sugared cranberry cheesecake

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

only TWO more sleeps.

i am going to keep this one short because the house is full of family & there is no time to be spent on the computer! we have so many christmas movies to catch up on as we rock the matching santa pajama bottoms. now as you know, every single year i make a cheesecake for christmas day. it is an annual thing because it is not often that a celebration calls for a fancy ass cheesecake! three years ago i made a red velvet cheesecake, two years ago i made an apple pie cheesecake, last year i made this salted caramel cheesecake & this year THIS sugared cranberry cheesecake! something about sugared cranberries just look so pretty & festive. now i am already thinking about next year's... gingerbread, egg nog, chai?!?! can it be christmas every month?

hope everyone has an amazing weekend & gets spoiled by santa! xo

ingredients

for the sugared cranberries

  • 1/2 cup + 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 cups fresh cranberries (not frozen)

for the graham crust

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 pinch of salt

for the filling

  • 4 packages of full fat plain cream cheese (8 oz each)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

directions

for the sugared cranberries

  • in a sauce pot add the 1/2 cup sugar & water. heat until the sugar dissolves.
  • stir in the cranberries, toss to coat & remove from heat.
  • strain & toss in the remaining white sugar.
  • set aside until you are ready to decorate the cheesecake.

for the graham cracker crust

  • in a large mixing bowl toss graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter & salt.
  • firmly press into a 9-inch spring form pan with a 1-inch crust.
  • set aside while you prepare the filling.

for the filling

  • preheat oven to 475 degrees. in a mixer with the paddle attachment beat sugar, cream cheese & flour.
  • add the eggs/egg yolks one at a time. scrape the bowl after every addition to ensure no clumps!
  • once mixture is silky smooth add the vanilla, cinnamon & nutmeg. pour into the crust lined spring form pan.
  • bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the top puffs. if the top begins to brown too quickly, lower the temperature.
  • once the top has puffed, lower the temperature to 250 degrees & bake for an additional 45 minutes or until the cake appears firm. turn off the oven & let the cake sit for 15 minutes. remove from oven & let cool to room temperature before refrigerating over night.
  • top with sugared cranberries.

artichoke + spinach dip

 

who doesn't love a classic artichoke & spinach dip!?! i am partnering with vitamix today to share the ultimate holiday starter. i thought something warmy & cheesy would make for the perfect dish to serve at any gathering! this one earns bonus points because you can prepare it in advance & bake it when you are ready to serve. anything that involves minimal prep the day of christmas dinner earns a gold star in my books! the presentation of this dip looks so inviting & rustic when served in a cast iron pot. the little twist i did from the classic version was use an aged cheddar cheese over parmesan. i love the flavour it adds & the gooey melt factor. while i served mine with freshly toasted baguette slices, you can serve it with just about anything you like! tortilla chips, pita, nann bread & so on.

NOW..i have made two versions of this in my vitamix, a hot dip (which you see here) & a cold dip (which turns out a vibrant green colour). while the hot dip is much more indulgent, the cold dip is perfect for serving along side raw vegetables. it involves the exact same ingredients below but everything gets pureed in the vitamix & served as is. no heating involved! because of the green colour the spinach turns it, we call this one the grinch's dip:) as for the hot one, everything but the spinach, artichoke hearts & cheese gets pureed in the blender. then i fold those ingredients into the mix to add texture & depth to the final dish.

now let's get blending!!!

ingredients

  • 1 cup cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch cracked black pepper
  • 1 cup spinach, freshly steamed, strained & roughly chopped
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts, strained & roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated old cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
  • 1 baguette, thinly sliced & toasted

directions

  • preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • place the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, shallots, garlic, salt & pepper into the vitamix. pulse until ingredients are well blended.
  • pour into a mixing bowl. fold in the strained spinach, artichokes & cheddar cheese.
  • transfer to an oven safe skillet or baking dish & top with additional cheddar cheese.
  • bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted & browned (broil for a minute or two to crisp the cheese).
  • serve immediately with toasted baguette or warm pita.

mini matcha swirl cheesecakes

 

happy gilmore girl release day!!!! errr.. black friday. i hope you all had an amazing thanksgiving & ate your weight in turkey! instead of being surrounded by crowds & going black friday shopping this year, i am going to do the complete opposite. i plan to stay in, bake some holiday cookies & binge watch the whole season of the new girlmore girl's revival. i woke up early & already watched the first episode, but i don't want to spoil it!

if you plan to do the same as me today, here is the perfect little bite size treats to whip up: mini matcha swirl cheesecakes. i usually only make cheesecake during the holiday's & this year i wanted to make something mini. if you couldn't tell by now, i love making mini versions of things! the filling is half vanilla cheesecake & half matcha cheesecake baked onto a gingersnap crust. as always, i used aiya matcha's cooking grade matcha powder to ensure the matcha flavour doesn't get lost with all the other ingredients. a little cheesecake making tip for you, ALWAYS make sure the cheesecake & the eggs are at room temperature or you will end up with chunks of cream cheese. i always use philadelphia's full fat cream cheese because i never have any luck with other brands. lastly please, PLEASE do not buy the lower fat cream cheese available, they never turn out! i have tried one too many times. anyways, have a great long weekend:)

ingredients

for the gingersnap crust

  • 1.5 cups gingersnap crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the swirled filling

directions

for the gingersnap crust

  • in a mixing bowl add the gingersnap crumbs, sugar, vanilla & butter. stir until a wet sandy mixture is formed.
  • press the crust into twelve lined cupcake tins & bake for five minutes while you prepare the filling.

for the swirled filling

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the cream cheese & sugar until smooth.
  • add in the eggs one at a time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. finished off with vanilla extract.
  • divide batter into two equal portions. leave one as is & add the matcha powder to the other one.
  • add one scoop of each mixture per cupcake tin & swirl together with a knife.
  • bake for 20 minutes & let cool completely before serving.
  • top with whipped cream if desired.

this post was created in partnership with aiya matcha! you can find the cooking grade matcha powder that i used here. thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love! xo