indeedy. Biscoff + chocolate? It had my name written all over it.

Fair warning: This is one rich and indulgent cheesecake. A small piece (about 1/12 of the whole) is the perfect serving size. My daughter said she wanted some whipped cream to top it with, but I think she’s lost her marbles. It was quite satisfying enough with a light dusting of cocoa powder. And the crust? Wow. Totally a crust that will be used for other desserts in the future.

Want to see how it goes together?

You’ll need: Biscoff cookies, cocoa powder, melted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, whipping cream, and more cocoa powder for dusting. (The recipe calls for chopped chocolate, but I used a combo of both bittersweet chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips, which worked quite nicely.)

For the crust, combine the cookie crumbs, 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, and butter.

Firmly press in bottom of a springform pan. I like to use a flat-bottomed glass to evenly press the crust out. Once the crust is ready, set aside.

I almost decided on individual serving dishes to avoid the worry of whether or not it would loosen from the pan, but opted for the whole cheesecake route with no trouble whatsoever. This recipe could easily be prepared using individual servings, but just remember, it’s very rich, so you may want to make the servings on the small side.

Now for the chocolate cream cheese goodness. Begin by beating the cream cheese until smooth.

Next add the powdered sugar, beat well, and then the vanilla.

Combine all well until smooth.

Over a double boiler (or like me, use a glass bowl that sits nicely over a pot), melt the chopped chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted (sorry, no melty chocolate picture) let it cool slightly. Once cooled, gradually stream the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture.

Mix slowly until combined well. Try not to eat it all with a spoon at this point. Restraint is a good thing.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture.

Take your time mixing the whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture until combined. You don’t want to overbeat the mixture or the whipped cream won’t be whippy any more.

Now you’re ready to fill the springform pan. Add the chocolate cream cheese mixture to the prepared Biscoff crust and spread until smooth and even. Chill covered at least 8 hours in a refrigerator until set.

Once set, carefully loosen the springform pan to release the cake.

Serve, dusted lightly with remaining cocoa powder, and enjoy! And if you like Biscoff cookies and chocolate, you will most definitely enjoy.

A big thanks to Anna for introducing me to this no-bake cheesecake option. You can check out Anna’s other creations at her site, Crunchy Creamy Sweet.

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No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

by Anna on June 15, 2012 in Cakes, Desserts June 15, 2012 CakesDesserts

See post on Anna’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 4 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

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Biscoff cookies crust and creamy chocolate filling make this decadent dessert. No oven required, which makes it perfect for summer!

Ingredients

• 7 ounces, weight Crushed Biscoff Cookies
• 4 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 16 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
• 3-¾ ounces, weight Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 5-¼ ounces, weight Bittersweet Chocolate, Chopped
• 5-¼ ounces, weight Semisweet Chocolate, Chopped
• ½ pints Whipping Cream
• ¼ cups Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, For Dusting

Preparation Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, cocoa powder and butter. Stir until all combined. Press firmly onto the bottom of a springform pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese for 1 minute, until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat again. Add vanilla extract and mix again.

Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Let cool slightly. With your mixer on slow speed, add the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture, pouring slowly.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in gently to chocolate and cheese mixture.

Pour the filling over the crust. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

When the cheesecake is set, run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen from the pan. Gently open the latch and release the cheesecake.

Before serving, dust with cocoa powder and garnish.

 
 
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

Here’s a great idea for a grab-and-go breakfast, school snack, or after-school treat. It’s no-bake too, perfect for those of you still battling summer heat. Enjoy this post from our archives!

 
I’m the type of person that, when I get hungry, I need to eat something immediately. Perhaps it’s just my imagination, but if I go too long without eating I start to feel sick. And cranky. So it helps if I stuff handy snacks into my purse to ensure I’m never in an emergency food situation.

These No-Bake Granola Bars, brought to us by Cheri, are a wonderful power snack for on-the-go. They’re filled with nutritious oats, nuts, dried fruit and honey. Plus they’re pretty tasty little treats.

Let me show you how to make them!

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need: rolled oats, nuts (I used pecans and pumpkin seeds), shredded coconut, dried fruit (I used raisins and figs), butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey and molasses.

Begin by chopping your nuts. The pumpkin seeds are nice and small so I didn’t chop them.

In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, toast the oats, nuts and coconut until fragrant. Make sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn!

Pour the toasted oat mixture into a large bowl.

If you’re using larger dried fruit you’ll want to chop it up as well.

Add the dried fruit to the oat mixture.

Stir to combine.

Place the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, honey and molasses in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture.

Stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated with the butter mixture. Set aside to cool a little.

Line a dish with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into pan and press down to compact. I used an extra piece of plastic wrap to keep my hands clean.

Place in the refrigerator to firm up, about 30 minutes.

Once firmed, turn out onto a cutting board and cut into bars.

Wrap the bars individually with plastic wrap, parchment paper or wax paper. Now they’re grab-and-go ready!

Recipe notes:

1. These bars are just a hair too sweet for my taste. I cut the amount of sugar down to 3/4 cup, so next time I’ll try going down to 1/2 cup and using a full stick of butter. If you like your treats nice and sweet, this shouldn’t be an issue for you.

2. I might add a pinch of salt next time as well.

3. I love how customizable these are. You could come up with so many different flavor combinations by switching up the nuts and fruits you use.

Thanks so much to Cheri for sharing her recipe with us! Make sure to check out her blog, Kitchen Simplicity, where she writes many more delicious recipes. I may have to make her Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie for supper sometime.

Printable Recipe

No-Bake Granola Bars

by Cheri | Kitchen Simplicity on March 8, 2011 in Appetizers, Snacks March 8, 2011 AppetizersSnacks

See post on Cheri | Kitchen Simplicity’s site!

4.50 Mitt(s) 6 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 16

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Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars that are perfect to make with the kiddos. Prepare to never buy store-bought granola bars again.

Ingredients

• 2-½ cups Rolled Oats
• 1-½ cup Nuts, Chopped, I Used Walnuts And Pecans
• ¼ cups Shredded Coconut
• ½ cups Raisins
• 6 Tablespoons Salted Butter
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1-½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 6 Tablespoons Liquid Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Molasses

Preparation Instructions

1. Toast oats, nuts and coconut in a large skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, stirring often. Remove to a large bowl and toss with raisins.

2. Place butter, sugar, cinnamon, honey and molasses in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir into oat mixture until evenly coated. Let sit just until cool enough to handle.

3. In the meantime, line a 7×11 inch pan with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into pan, pressing down to compact. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. Once firmed, remove from pan, peel away plastic wrap and slice into 16 bars (half lengthwise and then into 8). Wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, if desired. Store covered at room temperature.

 
 
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Newly-married Erica Kastner shares her wonderful recipes and amazing food photography on her blog, Cooking for Seven. She also writes about crafts and posts more of her beautiful photography in her personal blog, EricaLea.com. There really isn’t much that this amazing young lady can’t do, and we’re thrilled she does some of it here.

 
There is something so comforting about recipes made by grandmothers. Why do we like them so much? I think for me it is the nostalgia that comes with a recipe from her but also those good kitchen smells and the fact that no matter how hard I try, it never comes out quite like hers. I also love that grandmas rarely cook with recipes. They just seem to know what to do. They have an intuition in the kitchen that I strive for but seems to be part of that generation’s DNA. So of course this recipe called Nonnie’s Persimmon Pudding and submitted by MariahS was one I absolutely had to try.

You’ll need: soft ripe persimmons, eggs, butter, buttermilk, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, flour, baking soda, heavy cream, and honey.

All of the good things life is made of.

If your persimmons are really soft you can easily peel the skin off with a paring knife and mash them with a fork.

But some varieties of persimmons are a bit harder so it would be worthwhile to puree them in a blender for a few seconds.

Next add your sugar.

Then your baking soda…

And your eggs. Now you could do it the “proper” way and beat the eggs first, but I was trying to channel my grandmother and defy the rules so I mixed mine once I added them to the puree.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and cinnamon.

Then add the baking powder.

Give it a nice stir and gather your bowls side by side.

Incorporate part of the buttermilk and whisk as you go…

It will make a rather mesmerizing art piece as you swirl. At least it did for me but I’m easily entertained.

Next mix in part of the dry ingredients… and go back and forth between the dry and the buttermilk until it’s all incorporated.

Next whisk in the cream.

Then the honey. This was the last of a batch from my honeybees!

Next you’ll pour in the melted butter.

Give it a good whisk until it’s well incorporated.

Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and pop it in the oven for 1 hour.

While it cooks you’ll make the glaze for the pudding. Get some water simmering on the stovetop.

Then gather vanilla and a combination of sugar and flour.

Once the water is simmering add the sugar and flour mixer a little at a time, whisking while you do.

The mixture will begin to bubble and thicken so that it becomes viscous. Once it does you can turn the heat off and let it sit.

After it’s cooled for a few minutes you add the vanilla and whisk it in.

After the batter has baked, open the oven just briefly. It will be golden brown and wonderfully moist.

But you’re going to make it even more moist by pouring the syrup all over the top!

Look at that glossy goodness!

Close the oven door and let it all soak in while keeping it warm.

I was amazed at just how warm is stayed for hours just by leaving it in there.

When you’re ready to eat it simply scoop it out and serve. It would be wonderful with a scoop of ice cream as well. I took this to a pumpkin carving party and it was a total hit. Everyone said it tasted like fall.

Thanks so much to Mariah for sharing this tasty recipe!

Printable Recipe

Nonnie’s Persimmon Pudding

by MariahS on September 25, 2011 in Custards/Puddings, Desserts September 25, 2011 Custards/PuddingsDesserts

4.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 12

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My husband’s grandmother, Nonnie, used to make her really unique version of Persimmon Pudding every Thanksgiving. When she wasn’t able to make it anymore, I took over making it each fall. You can serve this warm or let it cool; my family loves it both ways. Nonnie passed away this year, but you can be sure that this will be on the Thanksgiving menu. Nonnie would have loved to have her recipe shared with others.

Ingredients

• FOR THE PUDDING:
• 2 cups Persimmon Pulp
• 2 cups White Sugar
• 2  Eggs, Beaten
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1-½ cup Buttermilk
• ¼ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• FOR THE SAUCE:
• 1 cup Water
• ½ cups White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Preparation Instructions

Note: Prepare the sauce while the pudding is baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan lightly with nonstick spray; set aside.

For the pudding, mix the persimmon pulp with the sugar in a large bowl; set aside.

Whisk together the eggs and baking soda in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the persimmon mixture and beat well; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir 1/4 of the flour mixture into the persimmon mixture. Add 1/4 of the buttermilk and mix well. Continue alternating flour and buttermilk, adding 1/4 each time, and mixing well after each addition, until all of the flour mixture and buttermilk are incorporated. Stir in cream, honey, and melted butter until well combined. Pour the pudding batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 1 hour. While baking, do not stir; Turn off the oven at the end of the baking time, but do not remove the pudding from the oven.

Meanwhile, when the pudding has about 10 minutes of baking time left, make the sauce. Boil the water in a small saucepan. Whisk the sugar and flour together, and whisk the sugar mixture into the boiling water, whisking until smooth. Boil the sauce for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the pudding and leave the pudding to cool in the warm oven for 20 more minutes, being sure that the oven is off so that the pudding does not continue to cook.

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful book Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

Our good friend Alice of Sweet Savory Life is back with another fun recipe, this time from Tasty Kitchen member Miss Mischief. She also patiently shows us how to properly fill, seal and fry wontons, so you can take this idea and run with it! But please listen to Alice and don’t run where there’s […]