Love At First Mixer!

A few weeks ago Lowe's had a special offer advertised where you could get a KitchenAid Artisan mixer for $150. Not only was that an amazing price, but they also had a $30 rebate so the mixer only came out to $120! As soon as I heard about this offer I jumped on it since I had been wanting this mixer for so long. So I immediately called the closest Lowe's and placed an order for it. And now 3 weeks later I am a proud owner of a beautiful pink KitchenAid Artisan Mixer. It is absolute heaven and has made baking so much fun (and easier!). This weekend I took advantage of an empty house, put my baker's hat on and broke in the new mixer. Not only did the apartment smell divine but everything came out so delicious. First, I made a cheesecake from the recipe book that came with the mixer and then I made cinnamon rolls from a recipe that I got from Nestie Pinkwife8506.

New York Style-Sour cream-Topped Cheesecake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups Honey Maid Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
2 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 container (16 oz.) Breakstone's or Knudsen Sour Cream, divided
4 eggs
Fruit for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Combine crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. of the sugar in pan; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Place cream cheese, 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tsp. of the vanilla in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 4 and mix until well blended. Continuing on Speed 4 add one cup sour cream; mix well. Stop and scrape bowl.

Turn to Speed 2 and add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Pour over crust.

Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Mix remaining sour cream, 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until well blended; carefully spread over cheesecake. Bake an additional 10 min. Cool completely then cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

To serve, lift cheesecake from pan using foil handles. Cut into 16 pieces. Top with you favorite topping (strawberries, cherries, etc) just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

For the non-mixer recipe click here.

Cinnamon Rolls



Rolls Ingredients
1 cup lukewarm water
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up
4 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Filling Ingredients
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients
3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring till the mixture becomes cohesive. Transferthe dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and knead it for 5 to 8 minutes, till it's smooth. Or knead it in an electric mixer, using the dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to grease all sides, cover the bowl with a proof cover or plastic wrap, and let it rise for 60 minutes, till it's nearly doubled in bulk.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and roll it into a 16 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with the 1/3 cup butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle it evenly over the dough.

Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log, and cut it into 12 slices. Place the buns in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Cover the pan with a proof cover or plastic wrap, and let the buns rise until they're nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400.

Bake the buns in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the icing.

Glaze Directions

In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Spread the icing on the buns while they're warm.

Enjoy!!