Posts in treats
marbled mango cheesecake bites
somedays, life just gets away from you. you wake up in the morning with a plan, and at the end of the day, everything you wanted to accomplish is in shambles. 

that pretty much sums up the day of my birthday party. i had all these pretty and delicious cakes planned, but life was not cooperating and time got away from me and i of course ended up an emotional mess.

no surprise, all my friends and family are amazing and they all came and made the day extra special. but i learned a valuable lesson. when in doubt, go with a staple. 

you know what i mean. that tried, true go to. and my dessert staple is cheesecake. these bites are great because they are easy to make, easy on the eyes, and easy to make disappear. the best part is you can make them seasonal with any of your favorite fruits and you can enhance colors with just a drop or two of food color. 

marbled mango cheesecake bites
serves: 1-2 dozen depending on your size preference
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time:30 minutes
cool time: 2 hours to over night
total time: 2 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped pecans (i pulse mine in the food processor). 1 cup flour. 1 stick butter, melted. .25 cup brown sugar. pinch of salt. 1 lb softened cream cheese. 1 cup sugar. 3 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .25 cup mango purée. 9 x 13 baking dish. parchment paper. tooth pick. 
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start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. in a medium bowl, combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. 

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use your hands to lightly combine the mixture till it is in pebble size crumbs. 

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pour the crust dough into a parchment lined 9 x 13 dish. use your palms to press the dough till it reaches the edges of the dish. 

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bake until the crust starts to turn golden. about 10-12 minutes. while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. 

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in the bowl of a stand mixer with your whisk attachment or with a hand blender, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. about 3-5 minutes. 

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reduce the speed of your mixer to add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. 

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once your crust is out pour all but .5 cup of the filling over the crust. use a spatula or butter knife to spread the filling evenly over the crust. 

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combine your mango puree with the remaining .5 cup filling. mix until completely combined. 

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using a spoon, drizzle your mango cheese cake mixture over the cheese cake filling. 

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then, using your toothpick, swirl the mango cheesecake filling to create a marbled effect. 

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bake the cheesecake in the oven until set, 20-25 minutes. 

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when the cheesecake is set, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely. pop it in the freezer for a half hour or so till it gets really solid. 

then slice off the rough edges, and cut into squares of your size choice. serve or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

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xo, a

marbled mango cheesecake bites
serves: 1-2 dozen depending on your size preference
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
cool time: 2 hours to over night
total time: 2 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped pecans (i pulse mine in the food processor). 1 cup flour. 1 stick butter, melted. .25 cup brown sugar. pinch of salt. 1 lb softened cream cheese. 1 cup sugar. 3 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .25 cup mango purée. 9 x 13 baking dish. parchment paper. tooth pick.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. in a medium bowl, combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. use your hands to lightly combine the mixture till it is in pebble size crumbs. pour the crust dough into a parchment lined 9 x 13 dish. use your palms to press the dough till it reaches the edges of the dish. bake until the crust starts to turn golden. about 10-12 minutes. while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. in the bowl of a stand mixer with your whisk attachment or with a hand blender, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. about 3-5 minutes. reduce the speed of your mixer to add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. once your crust is out. pour all but .5 cup of the filling over the crust. use a spatula or butter knife to spread the filling evenly over the crust. combine your mango puree with the remaining .5 cup filling. mix until completely combined. using a spoon, drizzle your mango cheese cake mixture over the cheese cake filling. then, using your toothpick, swirl the mango cheesecake filling to create a marbled effect. bake the cheesecake in the oven until set, 20-25 minutes. when the cheesecake is set, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely. pop it in the freezer for a half hour or so till it gets really solid. then slice off the rough edges, and cut into squares of your size choice. serve or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

stone fruit galette

um... where is this year going? tomorrow is MARCH? how? 

this year is flying by and it is about to get crazier. somehow i managed to pick businesses that all get busy at the same time. now, i am not complaining. in fact, it feels amazing to see my calendar start to fill in after a solid year of struggle. but man, i need more hours in the day.

and easier, but equally delicious dishes to fit in when i have a moment. with ease and speed in mind, i've been cooking up some galettes with all the beautiful stone fruit popping up in stores. the beauty of a galette (basically a french, free formed cake) is that it requires few ingredients and is very easy to make. it's relative the pie takes additional time and precision. 

stone fruit galette serves: 8 prep time: 10 minutes bake time: 30-40 minutes total time: 50 minutes ingredients: 1.5 lbs stone fruit (i've used plums and pluots, but you could use your favorite or what you have on hand), sliced 1/2 inch thick. 1/3 cup sugar. 2 tbs corn starch. 1/2 tsp salt. 1 tsp blood orange (or other citrus juice). 1 tsp blood orange zest (or other citrus). 1 pie crust sheet (i used a store bought to save time). 1 egg, whisked. pastry brush. baking sheet. parchment paper. whipped cream or ice cream for serving.

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preheat your oven to 425 f. 

in a bowl, combine the stone fruit, sugar, corn starch, salt, zest and juice and stir well to combine.

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line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out your pie crust on the parchment. 

gently roll or press out your pie crust till it is in a rectangular shape and about 1/8 inch thick. 

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pour your stone fruit mixture into the center of the crust and spread it into an even layer leaving an inch or two of space from the fruit to the edges of the crust. 

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gently, fold the edges of your pie crust over the fruit working your way around the edge of the gallette until it is all tucked in. 

brush the crust with your whisked egg.

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bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. remove from the oven and
place the parchment and gallette on a cooling rack. 

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allow to cool a bit and serve warm or at room temp. 

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stone fruit galette
serves: 8
prep time: 10 minutes
bake time: 30-40 minutes
total time: 50 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 lbs stone fruit, sliced 1/2 inch thick. 1/3 cup sugar. 2 tbs corn starch. 1/2 tsp salt. 1 tsp blood orange (or other citrus juice). 1 tsp blood orange zest (or other citrus). 1 pie crust sheet (i used a store bought to save time). 1 egg, whisked. pastry brush. baking sheet. parchment paper. whipped cream or ice cream for serving.
reheat your oven to 425 f. in a bowl, combine the stone fruit, sugar, corn starch, salt, zest and juice and stir well to combine. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out your pie crust on the parchment. gently roll or press out your pie crust till it is in a rectangular shape and about 1/8 inch thick. pour your stone fruit mixture into the center of the crust and spread it into an even layer leaving an inch or two of space from the fruit to the edges of the crust. gently, fold the edges of your pie crust over the fruit working your way around the edge of the gallette until it is all tucked in. brush the crust with your whisked egg. bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. remove from the oven and place the parchment and gallette on a cooling rack. allow to cool a bit and serve warm or at room temp.