Author: Sadie

A Basic With a Twist

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What’s better than a fudgy brownie at the end of a long day? A fudgy cream cheese brownie!  So easy and so delicious!

I’ve had cheesecake on my mind because my mom and I had a conversation a couple weeks ago.  My mom made a comment that she went to a big chain restaurant out on Long Island, where apparently you have to display calorie counts on the menu.  She noticed that the cheesecake on the dessert menu was fewer calories than the other cake options.  This surprised me because I’ve always considered cheesecake to be an extra indulgent treat. But hey, I’ll take it!

Rather than making a full blown cheesecake, I had a meeting for school earlier this week, so I decided to make cream cheese brownies.  And since we’re so close to Valentine’s Day, why not make them pink!  (or at least pink, plus a little golden brown tint from the oven)

One of my friends made cream cheese brownie cupcakes for a team meeting a couple months ago, so I took that inspiration along with a recipe from the old reliable Smitten Kitchen.  At the end of the day, all you need for great cream cheese brownies is a box brownie mix (I don’t make brownies from scratch), cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  So worth it!

Cream Cheese Brownies

Yields 16 2 inch squares, Adapted from recipe on Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

  • Your favorite brownie mix (plus all of the ingredients needed for that)
  • 8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg yolk
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 -1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • red food coloring gel (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350, and prep an 8×8 pan with spray and/or parchment.
  2. Prepare the brownie batter according to the directions on the box. I usually make the “cakey” version rather than the “fudgy” version, which typically just takes an extra egg.winning combination
  3. In a separate bowl use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Add the food coloring if you want it to be pink.  Fold in the mini chocolate chips.blobs of goodness
  4. Pour the brownie batter into the pan. Put the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie batter in blobs.  You can swirl it a little to even out the top.looking good
  5. Bake for 25-50 minutes until just lightly golden brown.  Allow to cool and enjoy!cute little hearts

In My Own Little Corner

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This weekend I broke what has been kind of a Broadway draught for me.  My mom and I went to see the new production of Cinderella!  It’s not the Disney version, but rather the Rodgers and Hammerstein version that has only been shown as a TV movie.Great White Way

You know it, it’s the version that was most recently re-made with Brandy and Whitney Houston in 1997.  There are some great songs like “Ten Minutes Ago” and the “Stepsister’s Lament.”

It was a very enjoyable girly affair.  Definitely a show to see on a girl’s night, unless for some reason, your Prince Charming is willing to make the trip.  I thought overall the actors were good and they had nice voices. The costumes were elaborate, but I sort of wished they made a more artistic decision with all of the big dresses and done something a little more interesting.  Like do all the chorus girls in shades of the same color, rather than have one in each color of the rainbow.  I felt like they made some safer choices when it came to costumes and sets, which were fine, but they could have re-invented it in a better way.

The lead actress really looked like she walked out of Disney world.  She even had one dress that was very reminiscent of Belle’s gold dress from Beauty and the Beast.  The prince seemed a little nerdy at first, but he grew on me.  By the end, I felt like I wanted to be his Cinderella.

Hearing the songs again was very nostalgic, but they added a couple new ones that were not as great as the originals.  They also added a little political sub plot about helping the poor, and voting for a Prime Minister to advise the King. That part wasn’t my favorite. I felt like they tacked it on to beef up the plot, but I just want to see pretty dresses and balls and princes.

Something new to add to the wall!
Something new to add to the wall!

All in all a festive choice for a girl’s night out! Here’s to a lot more Broadway in my life this year!

Have you seen any good Broadway shows lately?

Five Things

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I would consider my “Signature” or most requested dishes.

5. Vegetarian Black Bean Soup. I just blogged about this a few weeks ago, but I’ve been making this for a few years now.  It’s a great and easy riff on traditional tortilla soup, and it turns out great every time!  Definitely a crowd pleaser.

4. Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and almonds.  I’ve seen a few Food Network personalities make versions of this dish, so one Thanksgiving I decided to combine a few recipes and give it a try.  It quickly became a staple at my family’s Thanksgiving table.

3. Rice Krispie treats.  This one is so easy, but so good.  Whenever I make a version of rice krispie treats to bring to a party, they get raves. I love them too, but I feel like people don’t realize that all I did was melt butter and marshmallows and add cereal. I usually make them because I need to pull something together at the last minute, and quickly realize that I could have made a soufflé and gotten fewer compliments.

2. Granola.  I saw a recipe for granola about three years ago and decided to give it a try. At the time, I didn’t even realize you could bake granola at home.  Three years later, my mother requires me to make a big batch to leave with her every time I visit her house.

1. Buttermilk Pancakes.  My grandmother trained me to make these with my great grandmother’s recipe at a very early age.  By the way, this is my great grandmother Sarah Church, aka Sadie.  This is my number one requested dish by friends and family hands down.  They are simple, light, and fluffy every time!

What is your best dish?