Category: Cream Cheese - DragonWarden

(Magical) Cream Cheese Frosting

11/16/2020

I love cream cheese frosting but hate the amount of sugar that's needed to stiffen it up if you're planning on doing anything more than slapping fat dollops onto a cupcake with a butter knife. So on one of my quests to find a less-sugared pipe-able cream cheese frosting, I stumbled across this - which I was skeptical of at first! But wonder of wonders, it actually held up beautifully as promised; even the tiny ridges in the examples below held up for hours at a time at room temperature! AND it preserved the tangy taste of the cream cheese. This was definitely worth the extra effort!

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces cream cheese softened but still cool
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened but still cool

Sift sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt into a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour milk into a small pot. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients, ensuring there are no lumps.
Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until thickened. Pass mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into a heat-safe container.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Place the cooled mixture in a large mixing bowl, along with the lemon juice and vanilla, and whip on medium-high speed.
Whip in cream cheese, a tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Whip in butter, a tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Turn the mixer up to high speed, and continue to whip until very fluffy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelee

12/20/2018

For once, I was actively hunting for something new to make when I stumbled across this recipe. The inspiration was the very first Thanksgiving feast I would be making on my lonesome, and I wanted to top it off with a dessert that was traditionally-themed without being completely traditional. This was, arguably, the biggest hit not only of the night's feasting (and not just because it was sweet) but nearly out of all the things I have ever baked for my family. Even my father, the most famous scrooge of the family, prompted me no less than three times as to when I was going to make it again!

Pastry:

6 tablespoons blanched almonds
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Filling:

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree (10 ounces)
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Gelee:

2 cups fresh cranberries (1/2 pound)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

In food processor, pulse almonds until coarsely ground. Add 1/2 cup of the flour and process to a fine powder; transfer to a bowl. In food processor, pulse the butter and confectioners' sugar until creamy. Pulse in egg and vanilla. Pulse in remaining 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of flour, almond flour, and salt until a soft dough forms. Pat pastry into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325° F. On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 14-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Roll pastry into 11 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Gently press pastry into the rim. Fold in overhanging dough and press to reinforce the sides; sides should be twice as thick as the bottom. Trim off excess pastry and refrigerate until firm.
Line pastry with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans/rice. Bake pastry for about 25 minutes, or until set. Remove parchment/foil and weights and bake for 10 minutes longer, until crust is golden and cooked through. Let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, ground spices, nutmeg and salt. Using electric mixer, beat at medium speed until smooth. Beat in pumpkin puree until smooth. Beat in cream, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs at low speed until blended.
Put crust on large, sturdy baking sheet and set in oven. Pour pumpkin custard into crust (make sure to leave a little space at the top for the gelee). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until custard is just set but still slightly jiggly in center. Cover edge with foil if crust starts to brown too much. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
In medium saucepan, combine cranberries with 1/2 cup of water and cook over moderate heat until they begin to pop, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to blender and puree until smooth. Strain puree through a fine sieve. Rinse out saucepan.
Add sugar and 1/4 cup of water to saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring, until dissolved. Let cool. Stir in orange juice and cranberry puree.
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and let stand until softened, 5 minutes. Microwave for 10 seconds, or until completely melted. Whisk gelatin into cranberry mixture and pour gelée over the pumpkin custard; shake gently to even it out. Refrigerate tart until set, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. Remove the tart ring and serve.

Note: Remember to leave a little space at the top of the custard for the gelee. While you can get away with not doing so because the gelee should be a super-thin layer anyway, it was also very easy for the gelee to spill over the edges when I didn't account for it. While the custard will initially come out of the oven all puffed-up, it will settle in once it cools down, and should still have enough space for the gelee after being baked.

I discovered that I had an excess of filling and gelee after filling the tart to the brim. So have some ramekins ready and you can toss the extra in to be baked at the same time. Then you can "taste-test" guilt-free before the tart ever gets served!

No-Bake Cheesecake

12/22/2015

I had pinned this article from Epicurious from back in forever, and had honestly forgotten about it altogether. It wasn't until I offered to make a cake for my mother for the holiday potluck and trawled through my Pinterest board (and quietly panicking when I realized I almost never pay any attention to cakes) when I stumbled across this recipe again.

Since it was for the holidays, I added some green to help complement the red, and had a grand old time carving and essentially playing with the fruit. With a ready-made crust and store-bought whipped topping, this is a quick and easy recipe, though I usually opt to make my own graham cracker crust and whipped cream.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream (or 1 1/3 cup for a more NY-style sour cheesecake)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 lemon zested
8 ounces prepared whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crust
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise

Beat the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest until just combined.
Fold in the whipped topping. Scrape mixture into the piecrust. (There may be some filling left over. If so, reserve it to be decoratively piped onto the top of the pie.) Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Notes: Half of those who tried this mentioned that they preferred a thicker graham cracker crust than I usually make for other tarts to go with this cheesecake.

If you're going to use kiwis, find some that are firmer/not-quite-ripe. They will be easier to slice using a mandolin, and they'll be so thin that their not-so-perfect state of ripeness won't be as much of an issue. Also, turn the fruit 180 degrees after each slice; otherwise, the trailing end will start to get ragged after a while depending on the sharpness of your mandolin, particularly if the fruit is already softer than ideal.

Sour Cream Cheese Frosting

12/20/2015

I love the extra tang the sour cream gives this version of the common cream cheese frosting. While the sour cream may not be evident if you sample the frosting by itself, when garnishing something else - such as the pumpkin bread/cupcake - the sour tang becomes much more evident.

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 - 2.5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
(less sugar for a slightly less sweet but softer spread, more sugar for a stiffer spread that will hold its shape - the photo used 2 cups for the frosting)

Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy.
Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add more sugar for stiffer frosting, leave some out for softer frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting (from The Cake Boss)

4/9/2015

Due to all the sugar that's needed to provide support, this isn't at the very top of my list of favorite frostings, but the cream cheese really makes a delicious complement to such cupcakes as the Red Velvet. One could try to play with using some gelatin to help provide support instead of the sugar.

2 8oz packages Philly cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Put the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle at medium speed until creamy, approximately 30 seconds.
With the motor running, pour in the vanilla and paddle for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and mix until smooth, approximately 1 minute after the last addition.
Use this as soon as you make it, because it will get very stiff in the refrigerator. If you have to refrigerate it (for a maximum of 2 days), do not microwave it to freshen it. Instead, let it rest at room temperature for 4 hours to soften.

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

1/1/2015

Ice Cream:

8 ounces cream cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt

Swirl:

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
(optional) 2 teaspoons kirsch (If you're using other berries, experiment with liqueurs — maybe Grand Marnier for raspberries, vodka or creme de cacao for strawberries.)

(Note: The "cheesecake" taste may be a bit too heavy for some people, so you may wish to cut the portions of cream cheese and sour cream a bit.) To make the ice cream base, cut the cream cheese into small pieces. Zest the lemon directly into a blender or food processor, then add the cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth.
Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.
While the ice cream mixture is chilling, make the swirl.
In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, heat the blueberries and sugar until the berries begin to release their juices. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and lemon juice until lump-free. Stir the slurry into the blueberries.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch, if using. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
When the ice cream base is thoroughly chilled, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When it is done, pour roughly 1/3 into a container. Top with half of the chilled blueberry mixture and add another 1/3 ice cream base. Top that layer with the remaining blueberry mixture, then cover with the remaining ice cream base. Put in the freezer to set, 2 to 4 hours.

ARCHIVE: Blueberry Cream Pie

1/1/2015

1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup chopped walnut
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
8 oz whipped cream
1 can blueberry pie filling

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
For bottom crust: mix flour, margarine/butter, and walnut evenly and pour into pan. Put into oven for 1/2 hour before setting aside to cool.
For middle: Mix cream cheese and sugar, then add whipped cream. Pour into pan and distribute evenly over the crust.
Pour blueberry pie filling evenly over the cream mixture.
Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Sour Cream Cheese Filling/Frosting

1/1/2015

4 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
(optional) 3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1.25 to 1.5 cups sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Beat cream cheese and sugar together JUST until they're smooth.
Using a spatula, mix in milk (if used), eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
When baking, set oven to 225 F and cook for 2 hours.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/1/2015

This came with the recipe to the 14 Karat Cake, so I highly suggest pairing this with it! That being said, obviously, you can always make this for other things where cream cheese frosting is appropriate - which should be plenty!

1 lb Philly cream cheese, softened
1.25 cups (1.5 sticks or 10 oz) sweet unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
about 5-2/3 cup (almost 6 cups) powdered sugar, sifted

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, juice, and vanilla until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar as you continue beating it.
Chill for about 1 hour.