Farfalle with Roasted Eggplant and Ricotta

I needed to use up some ricotta and eggplant, so I went off in search of...something different.  I didn't want lasagna or some other eggplant/cheese/red sauce bake.  As soon as I saw this recipe, I couldn't wait to make it.  With my soft spot for baking, I was intrigued at the thought of using cocoa powder in something other than a sweet treat. 

When the eggplant was finished roasting and I pulled the tray out of the oven - I immediately knew I'd picked the right recipe.  Just as the author states - the cinnamon wafts up to your nose, and the cocoa is just barely there.  They both add a wonderful dimension to the dish, which, with the creamy ricotta sauce, serves as a fantastic alternative to marinara based recipes for ricotta and eggplant. 

Farfalle with Roasted Eggplant and Ricotta
Down-sized and slightly adapted from: Burp! Recipes
Serves 2-3

• 3/4 pound eggplant, cleaned and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
  
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cocoa powder
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil, for roasting
• 2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
  
• 5 oz low fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley or 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  
• 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 6 ounces farfalle pasta (whole wheat, or our favorite - Barilla Plus)
  

1.  Preheat oven to 425ºF. Toss eggplant and onion with cinnamon and cocoa powder. Arrange on a large baking sheet. Drizzle liberally with olive oil. Bake, stirring occasionally until tender, about 25 minutes. Scatter the chopped walnuts on top of the eggplant and return to the oven, cook an additional 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, parsley, romano, and salt and pepper (to taste). Set aside.

3.  Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water when draining the pasta. Add the pasta to the ricotta mixture, adding enough pasta water to loosen the sauce. Add the roasted eggplant and mix well.  Serve immediately.

A Tale of Two Biscotti

I've been in love with biscotti since discovering this chocolate biscotti recipe. I love making it at home because you can make it really crispy or a little on the softer side - whatever your preference. With an open can of pumpkin in the fridge, I set out to find a pumpkin biscotti recipe and epicurious.com came through with one for pumpkin pecan biscotti. I also had fresh cranberries to use up, so I decided they were going in, too.

On the left, standard. On the right, cleaner.

The original recipe calls for shaping the dough into three logs, that would later be sliced to make the individual cookies. I decided to cut the recipe in half and try a direct comparison between the standard recipe and a cleaner version, using substitutes for the flour, sugar, and butter.  My old stand-by whole wheat pastry flour and my new friend sucanat fit the bill for flour and sugar, but what about butter?  I have been reading up on the vegan buttery sticks for baking from Earth Balance, and had those in mind for this recipe comparison.  I went to Whole Foods to try and get them, but they only had the non-hydrogenated shortening from Earth Balance.  With a quick read of the label, I decided it would be just fine.

Differences were apparent as soon as I mixed up the two doughs.  The clean dough required a little manual mixing to fully saturate the dry ingredients and form the dough, but because of that low moisture level, the log was easy to form.  The standard recipe came together more easily with a spoon, but then was very sticky and harder to shape into a log on the pan.  As expected, the standard recipe expanded quite a bit more than the clean recipe while baking. Perhaps my butter wasn't cold enough.  I also forgot to refrigerate the logs for 15 minutes before baking. Oops.

On the left, standard. On the right, cleaner.

The cleaner biscotti baked up much faster, and the standard dough required an extra 10 minutes of baking time to get the log set enough for slicing, once cooled.  After being cut, the standard recipe require another extended baking time to finish baking the individual cookies.

Then it came down to the taste test. The cleaner biscotti has a hint of that whole wheat character that I have, quite honestly, come to prefer.  The standard biscotti seemed to be missing something, in comparison, but is more sweet.  But, I am being nit-picky.  Either version is a delight!  The sweet biscotti paired with tart fresh cranberries, a hint of cinnamon and spice, and creamy white chocolate chunks all come together beautifully in a perfect fall treat.

Let me go ahead and clarify how much of a treat it is.  I got about 12 slices out of the standard recipe and 11 out of the cleaner one, counting the two ends as one piece since they are significantly smaller than middle pieces.  With that in mind, the breakdown follows each recipe.  Oddly enough, the substitute I used for the butter has more calories and fat overall, so the cookies do as well.  However, the saturated fat is (marginally) lower in the cleaner cookies, the fiber is much higher, and the sugar still has all the vitamins nature intended!  A decent trade off, I think, for something that is a treat no matter what dietary plan you follow.  Having demonstrated the flexibility of this recipe, I will experiment in the future with other butter substitutes, namely the one I'd intended to get, as well as Smart Balance 50/50.

Cranberry Pumpkin Pecan Biscotti (Standard)

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 oz. good quality white chocolate
• 1 1/3 cups pecans
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup pumpkin (fresh is best)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
  

Combine first five (5) ingredients in food process. Blend until all ingredients are fully mixed. Cut chilled butter into pieces and feed into processor until a fine meal is formed. Add white chocolate until chopped. Add pecans and process until coarsely chopped, being careful not to over-process.

Combine eggs, pumpkin and vanilla extract in large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and cranberries and stir until fully incorporated. A moist dough will form.  Grease and flour an 18x12 cookie sheet, or line with parchment paper.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, forming 3 logs equidistant from each other. With moistened fingers, shape into 2 inch wide logs. Refrigerate logs for 15 min.

Place cookie sheet on rack in center of oven which has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool logs completely on rack. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees.

Carefully slice logs with a heavy, sharp knife. I slice them on the diagonal about 1/2 inch wide. Place cut cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly toasted. Longer if a harder biscotti is your preference. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (per cookie)
Calories: 203
Fat: 9 g
Sat. Fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 97 mg
Carbohydrate: 28.8 g
Fiber: 0.6 g
Sugar: 16.5 g
Protein: 2.9 g

Cranberry Pumpkin Pecan Biscotti (Cleaner)

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1 1/3 cups sucanat
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter substitute of choice
  
• 3 1/2 oz. good quality white chocolate
• 1 1/3 cups pecans
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup pumpkin (fresh is best)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
  

Combine first five (5) ingredients in food process. Blend until all ingredients are fully mixed. Cut chilled butter substitute into pieces and feed into processor until a fine meal is formed. Add white chocolate until chopped. Add pecans and process until coarsely chopped, being careful not to over-process.

Combine eggs, pumpkin and vanilla extract in large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and cranberries and stir until fully incorporated. A moist dough will form.  Grease and flour an 18x12 cookie sheet, or line with parchment paper.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, forming 3 logs equidistant from each other. With moistened fingers, shape into 2 inch wide logs. Refrigerate logs for 15 min.

Place cookie sheet on rack in center of oven which has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool logs completely on rack.Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees.

Carefully slice logs with a heavy, sharp knife. I slice them on the diagonal about 1/2 inch wide. Place cut cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly toasted. Longer if a harder biscotti is your preference. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (per cookie)
Calories: 230
Fat:11.2 g
Sat. Fat: 3.4 g
Cholesterol: 19.5 mg
Sodium: 160 mg
Carbohydrate: 29.7 g
Fiber: 2.9 g
Sugar: 15.8 g
Protein: 3.2 g

Oat Bran Cranberry Pancakes

I love cranberries. Seeing fresh cranberries starting to appear in the grocery store gets me all excited because it means that winter is approaching. For many people, winter is the most dreadful part of the year, but I love it! Wrapped in a fluffy wool sweater, enjoying hot cocoa in front of a crackling fire with snow falling outside is one of my favorite places to be.

But I'm getting sidetracked. I'm also excited to see the cranberries appear because I love to cook and bake with them. Each season has it's gems of fruits and vegetables to cook with, and utilizing each of those at the peak of their freshness is the subject of Simply in Season, a cookbook by Cathleen Hockman-Wert and Mary Beth Lind.  Fellow food blogger Wendy is cooking her way through this book and I've enjoyed watching her journey.  There's only one problem - Wendy is allergic to cranberries.  When she asked around for some help making all the cranberry recipes in the book, I gladly offered up my love for cranberries - and pancakes!  I knew from seeing the name of the recipe that it was going to be right up my (clean eating) alley. 

These pancakes are fantastic!  Fluffy, delicious, packed with fiber and protein for a filling breakfast.  This is definitely my new favorite pancake recipe, as I think it can be adapted for different seasons using different fruit additions.  Next time I might turn up the cinnamon and ginger, because I love those two spices and they weren't quite strong enough for me.  The cranberry syrup thickened nicely with the help of some cornstarch, and really brought the cranberry flavor to the next level for this dish.  I got nine pancakes from this recipe and included the nutritional information (only change being that I used 2% milk instead of whole) per pancake.  I also included the total for the batter so if you make smaller or larger pancakes, it's will be easier to calculate the values for your pancakes.  Huge thanks to Wendy for sharing the recipe and letting me take part in her Simply In Season journey!


Oat Bran Cranberry Pancakes
Directions adapted from: Simply In Season, provided by Wendy

• 3/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 teaspoons honey (slightly warmed)
• 1/2 cup cranberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup apple, chopped

Stir together oat bran through ginger in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, oil and honey; stir to mix.  Add wet ingredients to dry, stir just until mixed.  Fold in cranberries and apple.  Heat griddle or pan, then spray with cooking spray.  Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle, repeat with remaining batter.  Heat until bubbles form at the surface and bottom is lightly browned, then flip and cook through.  Serve with cranberry syrup (recipe follows)

Cranberry Syrup
Source: Simply In Season, provided by Wendy

Boil together 1 cup cranberry juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and a pinch of ground ginger.


Nutritional Information
For total batter followed by per pancake (based on 9 pancakes per whole recipe)
Calories:  980; 109
Fat: 34g; 3.8g
Sat. Fat: 95.g; 1.1g
Cholesterol: 235 mg; 26mg
Sodium: 3840 mg; 426 mg
Potassium: 280 mg; 31 mg
Carbohydrates: 150 g; 16.7g
Fiber: 34g; 3.7 g
Sugar: 28.5 g; 3.2 g
Protein: 40g; 4.5 g

Hot Cocoa Mix

I love hot chocolate, and we have no less than 4 different varieties of hot cocoa mix in our cabinet (even one we got in Costa Rica!).  With my new attitude towards eating clean, those don't fit in my lifestyle anymore.  I was so happy to see a clean alternative in the November/December 2009 issue of Clean Eating magazine.  The original mix calls for peppermint tea leaves, and while mint is one of my favorite flavors, this time around I was drawn to the intoxicating scent of a fresh jar of Penzeys Cinnamon.  This hot cocoa has a rich chocolately flavor that is perfect on a blistery day, and best of all - it's portable! 

Warming Hot Cocoa
Adapted from: Clean Eating Magazine, November/December 2009

• 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix (recipe follows)
  
• 1 cup skim milk  OR 1/4 cup dry nonfat milk powder and 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steam the milk in a small saucepan (or heat the water til simmering).  Add cocoa mix and cinnamon to a large mug (along with milk powder if using water).  Pour the steamed milk or heated water into the mug and whisk or stir vigorously to dissolve mix and chocolate bits. Enjoy.

Hot Cocoa Mix

• 2 cups dry nonfat milk powder
• 1 cup sucanat
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped finely

Add to a large container with a tightly fitting lid and shake to mix well.  Makes 16 servings. 

Happy Halloween!

Turkey Sausage Ragu

This meal was fantastic.  Easy to prepare ingredients as you went along, very flavorful, and you are left with an almost full bottle of wine to consume - what's not to like?  It has a nice heat from the spicy sausage and crushed red chili pepper flakes, so my husband adored it.  I've decided I'm not the world's biggest kale fan, so I think next time I'll use spinach.  Overall, a lovely dish. 

Turkey Sausage Ragu
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, November/December 2009, page 27, by Chef Nathan Lyons
Serves: 4

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 8 ounces spicy italian turkey sausage, casings discarded
• 1/4 tsp chile flakes
• 3 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup red wine
• one 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, torn
• 1 large bunch fresh kale, cleaned, stems discarded, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces whole wheat pappardelle, fettuccini, or tagliatelle pasta
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, for garnish
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for garnish

1. Add 1 tbsp oil, onion and thyme to a medium pot over medium heat.  Stir to coat, cover and cook until onion is softened and just beginning to color, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.  Uncover pot, add sausage, chile flakes and garlic, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Off the heat, carefully deglaze by adding wine.  Return to heat and reduce for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, oregano, and kale.  Stir well, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove cover and continue coking until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, 10 minutes.  Stir in additional 2 tbsp oil plus vinegar.  Season with salt and black pepper.
2. When sauce is almost finished cooking, add pasta to large pot filled with boiling salted water and cook until al dente, following package directions.  Drain well and immediately toss with tomato reduction to coat.  Then serve, topped with a drizzle of oil, a sprinkling of parsley and cheese shavings.

Nutritional Information per serving (2.5 ounces pasta and 1 cup sauce)
Calories: 477
Total Fat: 17.5 g
Sat Fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 33 mg
Sodium: 474 mg
Carbs 63g
Fiber: 11g
Sugar: 9.5g
Protein: 21g

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This is another gem from Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads.  I don't know how many ways I can express my love for this book, and the recipes therein, but this one has me singing its praises again!  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the chopped walnuts and pecans (I did a mix of both) worked into the dough.  They add a nice bite to an other wise soft dough. I could see after the fact that I should have used every last bit of the cinnamon/sugar mixture in the swirl, as mine is not terribly pronounced.

I think it ended up being a bit too cold in my house, and the bread didn't rise well after rolling into shape.  I got impatient and just baked it anyway, but I think it would have looked a lot nicer had I let it rise appropriately.  I could also see, after the fact, that I should have used every last bit of the cinnamon/sugar mixture in the swirl, as mine is not terribly pronounced.  Any way you slice it, it tastes fantastic and I can't wait to make it again!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Source: Rewritten/Slightly adapted from Whole Grain Breads, by Peter Reinhart
Yield: 1 loaf

Day 1:
Soaker:
170 grams whole wheat flour
3/8 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
170 grams milk or yogurt
170 grams raisins

Mix all ingredients except raisins together in a bowl for about one minute, until all of the flour is hydrated and the ingredients form a ball of dough. Add raisins and knead with wet hands until incorporated.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave at room temp for 12 to 24 hours. (If you need more time, place in refrigerator for up to 3 days, but leave at room temp 2 hours before continuing with bread).

Biga:
170 grams whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast
85 grams milk or yogurt, at room temperature (about 70 degrees F)
56.5 grams melted butter or vegetable oil
1 egg (47 grams), slightly beaten

Mix all the biga ingredients together in a bowl to form a ball of dough. With wet hands, knead dough in the bowl for 2 minutes to be sure all ingredients are evenly distributed and the flour is fully hydrated. The dough should be tacky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead again with wet hands for one minute. The dough will be smoother but still tacky. Transfer to a clean bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.

Day 2:
Remove the biga from the fridge two hours before making the dough.

Final Dough:
All of the Soaker
All of the biga
7 tablespoons (56.5 grams) whole wheat flour
5/8 teaspoon (5 grams) salt
2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) instant yeast
28.5 grams honey or agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon (4 grams) plus 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
85 grams chopped pecans or walnuts
3 Tablespoons sugar or sucanat


1. Chop the soaker and biga into 12 smaller pieces (sprinkle flour over pieces to prevent sticking).

2. By hand: combine biga and soaker into a large bowl with flour through honey, plus 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  Stir vigorously with a mixing spoon or knead with wet hands for about 2 minutes, until all ingredients are evenly integrated. Dough should be soft and slightly sticky, if not, add more flour or water as needed.

By stand mixer: combine biga and soaker with flour through honey, plus 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into mixer bowl and mix on low speed for one minute with paddle (preferred) or hook. Switch to hook and mix on medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes until dough becomes cohesive and assimilated into each other. Add more flour or water as needed until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

3. Dust a work surface with flour, the roll the dough in flour to coat. Sprinkle nuts on dough and knead by hand for 3 to 4 minutes, incorporating only as much flour as needed, until the dough feels soft and tacky, but not sticky. Form the dough into a ball and let it rest on the work surface for 5 minutes while you prepare a clean, lightly oiled bowl.

4. Resume kneading for 1 minutes to strengthen the gluten and make any final water/flour adjustments. Dough should have the strength to pass the windowpane test, but still be soft, supple, and very tacky. Form dough into a ball and place in prepared bowl, rolling to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, until it is about 1.5 times its original size.

5. Dust work surface with 1 tablespoon of flour.  Transfer dough to work surface without tearing.  Roll into 8"x8" square that is 1/2" thick.  Mix 2 teaspoons cinnamon with 3 tablespoons sugar or sucanat and sprinkle mixture evenly on dough.  Roll dough into a tight loaf.  Place in a greased 4 1/2"x9" pan.  Mist the top of the loaf with cooking spray, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, until it is about 1.5 times its original size.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F, remove plastic wrap and place pan in oven on middle rack.  Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan and continue baking 25 to 40 minutes more, until bread is golden brown on all sides and a thermometer inserted registers at least 195 degrees F. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for at least one hour before serving.

Think Pink Sugar Cookies

Last year, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I sent some close friends and family “Kick Cancer’s Bum” cookies.  They were a big hit and I decided to send cookies again this year (since I sadly could not mail the delicious cheesecakes!).  I kept it simple this time by flooding the cookies with white, thinned royal icing, then following with a piping bag filled with pink, thinned royal icing in the shape of the ribbon. 

I’ve been making this sugar cookie recipe for well over a year and love it.  Fantastic flavor and they bake up like a dream! 

The Most Fabulous Sugar Cookies
Source: As seen on Good Things Catered, by Ashlee

• 1 1/2 c. butter
• 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 5 c. flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly.
Add vanilla, almond, and lemon zest.
Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt a little at a time.
Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.
Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake cookies for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.
Wait until cookies are cooled before icing.

Think Pink Cheesecake

I am blessed to have two very special women in my life - two very special breast cancer surviving women - my grandmother and a very close friend.  For that reason, October has always been a very special month, as it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Last year, I sent them some fabulous Kick Cancer's Bum cookies, which I had a blast making and (I hope) they had a blast eating!

This year I wanted to participate in Jen's The Power of Pink Challenge.  Katie had yet another great idea of making mini cheesecakes with a ribbon swirl made of berry puree.  I originally found a recipe for mini cheesecakes (which helped me with timing and temperature), but later realized that I should probably consult my copy of Baking Illustrated, which as been collecting dust on my bookshelf.  I made some adjustments to the first recipe based on the information in Baking Illustrated. The resulting cheesecake is light, with an almost whipped texture, and absolutely delicious.  The hint of strawberry from the incorporated puree is wonderful.

 

Think Pink Cheesecake
Adapted from: Fresh from the Oven / Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors) / Baking Illustrated

Yield: 13 mini cheesecakes

For the crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  
• 3 tablespoon sugar

For the cheesecake:

• 6 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries
• two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
• 2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
  
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  

1. Place the strawberries and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and allow berries to macerate for 1-2 hours, then add to a small food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Strain puree to remove seeds.
2. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  Line 13 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.(You can use Reynold's disposable aluminum foil cups if you don't have 2 pans). 
3. Prepare crust by combining graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a bowl and stirring to combine.  Press 2 teaspoons of crust mixture into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.  Bake 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Put one package of cream cheese and 1/3 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the sour cream just until it's completely blended.
5. Add 1/4 cup of strawberry puree to a small bowl.  Add 1/4 cup of cheesecake batter and stir thoroughly, then add the puree blend to a ziplock bag.
6. Add remaining strawberry puree (about 1/4 cup) to the cheesecake batter and stir thoroughly to blend.
7. Divide the batter among the 13 muffin cups (fill each one almost up to the top). Cut a very small tip off the corner of the plastic bag containing the puree, and gently pipe ribbon shape with puree in the top of each mini cheesecake.
8. Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.  Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.  If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
   
   

Fun with my Freezer

I decided to finally clean a few things out of my freezer today (making room for bagels, of course) and found some beautiful ice crystals on the inside of a container.