no bake nutella cheesecake*

Hello friends!! Yes, I am still alive! I am sure you all were wondering, since I took a 66 day break. I cannot believe it has been that long. Man, time flies when you are having fun (a.k.a. being crazy). Here is a quick update of what I have been up to for the last couple of months.

*The hubby and I went decoration shopping crazy and pretty much revamped our whole living room! Our colors are a subtle lime green, turquoise blue and brown. We also got a new bed and some cute decor for our extra bedroom, and it is seriously a million times cuter than our master! We are still using the furniture my mother-in-law got for 50 bucks at a yard sell when Landon was like 20. We're pretty cool like that.

*The whole month of February I taught cooking classes to every home at work! We made some custom calzones and red velvet chocolate chip cupcakes! The students did SO awesome, and their baking skills were killer! Each and every batch of cupcakes came out PERFECT! Oh, and their calzones! Their calzones looked seriously pro and could easily be served in a legit Italian restaurant!

*My newest hobby kept me busy for the last month or so. My new favorite channel is HGTV and I am obsessed with House Hunters. I was introduced to this channel when my hubby discovered it on our channel lineup, and he is probably regretting that decision at this point. Why, you ask? Because we are MOVING! It inspired me to want my dream home, and when I looked up houses in our area I discovered that we can easily afford my dream home! I am so excited I could cry! It took the hubby some convincing, but once we went and looked at our options I got him on my side real quick :). We found a house that won our hearts, put in an offer, and they accepted! So we put our house up for sale on Monday, and had an offer in by Tuesday night! I am so excited to be buying a brand new, never been lived in house in Spanish Fork, which is where we currently live. We are hoping to close at the end of April, so this month is going to be crazy with packing again. It has only been 6 short months since we moved last.

Do you want to know the highlights of this house, all in which are things that I have never had the luxury of experiencing since my very own home ownership??

1. There is a PANTRY!  A pantry people! Like, the things you put your food in! My whole married life my food went in every last inch of every last cupboard.

2.  The kitchen has granite countertops! And an island topped with granite countertops! Oh, how I love granite countertops!

3.  The house has AC. AIR CONDITIONING my friends! No more swamp coolers for me! No way, jose!

4.  There is a master bathroom with a walk-in closet! Currently my clothes are in the extra bedroom, the other extra bedroom, and the coat closet. The hubs gets the closet in our room because I'm nice like that :).

5.  Last, but not least, there is a huge big yard for Tankers to run in! And there is a door to the backyard, which means we won't have to carry him out every single time! It doesn't currently have a fence, but that is the first thing we are doing. Other than a fence and putting grass in the backyard (the front is already landscaped), we don't have to do a thing! We have always bought project houses in the past, so this is going to be weird.

Anyway, I have been quite occupied and my blog has certainly suffered! I don't think I have put up one new recipe from my "new" menus, that we have already been using for 2 months! This is bad news. But I am going to get to every single one of those, plus some others. Although, I do have one confession. I was in such a non-blogging funk that I made lots and lots of things and didn't even document the process! I deeply apologize, but I promise there is still lots of things to come.

These no bake nutella cheesecakes are not only amazing, but perfect for pretty much any occasion, whether it be fancy or casual. I made them for Valentine's Day for the students, and I have had many requests for the recipe since then, so here you go all ya'll!!!

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
from My Baking Addiction

carrot cake cheesecake bars*

Happy belated Easter! Most bloggers post their holiday recipes before the holiday. I, on the other hand, blog after. There is no rhyme or reason for it, except that I don't make my holiday recipes before the holiday. I need to work on being someone that makes things to lead up to the holiday, not just the day of. Another goal to add to my long list.

Easter. Easter is one of those holidays that really is only fun if you have kids. Do you want to know what I did on my Easter morning? Put these cute little stepping stones in front of our deck stairway.

We are quite the celebrators at the Cundy household. This weekend my husband and father-in-law slaved away and expanded our tiny deck into a big beautiful masterpiece! I will post pictures when it is completed. This weekend, if it actually doesn't rain for a couple of days, Landon and I are planning on staining the deck. Cross my fingers!

I made these carrot cake cheesecake bars for dessert after my mother-in-laws delicious Easter feast. I really really liked them. Awhile back I made this carrot cake cheesecake, and I liked this bars a million times better. They are the perfect amount of cinnamony carrot cake to cheesecake ratio. Although both my husband and my head cook, Karen, thought the cheesecake was a thick dollop of frosting and scraped it right off! What a shame!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bars
adapted from Sandra Lee's Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars, as seen on Sweet Treats and More

For the Carrot Cake Bar:
1 box Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, soft

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat the cake mix, egg, and butter until it turns into a thick dough.

Press dough into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Set aside while you make the cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake Layer:
16 oz. cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1.  In a medium sized bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and continue beating until creamy and smooth.

2. Pour the cheesecake layer over the carrot cake bar in the pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan.  Let cool completely. 

3. Cut into squares and top each square with a dollop of Betty Crocker's Rich and Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting.  I just colored some frosting and put it in a piping bag and made these cute little flowers. Seemed much more fitting for the holiday :).

Even though it's too late to make this for Easter, it is the perfect Spring dessert - flowers and all!

-alyssa*

carrot cake cheesecake*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER! Today is my little sister's 21st birthday! I still can't get over it. It seems like yesterday we were both in dance class and she was just so cute and little. Then all of the sudden she was driving and I was scared to death and could not believe that she was old enough to actually be behind the wheel. Now she is 21 years old, married and pregnant with a precious little boy! My life is passing me by! Happy birthday, Shea. I love you :).

I made this cake for my favorite (only) sister. I came across this recipe the other day and just had to make it. Fortunately I had a very special occasion coming up! I guess this is another one of the amazing creations that is made by those geniuses at the Cheesecake Factory. It's a good thing there isn't one of those very close to me, because I could really do some damage there!

Overall I was very pleased with how this cake turned out. I am confused about why you need to layer the carrot cake batter, then the cheesecake batter, then carrot cake again, then top with more cheesecake - because after you bake it all of the carrot cake batter goes to the bottom and the cheesecake on top. But whatever works! It baked beautifully and I was very pleased that it didn't crack and it wasn't even cooked in a water bath.

The one thing I was kind of disappointed about was how mushy the carrot cake ended up being. I think there may have been a tad bit too much pineapple. Maybe next time I will only do 3/4 the amount. Other than that though this dessert was amazing! The cheesecake was perfect and I am always in the mood for some cream cheese frosting! Give me a bowl of that stuff and I am good to go! (Again, I apologize for the pictures. My house has a serious lighting issue and most of these were taken when it was dark outside.)

Cheesecake Factory Carrot Cake Cheesecake
from RecipeZaar

CHEESECAKE
16 ounces cream cheese (at room temp)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

CARROT CAKE
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash salt
1 (8 1/2 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well drained with juice reserved
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup flaked coconut (I left this out since my company did not like coconut. I added a dash of coconut extract to make up for it and a little bit more carrots.)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (*I doubled this)
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice
dash of salt

To make cheesecake, in large bowl of electric mixer, beat together 2 pkgs cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in 1 tablespoon flour, 3 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake: In large bowl, combine oil, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla, blending thoroughly. Stir in 1 cup flour, baking soda, cinnamon and dash salt, mixing well. Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 1/2 cups carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9-or 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Drop large spoonfuls of cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife. Do not marble with a knife.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through.
Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

In a bowl of electric mixer, combine 2 oz cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice and dash of salt. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEA!*

-alyssa*

red velvet CHEESECAKE!!*

I have been DYING to make this since I first saw it! On my first post I had made a red velvet cake, but the recipe I had used was actually for a red velvet cheesecake. A few months ago the husband and I went to Vegas to the Cheesecake Factory for the first time. Just getting there was an adventure in itself, but once we got there I saw it - a red velvet cheesecake!! I was bound and determined to get it for dessert, but then was way to full to even think about it. But I have not forgotten about it ever since. When I came across this recipe in a blog I was immediately in heaven without ever trying it.

Today we threw a surprise birthday party for one of my staff, Fred, that just turned 85 years old yesterday! I was meaning to take a picture of him today for my blog but completely forgot, but I have a picture that I took a little while ago of him drinking some decaf coffee out of the measuring cup, while eating a muffin HA!

When I get a better picture I will post it. Anyway, everyone LOVES Fred and he has worked for Heritage off and on for about 13 years! So this cake was for him :)

Back to the red velvet CHEESECAKE! First off you make the cheesecake part. There is no crust obviously, so you just make the cheesecake in a spring form pan, then let it chill, take it out of the pan and freeze it. Freezing it makes it easier to put it on the cake without tearing it all the pieces. We actually made the cheesecake part on Friday because the party was on Monday. That way we had time to freeze it and only had to worry about the cake part Monday. It was the first cheesecake I have ever made, at least a cooked cheesecake. I was excited that it didn't have one crack when it came out of the oven! I have an awesome 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake recipe that I am sure will end up on here someday! Anyway, here it goes! Here is the amazing recipe for this show stopping red velvet cheesecake!!

Lincoln's Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake

cake and frosting adapted by Apple a Day, originally adapted from Saveur

cheesecake adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

1 1/4 pounds bar cream cheese (20 oz), room temperature

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

For the cake:

2 1/2 c. cake flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 TBSP cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 c. buttermilk

2 TBSP (1 oz.) red food coloring

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

12 oz. butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. confectioners' sugar

1 bar white or dark chocolate (Optional for decoration), I used Ghiradelli

Directions:

For the cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Cut parchment paper in a circle and line the bottom of the cheesecake pan.

Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes.

Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans.

 

Bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely, then level.

Frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Assembly:

Place bottom layer on cake stand. Remove cheesecake from freezer, unwrap, and remove from metal bottom, then peel off parchment paper. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake. If the cheesecake is wider than the cake, and it is necessary to to trim it, wait approximately 10 minutes for the cheesecake to soften, then trim it with a knife.

Place top layer of cake on top of the cheesecake, and coat with a generous layer of the cream cheese frosting to act as the crumb coat. Be careful not to get any red velvet crumbs in the bowl of frosting! Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes, then frost with as much of the remaining frosting as necessary. Top with shaved white chocolate and/or shaved dark chocolate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (This cake doesn't have to stay in the fridge until IMMEDIATELY before serving, so don't worry if you have a 30 minute lapse between the refrigerator and serving.)

Oh my goodness gracious! This dessert did not disappoint!  I will absolutely be making this again when I have somewhere fancy to go. I must also mention that I couldn't have made this without my best assistant, Sarah. Well, I maybe could have but it would have taken me 10 times longer because my phone does not seem to ever stop ringing. So THANKS Sarah!! We did it again :)

-alyssa*