It's only a number

So...can you tell it's my birthday? A post all about DESSERTS...oh, yes, now I know I'm officially over 40...but only by one year. Eat something tasty and think of me today!

All treats featured above are from the delicious "eats and edibles" catagory of shops on Etsy...click the images for more info, more treats to make you drool, and, of course, to shop.

Recipe: Orange Ribbon Cheesecake

Creamy cheesecake with a glistening topping of caramelized, candy-like orange slices. Prep and Cook Time: about 2 1/4 hours, plus at least 3 1/2 hours to cool and chill.

Notes: For the topping, slice the whole orange as thinly and evenly as possible. Easier still: cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise in thin slices.

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• For topping
• 1 large thin-skinned orange, such as Valencia
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• For cheesecake
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Mariner or Cointreau, or 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Preparation

1. For topping: Rinse and dry orange. With a sharp knife, slice into thin rounds (between 1/8 and 1/16 in. thick; see Notes), discarding ends and seeds. In a deep 10-in. frying pan or pot over medium-high heat, stir sugar, 3/4 cup water, and lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Add orange slices and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, until they're slightly candied and translucent and liquid has the consistency of a thin syrup, about 20 minutes (there should be about 1/2 cup liquid in pan; if less, add enough hot water to make that amount and shake pan to mix water into syrup). Let cool in pan. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days.

2. For cheesecake: Preheat oven to 300°. Pour graham cracker crumbs into a 9-in. cheesecake pan with removable rim; add butter and mix. Press mixture evenly over bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of pan.

3. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in flour, sour cream, and liqueur just until incorporated. Pour into crust-lined pan.

4. Bake until center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, 60 to 70 minutes. Run a thin-bladed knife between cake and pan rim. Cool completely at room temperature, then cover and chill until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

5. Remove pan rim. If any moisture collects on top of cake, gently blot dry. Gently lift candied orange slices from syrup, reserving syrup, and blot dry with a paper towel. Arrange slices, slightly overlapping, over top of cheesecake.

6. Measure orange juice. Bring reserved syrup to a boil over high heat. Stir occasionally until syrup is deep golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully stir in orange juice (mixture will bubble up). Let cool to room temperature and generously brush over orange slices (you may have extra syrup).

7. Serve cheesecake, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Use a serrated knife to cut cake, wiping blade clean after each slice.

I really need something like this to perk me up; it's been a rough week. If you bake one let me know how it turns out!

Recipe and image via.

Recipe: Baked Apples with Ginger

Serve these apples warm but have cold, heavy cream to pour over them at the table--or vanilla ice cream is super, too.

Core 6 large baking apples almost to the bottom, and peel halfway down. Mix 1 cup chopped candied or preserved ginger with 1 cup chopped filberts or almonds. Fill cavities with this mixture; put in a baking dish.

Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and a 6-ounce glass of currant jelly, and pour into the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the syrup in the pan. Sprinkle the apples with granulated sugar and put under the broiler until brown.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from ~ Adventures in Food published by Sunset Magazine © 1964.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
1. Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat together peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, then mix until just combined.
4. Divide batter among lined muffin cups (about two-thirds full) and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto a rack and cool completely.
5. Make icing while cupcakes cool: Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
6. To thicken icing to spreading consistency quickly, spread it on a metal baking sheet and chill until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Scrape icing back into bowl and stir until smooth. Spread icing on cupcakes and sprinkle with peanuts.

Yield: 12 servings

Cooks' notes
If you aren't pressed for time, chill icing in bowl, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes before spreading on cupcakes.

Iced cupcakes keep, chilled in an airtight container, 3 days.

Recipe: Baked Oatmeal

Autumn is upon us! I always get the urge to bake in the fall, do you? Back-to-school starts for me next week. My classes are all in the afternoon and evening but this looks like a healthy and tasty breakfast I'll have to try. And the topping choices are almost unlimited...yum!

Ingredients
2 cups Quick Quaker® Oats OR 2-1/4 cups Old Fashioned Quaker® Oats, uncooked
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3-1/3 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup cup liquid egg substitute with yolk or 2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Preparation
Heat oven to 350º F. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine oats and granulated sugar. In medium bowl, combine milk, egg substitute and vanilla; mix well. Add to oat mixture; mix well. Pour into baking dish.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center jiggles slightly. Remove from oven to cooling rack.

Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top of oatmeal. Using back of spoon, gently spread sugar into a thin layer across entire surface of oatmeal. Return to oven; bake just until sugar melts, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set oven to broil. Broil 3 inches from heat until sugar bubbles and browns slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch carefully to prevent burning. It may be necessary to turn baking dish.) Spoon into bowls to serve.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time Time: 40 min

Recipe and image via.

Etsy Profile: Chiu Mei - Fancy That Cookies

Tell me a bit about yourself.

My name is Chiu Mei (like CHO - MAY). I am Taiwanese by birth but have lived in the USA for 18 years, currently in Raleigh, North Carolina. Y‘all would love it down here in the South! I just got married a couple of years ago and have worked as a restaurant pastry chef for the last five years. My husband had been gaining weight eating all my desserts, so I thought I should find another avenue to share them before he got too heavy!

name your own fortune cookies

Apart from baking what do you enjoy?

I like to cook, sew, travel (we went to London and Paris for our honeymoon), shop (hence my need to sell my baked goods), garden (including herbs, berries, hot peppers, vegetables, sunflowers ,etc.) and of course eating - anything and everything! I especially love “bizarre” foods like stinky tofu, escargot, and have even tried kangaroo once!

rich chocolate chip torte (gluten-free, flourless)

What made you get into baking and then selling your goodies?

Our trip to Paris really inspired me to try making the fine desserts/pastries we saw there including macaroons, operas, croissants, eclairs, tiramisu, etc. These take a while to perfect, that is for sure! I will likely add some of these to my shop over the next year, depending on my customer feedback.

spicy meringue bites (lavender, chocolate, green tea)

movorian sugar cookies (low sugar)

Please describe your creative process.

I love to try out new things and have found that many things that do not necessarily sound all that good can be very tasty and more fun. I get some of my ideas from the gardening that I do, reading and just talking to people about the things that they like. In my Etsy shop you can find just about everything sweet you are looking for--cookies, brownies, tarts, pies, and more. I offer vegan and flourless items as well. If you don't see what you want, let me know and I will do my best to satisfy your sweet tooth! All my ingredients are fresh and no preservatives are used. If you have any special dietary needs let me know that, too. I have a two year culinary degree, several years pastry chef experience and a food safety class certificate.


chocolate ganache brownies with walnuts

Where can people find your baked goods?

For now only on Etsy in my shop, Fancy That Cookies, but this foray into the e-commerce world is really exciting and I am learning a lot of new, interesting things about the Internet that I hope to be able to utilize for a long time to come.

All images by and copyright of Fancy That Cookies, 2009.