:: Raspberry Cheesecake Dreams ::

Cake Art Gone Wrong -- Slicing a Baby Cake ?!

2011-04-21T00:59:00.000+03:00

Busy bee!

It's me again, still very sorry for not being able to update as often as I've wanted to but I've been way too busy with work and upcoming matriculation. Don't worry, I could never quit writing Raspberry Cheesecake Dreams, I love it and I'll be more active with it as soon as this haste ends. It's a promise! ☺

So, I was browsing my YouTube subscriptions the other day and I came across this video of a cake shaped like a baby. It looks neat, very realistic, a very well done artistic cake until... They slice the poor cake-baby's head open! Ewww!

Poor Baby-Cake!

I found the video from Ray Willian Johnson's (aka RWJ) YouTube channel and I thought instantly that I had to share this with you guys. It seems to raise different opinions amongst viewers, some think it's funny and others think it's violent and inappropriate.

The big question is...

Could you slice up that baby cake?

I don't think I could. Even though it's just a cake. It just looks too brutal, but maybe that's just me...

Sweet & Healthy -- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (80kcal) !

2011-04-12T22:34:00.003+03:00

I'm back!

First of all, I'm very sorry for not being able to update Raspberry Cheesecake Dreams for a while. I've been working crazy 10-hour-shifts at work due to a store opening. My apologies, I know it's been a while but now I'm back with a new recipe to make it up to you guys!
You requested a low-calorie cookie recipe. I've tried this and I have to say; it's not quite as good as normal cookies - but way more healthier! Taking care of your health is very important, you know, 'cause you are what you eat. Maybe that's why all my followers are so sweet. ☺

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

(80 calories per cookie!)

Recipe is from here. ☺

What you need;

* 1/2 cup(s) (packed) brown sugar

* 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar

* 1/2 cup(s) trans fat–free vegetable oil spread (60% to 70% oil)

* 1 large egg

* 1 large egg white

* 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

* 1 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

* 2 1/2 cup(s) quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

* 1 cup(s) bittersweet (62% cacao) or semisweet chocolate chips

How-to;

1) Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2). In large bowl, with mixer on medium-low speed, beat sugars and vegetable spread until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg, egg white, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt until mixed.

3) With wooden spoon, stir in oats and chocolate chips until well combined.

4) Drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 12 to 13 minutes or until golden. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

5) Repeat until all batter is used.

6) Store cooled cookies in tightly sealed containers up to 3 days.

~ Enjoy ~

A Quick Update -- Amazing Cake Art !

2011-04-04T11:50:00.006+03:00

Hi!

Thank you for all of your nice comments, those made me very happy! ☺

So far you guys have suggested a low calorie cookie recipe (a very good idea suggested by Kaneda. Thank you, Kaneda! You can check his blog here) and you hoped I'd also share my mango cheesecake recipe. I'll be working on those next, more suggestions are always welcome. ☺

This quick update is also a good excuse to share the most amazing cake photos I've seen! I found this guy's flickr account by accident and I was amazed. This is true cake art! I just had to share these with you.

So the guy's nickname in flickr is donbuciak. He's taken part in Spartan Cake competitions twice and won many awards in them.

Yes! I finally got my very own Ipod touch...

oh wait, it's a cake?

Cool, huh? Especially cool is the way mister donbuciak made the cake have a shiny effect to it. And the cake has all the icons!

Is that...

Elmo?

Well, yes it is! That's mister donbuciak on the left and, I assume, a friend of his on the right. Edible-Elmo on top of the cake looks as hairy as the real one. ☺

A castle fit for any Cinderella...
and it's edible!

I'd like to live there. Can I?

This one's my favorite...

Wall-E!

Look at that! He even got the dirt on the tracks and everything. I love Wall-E and I'd probably love this cake too. I wouldn't dare to eat it though. I wonder how he made the head-part? The head has to be super-light, maybe hollow, and that neck has to be sturdy enough to carry the head. A real piece of art.

Here's the same cake from a slightly different angle

If you want to see more of these amazing cakes by mister donbuciak, you can find his flickr gallery here!

~ Enjoy ~

Thank you, 1000 Views and 50 Followers -- White Chocolate Cheesecake !

2011-03-30T10:32:00.001+03:00

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it ♫

Very big THANK YOU to all of you! Yesterday Raspberry Cheesecake Dreams reached 1000 views and 50 followers. I'm very very very excited about it. It may not seem much to those of you who already have hundreds of followers or so, but this is a good start, don't you think?

This calls for a cake! I love cheesecakes, especially raspberry ones, but also white chocolate and mango cheesecakes. This time I'll introduce you to the white chocolate one! Found it some time ago from Jamie Oliver's site.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Note! The berries on top are just a decoration! You can replace them with a milkchocolate sauce or what ever you desire the most.☺

What you need;
▫ 453g cream cheese, softened
▫ 75g sugar
▫ 3 large eggs
▫ 2 tablespoons lemon juice squeezed
▫ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▫ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▫ 3 cups sour cream
▫ 230g white chocolate, softened in the microwave
▫ 140g seedless red raspberry jam (or any other jam, chocolate sauce, runny caramel sauce etc. Be creative!), microwave it just until fluid
▫ 207g chocolate digestive biscuits
▫ 45g butter- more if desired
▫ 1 tbsp melted butter
▫ (optional: shaved milk chocolate for decoration)

How-to;
1) Preheat oven to 350 °F (that's 175 °C). Make the chocolate digestive crust: crush the digestive biscuits, and mix it with butter ( bothroom temperature and melted butter) and line the bottom and partial sides of a 10-inch spring form pan with it. Set aside.

2) Cream the cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth and light, about 3 minutes at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time until just blended in. Add lemon juice, vanilla, salt and whip until just blended. Add sour cream and blend until just mixed well. Add white chocolate that has melted until just smooth when stirred with a fork, and blend in.

3) Pour the batter into the crust-lined pan. If you have a squirt bottle or a pastry bag with a small circular tip, fill it with the warmed (but not hot) jelly. Starting in the center of the cheesecake, squirt a thin line of the jelly in a tight circular pinwheel pattern until you reach the edge of the pan. You should have about a half-inch between the lines in the circle.

4) Take a thin bladed knife and starting in the center of the cheesecake, draw four lines from the center to the edge of the pan, basically quartering your cheesecake (making sure not to cut to deeply into the batter). You'll have to wipe the knife clean between each stroke. Now, take the knife and draw it from the edge of the pan to the center, between the lines you made previously. See how it pulls the jelly into a beautiful pattern!

5) Place the pan into water bath about 1 inch deep and cook in your preheated oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes shut off the oven. DO NOT open the oven door! Leave the cake in the shut down oven for exactly 1 hour. Remove and chill thoroughly overnight.

6) Decorate with strawberries near the centre of the cheesecake.
Lightly butter the sides of the cheesecake and cover with the shaved milk chocolate.

And that's it!

What kind of recipes would you like to hear next? You are very welcome to share your suggestions in the comment box below!☺

~ Enjoy ~

Bizarre Desserts -- Cookie Pizza and Flourless Chocolate Cake ?

2011-03-28T06:24:00.003+03:00

Hi, it's me again!

I tweeted some time ago about these two dessert recipes that seemed weird to me. I have to say I haven't tried these yet, so be aware, I do not specifically recommend these! But if you are just as curious as I am, you might want to try these out, right?

The first one is...

COOKIE PIZZA (?!)

I love cookies and I love pizza - but these two combined?! I actually thought this recipe looked decent until I saw the mini-marshmallows and caramel sauce. Too much sweet stuff, don't you think? Cookie dough, chocolate chips and peanuts alone would make a great giant-cookie without making the dessert seem gross.

And what about that nice lady recommending this as a dessert for a pizza meal? Oh, I disagree. That's way too much pizza-related food for one day. It's like an overdose on pizza-related foods. I'd prefer something easier to digest after a heavy pizza meal, for example ice cream. ☺

If you think this sounds delicious, you need these for a cookie-pizza that makes 16 servings;
► Ready-made chocolate chip cookie dough
► Peanuts of your choice
► Chocolate chips
( ► Mini-marshmallows)
( ► Caramel sauce)

How-to;
1) Heat oven to 350°F (that's 175°C)
2) Grease a pizza pan with shortening or cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
3) Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown
4) Sprinkle marshmallows, peanuts and chocolate chips evenly over crust. Drizzle with caramel topping.
5) Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until topping is melted. Cool completely, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Then there's the other one...

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE (?!)

This recipe might actually be ideal if you have a friend with glutein-free diet and you don't have any glutein-free flour avaible... But I'm a bit suspicious since the cake isn't supposed to rise at all - so it's going to be super duper thick? The cake only contains eggs, sugar, butter and chocolate so I suppose it might taste like... a greasy chocolate omelette? Doesn't sound too mouth-watering, right?☺ I have to try this, for sure!

The ingredients and directions for this dessert can be found from that video above! I'm actually in a bit of a hurry right now so I don't have the time to write those down... My apologies!

~ Enjoy... ? ~

Another Choco Dessert? -- Chocolate Mocha Pot de Creme !

2011-03-25T13:13:00.003+02:00

Chocolate lovers, attention!

Okay, so, this recipe is especially for Valentine's day, but I think your loved one wouldn't mind tasting this ultimate treat even though it's not Valentine's . I mean - everyone loves chocolate, don't they? I stumbled on this recipe on Valentine's and I had to test it. It totally blew my mind, best simple chocolate pudding I've tasted. Try it out! ♥

CHOCOLATE MOCHA POT DE CREME

So here's the guy who shared this recipe on Youtube.☺

This recipe is for 4x Mocha Pot de Cremes.

And here are the ingredients - here also known as...

What you need;

 ◊  4 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into very small pieces (as small as corn kernels)

 ◊  1/2 teaspoon instant coffee

 ◊  very tiny pinch of salt!

 ◊  1 cup heavy cream

 ◊  3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

 ◊  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

This time the How-to is on that video above! 

    ~ Enjoy! ~     

Choco treat, simple yet delicious -- Brownies !

2011-03-24T20:02:00.009+02:00

Yay, brownies!

This one's my personal favorite for all you who love chocolate desserts. I've done brownies with this kind of recipe many times.. with some modifications, of course. That's me, always trying new things with old recipes. So, simple, relatively quick and delicious brownies for y'all!

BROWNIES

Recipe from here, pic from here

What you need;

 ♦  1/2 cup flour, sifted before measuring

 ♦  1/4 teaspoon baking powder

 ♦  1/8 teaspoon salt

 ♦  1/2 cup butter, room temperature

 ♦  1 cup sugar

 ♦  2 eggs

 ♦  2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted (2 ounces)

 ♦  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 ♦  (optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans)

How-to; 

1) Preheat oven to 325° (175°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.
2) Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixing bowl: beat butter, sugar, and eggs together until light and fluffy.
3) Beat in melted butter and chocolate; stir in flour mixture then fold in the optional chopped nuts. ☺
4) Spread brownies batter in prepared pan; bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut brownies in squares while still warm; cool brownies completely in pan.

~ Enjoy! ~

Sweet decorations -- Meringue !

2011-03-24T15:35:00.014+02:00

Meringue, anyone?

Meringue is a great decoration for your cakes, pies, and even cupcakes (for example blueberry cupcakes, yumm!)

Meringue is also ridiculously easy to make, the hardest part is watching your meringue cook in the oven.. easy, yet so sweet and a bit underrated. Let's bring this classic back!

MERINGUE

Pic from here, recipe from here

What you need; 

 ☺ 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  large                                                                                                                            egg whites 

 ☺ 115g                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               caster sugar1

 ☺ 15g                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               icing sugar

TIP1; Just to point out, I've done meringue with using only caster sugar, not icing sugar. The texture is not quite as nice as with this recipe, but if you don't have icing sugar, you can definitely use caster sugar instead!☻

TIP2; Make sure that your equipment is clean - any grease might ruin the meringue!

TIP3; Eggwhites separate more easily if you keep the eggs in colder temperature. Also, few days 'old' eggs make better meringues than fresh eggs - believe it!

TIP4; To make lightly pink meringue, add a bit of red food coloring. Makes it so much more yummy-looking!

How-to;

1) Preheat the oven to fan 100C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4. Line 2 baking sheets.

2) Tip the egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.

3) Now turn the speed up and start to add the caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat! When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.

4) Sift a third of the icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy, almost like a snow drift. ☺

5) Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape (or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer). Bake for 1 1⁄2-1 3⁄4 hours in a fan oven, 1 1⁄4 hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack.

And then..? Well, then you're ready! Easy, isn't it?

~ Enjoy! ~

The Beginning -- Best Raspberry Cheesecake Ever !

2011-03-24T02:12:00.003+02:00

Hi guys!

I'm all excited with this new blog of mine. This is my first time blogging. So what can I offer you? Well, only the best of the best, high-quality tested and improved recipes for all you who have a sweet tooth.

I'll start with this delicious Raspberry Cheesecake which inspired me to name my blog this way. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

Picture and recipe from here

What you need;
♥   8 digestive biscuits (or for that extra chocolatey flavour, use Oreos or something similar - mouthwatering!)
♥   50g butter , melted
♥   600g cream cheese
♥   2 tbsp plain flour
♥   175g caster sugar
♥ vanilla extract (vanilla-flavoured sugar is also a good option)
♥ 2 eggs , plus 1 yolk
♥ 142ml pot soured cream
♥ 300g raspberries
♥ icing sugar

How-to;
1) Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.

2) Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk and soured cream until light and fluffy. Stir in half the raspberries and pour into the tin. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool.

3) Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork. Push through a sieve. Serve the cheescake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries.

~ Enjoy! ~