Cream Cheese Icing (you could eat this by itself)

So here is the basic cream cheese icing. It isn't fancy. That's because it doesn't need to be. It is just plain good.

6 oz cream cheese (that's 3/4 of an 8oz block)*
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2- 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Start adding powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time until it turns fluffy and easy to spread.

*Note: I've had mixed results with "Lowfat" cream cheese (Neufchatel cheese). This stuff has a higher water content and less fat (dur!) and so it is wetter. This also means it will make your resulting icing much softer. Too soft. If you decide to use Neufchatel in recipes like this where it is uncooked and mixed in to dry ingredients, I find cutting it to 3/4 of what the recipe asks for is about right to keep it from becoming runny.

Perfect Carrot Cake everytime

This is absolutely the best recipe for desert that I have. It has come out perfect nearly every time I've made it (and I've nearly screwed it up a few times too and it still came out good)

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
3 cups finely chopped carrots
3/4 cup oil
1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
1 cream cheese frosting recipe (see my next post)

Take 2 8" cake pans and grease with shortening or butter. Line the bottoms with wax paper. Grease the wax paper. (Do a good job or you might end up with paper in your cake)

combine liquids, including carrots in mixer. Add dry ingredients. Pour into lined pans.

Bake at 350f for 30-35 minutes. Cool on racks for at least 10 minutes. Stuffing them in the fridge for a half hour is better so the cream cheese icing doesn't melt.

Ice and eat.

Classic Cheesecake ala BHG

1 3/4 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

3 8-oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon peel (optional)
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup milk

Combine graham crackers, cinnamon, butter, (and walnuts) in a bowl. Press into 8" or 9" springform pan, creating a bottom and sides of about 1-1 1/2". Use a flat bottomed cup/glass to tamp it down.

In mixer beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, (and lemon peel). Add eggs and egg yolk. Beat on low until combined. Add milk.

Pour filling into crust. Bake at 375f for 45-50 minutes for 8", 35-40 for 9".

Cool on rack for 15 minutes. Chill for 4 hours for best results ( Make this a day before you need it. It is worth it too)

Orange cupcakes

1 small orange
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup self rising flour

1. Pressure cook the orange for 15 minutes. Blend well.
2. Mix everything together
3. Bake at 350f for 25-30 minutes

Cream Cheese Pie Crust

1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1. Soften cream cheese and butter. Add flour a little at a time
2. Roll out between two pieces of wax paper
3. Poke holes with a fork
4. Line into a pie pan
5. Bake at 350f for 10 minutes

The ultimate cheese muffins (Pao de Queijo)

1 14oz bag of tapioca flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs

1. Bring milk, butter, salt to a boil
2. Mix in flour. Add eggs. Add cheese.
3. Scoop mix into sprayed mini muffin tin.
4. Bake about 10 minutes at 400f
5. Enjoy
6. Reminisce about the muffins you just ate and yearn for more

Cornbread

1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 400f. Grease a 9 inch round cakepan.
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Add in egg, milk and oil. Pour into pan.
3. Bake in oven 20-25 minutes until toothpick to center of loaf comes out clean.