Little Jars

My daughter met a wonderful young man, Graham,  during her first year in college at Davidson.  He has become a lifelong friend of our entire family...through my daughter changing schools, college graduations and  crazy jobs that have taken both of them in many directions around the country.  On the rare occasion that Graham travels through Atlanta, he stops for a visit and bakes the most wonderful desserts for us...mostly gourmet cheesecake.  He brings all the ingredients and just "borrows" our kitchen for a while.  We sit and talk while he crafts his confections.

At the end of one visit, I misspoke and said that cheesecake "wasn't my favorite" thing.  Graham was momentarily crushed as he took great joy in creating cheesecake delicacies for us.  I immediately corrected myself and said that it wasn't my favorite thing to make...eating it was a totally different story.  I've always found making cheesecake to be a little tedious and the water bath a little challenging...cheesecake falls into my almost never category.  I totally rely on Graham to make my cheesecake!!

This year for Valentine's Day I stepped out of my comfort zone and made cheesecake for the wonderful group of women I work with everyday.  Not the "Graham" variety of cheesecake...I stuck with simple and small (a reference to my last blog entry) because I wanted to make something delicious, decadent, easily transportable and single-serving sized.  Success!!  The fact that it is also pretty is a bonus!!

I give all the credit to Martha Stewart for this one.  The only "original" part of the recipe is the topping I selected...and I give Kroger all the credit for that.  I used their tart cherry-white peach pie filling.  It adds a bit of tanginess to the creamy-sweet cheesecake.  You can use whatever topping you like.  Cover it up  with a traditional graham cracker crumb blend and the jars are good to go!!

Little Cheesecake Jars

8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temp
4 oz. sour cream
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt
Your choice of fruit topping
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 325.

Beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar and beat on medium for 3 minutes.

On low speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add sour cream, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Beat for 3 minutes on medium speed.

Divide batter among six 6-oz canning jars filling them 2/3 full.  I transferred my batter to a measuring cup for ease of pouring.

Transfer jars to a deep baking dish.  I used a roasting pan since I had doubled the recipe and had 12 jars. Add enough boiling water to the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the jars.  Cover the dish with foil; cut 8 slits into the top of the foil to vent.  Bake until set in center, about 25 minutes.

Let cool and then refrigerate overnight to set.

Top the cheesecake with your choice of fruit topping...although ganache topping and then graham cracker crumbs would be amazing!!  Mmmm...I might have to try it.  About a Tablespoon and a half should do it.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter.  Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Let cool and then top each cheesecake jar with a heaping Tablespoon.  Tap lightly and then cover!

Cheesecake topped with tart cherry-white peach pie filling.

Graham crackers on top.  So delicious!!  You'll love this recipe!

These little jars fit the bill for my office Valentine's remembrance!  They store in the fridge for 4 days and are as pretty to look at as they are yummy to eat!!

It was a little thing...but it gave me a big smile!!  You'll smile too!!

the little things

I have decided, being the blogger who is anti-resolutions, that for a little while at least, I am going to focus on the little things.

It seems that my "big picture" is a bit overwhelming for the moment, so my attention will settle on small successes, small goals and small, but lovely pleasures.

In keeping with this theme, I got in the kitchen yesterday and baked something wonderful that I want to share with you!  Falling in the category of small pleasures, I am, like many of you, a follower of Pinterest.  Having so little free time, my Pinterest "addiction" has been limited to food and home decor.  Since baking is my absolute passion, I spend more time looking at creative food ideas...beautiful icings, delicate cake stands...you know me...anything sweet.

I saw this recipe, knew that I had all the ingredients on hand and got started.  Big Soft Ginger Cookies translated to sugar and spice and comfort food.  Thank you all recipes.com.  This one is a total winner!!

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened (*I used unsalted butter)
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses.  Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.  Shape the dough into walnut sized balls and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Rolling the dough...not as sticky as it looks, but you will have to wash your hands after a few.  I use a small ice cream scoop to form the balls.

Rolled in sugar, ready to flatten and put in the oven.

The fragrance is amazing...hot out of the oven!!

Ready to share with friends and family.  A cup of hot tea is calling my name!!

My advice for the weekend is, do something nice for yourself.  Call a good friend, read, paint, bake...take a nap, tackle a project...anything that will make you say, "That was good!!" Keep it simple, keep it small...little things. 

I'm going to keep working on that..little by little.