Eli's Chicago-Style Cheesecake (copycat)

I'm a Midwest girl and one of my favorite Chicago eats is Eli's Cheesecake. I grew up on this cheesecake so it set my standard pretty high in terms of cheesecake expectations.

How do I describe Eli's Chicago-style cheesecake? It the simplest form, it's denser and richer than most types of cheesecakes. The taste is quite unique and I can't think of another type of cheesecake that can compare. Another thing that makes Eli's cheesecakes so unique is the shortbread crust! Cheesecake + shortbread = winning!

In the past couple of years, I have really grown an infatuation for cheesecake but nothing really hits the spot like Eli's. So, I set out on a pursuit for a homemade Eli's cheesecake recipe...and I did! I knew it had to be close to the real thing because one time, I looked on a box of Eli's cheesecake recipe and wrote down the ingredients. I was surprised to find sour cream to be in the recipe. When I came across this recipe from The Zen Kitchen, I saw sour cream listed as an ingredient. I actually found this recipe years ago but as odd as it seems, I was a little terrified that I would just be disappointed. That, and the fact that I had never made a cheesecake before. I decided to face my fears and try, and good thing that I did!

This recipe hit so close to home, no pun intended. While it was a lot of work, it was a complete success and most definitely worth the time. I made my own homemade sea salt caramel (recipe not included) and it was the perfect icing on the (cheese) cake!

Give this a try and you'll never want to eat any other cheesecake! You've been warned! To The Zen Kitchen, thank you for being brilliant!

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

In the summertime, I try to reduce the amount of baking because of the summer heat. The last thing is to have the temperature of my house to match the temperature outside. So, I've been on a pursuit this summer to find some non-oven recipes greatness. Thanks to Pinterest, I found this recipe: no bake peanut butter bars. Not only does this recipe requires no baking, it is super simple to make. I didn't realize that these bars taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup until I shared the end product with some friends. In my opinion, the bars tasted better cold because it has more texture. If the bars are left at room temperature, it gets mushy. There is nothing wrong with a messy, gooey peanut butter bar but just make sure you have lots of napkins or a fork! I learned the hard way!

Microwave Chocolate Cake - A Sweet Treat Under 5 Minutes

We all have our lazy days and today is one of those days! I've been having an irresistible urge for chocolate cake lately. Even though there are one bowl chocolate cake recipes, it still feels like a lot of work to me. On top of that, I would have this gigantic cake for just one person and have to end up throwing some of it away. That is when I decided to brave up and try a microwave chocolate cake recipe. I was quite skeptical of the baking process and that the chocolate cake would blow up in the microwave. I don't know why, it's just what I imagined.

Of course, this recipe is the exact opposite. To simply describe what I thought of this recipe, I have one word, AMAZING! For the time and effort involved, this is the best dessert in the world. It is amazing how quickly you can satisfy your sweet chocolate tooth with this chocolate cake. You can vary how long you cook or "bake" your chocolate cake, depending on what kind of cake you want. If you want a lava-like cake, microwave the cake for a shorter amount of time. You'll see the perimeter of the cake done while the inside is still runny. If you prefer a fully baked cake, just microwave the cake a bit longer. This recipe is quite versatile and have many adaptations. Play around with and see what your creativity takes you. 

Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake

I came across this recipe the other day and it just had a great appeal to it. While Oreos + cheesecake + pumpkin is a heavenly combination, the recipe also seemed simple to make. The original recipe used two Oreos per individual cheesecake but I did not have that many Oreos left at home…and I was too lazy to go to the store and pick some up. That would just leave more Oreos laying around for me to consume. I’m glad I had just enough Oreos because not only would the leftovers be stored in my pants, I think two Oreos would have overwhelmed the dessert. I wanted the pumpkin cheesecake to the be the focus of the dessert and to have the Oreo as a “crust” and an added layer of flavor that complemented the rest of the dessert. Additionally, the Oreos I had on hand were the holiday version, hence the red cream filling. I understand while these mini cheesecakes did not turn out to be cutest things ever, it sure tasted like the best things!

For those non-pumpkin eaters, this recipe has a pumpkin appeal. Even though you may not like pumpkin, it sounds more appealing in combination with cream cheese and Oreos. Since there are many other ingredients, the pumpkin flavor is not too overwhelming so it is a great introduction to the pumpkin flavor. The reason why I say this is because I use to be a non-pumpkin fan. I started being more receptive to the idea after I tried pumpkin cheesecake and I have not turned my back since! The recipe is rich, decadent, and more than sufficed my ever-persisting desire for cheesecake.

Chocolate Pot de Creme

I was inspired to make pot de creme at lunch one day with a friend. We opted to share a dessert and decided on pot de creme - the only option I've never tried. I've heard of it but was curious about the big fuss. I'd say it was one of the best decision I've made in my life. As we dissected the dessert, I determined  it tasted like a cross between an airy cake and a pudding. It was delicious and I quickly went home to begin researching how to make my own pot de creme!




Pot de creme is a French dessert that translate to pot of cream. It is a simple dessert, yet appears to be fancy. I like to make pot de creme seem like one of those desserts that took lots of work to make but really, it's easier than making cake. You will fool whoever you make this for but as long as they think you put a lot of time into it, that's all that really matters. We'll keep it between us - I won't tell if you won't!

If you have never heard of pot de creme, think of it as a hybrid of a pudding and custard. Yes, here's another hybrid recipe for you. Check out a hybrid of a flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate souffle with my Skinny Fallen Chocolate Mousse Cake. Pudding is typically made over the stove top and thickened with cornstarch. Pot de creme is richer than pudding because it only uses the egg yolks but the end product has the texture comparable to pudding. Pot de creme is similar to custard because the way it is cooked - in ramekins and in water bath to ensure a smooth textured dessert. I am not too fond of pudding or custard but when create a baby amongst the two, you get the best of both worlds. Here's to having it all!

Yelatin...do you mean gelatin?

Is that a typo? Do I mean gelatin? Nope.

Yelatin is a combination of jello (which contains gelatin) and yogurt. Ergo, yelatin! I came across a new blog last night, GreenLiteBites. It is an addictive blog for someone like me with a crazy healthy eating obsession. I am eager to try many recipes but one of the simplest and most attractive recipes to me was yelatin. Like I said earlier, it is essentially jello with the addition of yogurt. The yogurt gives an complexity to jello by incorporating a creaminess to the jello. After I found this recipe, I ran to my pantry to grab some yogurt and whipped up a batch immediately. I had to wait for it to setup but it was worth the wait.

The end product is a satisfying dessert or snack. I added extra gelatin to give the yelatin a firmer texture (I prefer firmer gelatin products). This is a dessert without the guilt. I made four servings from a box of jello, each coming out to be a measly 60 calories. I must say that's not too bad for a dessert. If you want to reduce the calories to 35-50, use sugar-free jello. I prefer full-sugar jello but if you have dietary restrictions or do not mind the taste of sugarless jello, you can save a few calories. The only thing missing was a dollop of whip cream on the top! It's not necessary but it would have made the dessert a little more elegant and tastier.

Raspberry yelatin!

Panna Cotta

It's probably no surprise to you considering you look at my blog but I have been getting complaints from the family about making the same desserts all the time...cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc. They wanted something different but of course they did not give me suggestions, I'm just suppose to read their mind. Anyways, I went on a European cruise this past summer and we had a great deal of delectable desserts on the cruise. Every night at dinner my family would tell me, "Why don't you make this?" Well, I decided to take them up on one of their offers by making panna cotta which was one of many dessert items that they enjoyed on the cruise. Panna cotta is a creamy dessert with a slightly gelatinous texture so it holds the shape of something that has gelatin but it is a lot softer and silkier than jello.

I think part of the reason why I stuck to my cookies and cakes was because I liked experimenting with different things to make it healthier or lower in fat. However, panna cotta is not one of those things that you can count in terms of calories because it is basically made of heavy whipping cream. Shh, I didn't tell the family!

Anyways, for the first time of making a dessert I have never had, I did a good job. Yes, that's right, I did not eat the panna cotta on the cruise because I was busy eating other things! Anyways, I have seen it numerous times of the Food Network or on Top Chef that I practically felt like I have had it before.

I like panna cotta because it is a super easy dessert and you can make it look fancy. Also, it is very versatile. You can use almond extract instead of vanilla or you can choose from a variety of toppings to to put onto of your dessert. Give it a try and everyone will think you are an amazing baker, I fooled my family a little!