Sweets For the Sweet

Well, after a few days of absolutely stunning weather, I woke up to the rain today and I guess we have a cold front coming through this weekend. We've dropped from temps hovering at 80 degrees, down to 68 degrees and this weekend they are expecting it to be 40 degrees. A forty degree drop in just a few days is just too darn cold for this beach gal! Now I know most of you are experiencing much colder temperatures, but this is Florida, the Land of Sunshine.

I guess I better put away my shorts and tank tops and pull those sweats out of storage. This means I will also have to go out in the rain today and pick-up some firewood. Well, a fire is cozy and I do have a book I've been meaning to read. AND, I made myself one of those snuggie blankets, so I guess I'll finally get to use it. I also have this outrageously expensive hot chocolate mix ($18), I bought using a gift card I received to a specialty chocolate shop, so I can whipped that up and give it a taste test. Maybe a little cold weather won't be so bad after all, as long as it passes quickly and I can get back to the beach next week.

All I can say is that I'm happy the sun was shining for Stella's visit. My plans for the weekend are to surf around blogland and read the posts from Outdoor Wednesday and Foodie Friday, so the rain can come down all it wants and it can get as cold as it wants, just don't let the power go out!

Last year I made this recipe after seeing it featured on Good Morning America. I'm not a huge fan of cheesecake, but I will happily take a bite of yours should we happen to be be lunching together. That's what I like, just a bite (or two). When I whipped these up, rather than cutting them into bars, I cut them into bite-sized pieces and served them in candy-sized paper cups. They were in a word — YUMMY!

Sweet Potato Cheesecake
Bars (or Bites)

Ingredients:

Yellow Crust
Nonstick vegetable cooking spray
1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 egg

Sweet Potato Filling
2 cups baked sweet potatoes (or 16-ounces Ore Ida Steam N Mash®)
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Sour Cream Filling
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Granola Topping
1 1/4 cups granola cereal
1/2 cup white baking chips
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

For Yellow Crust, in a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and egg; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture forms crumbs. Press crumb mixture evenly into prepared baking pan; set aside.

For Sweet Potato Filling, in a food processor, combine sweet potatoes (already steamed following instructions on the package), cream cheese, sugar, egg, and pumpkin pie spice; cover and process until smooth. Spread sweet potato mixture evenly over crust layer. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or just until set and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

For Sour Cream Filling, in a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla; spread over hot sweet potato filling. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes more or until set and edges bubble. Cool in pan on wire rack.

For Granola Topping, in a small bowl, combine granola, white baking chips, and pumpkin pie spice; break up any large pieces of granola. Sprinkle granola mixture over sour cream filling; press in lightly. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until chilled. Cut into bars.

Copyright © 2008 Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts 2

This recipe is the creation of Sandra Lee and you can find it in her book Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts 2.

I put four of these little delights in the freezer for my consumption at a later date. They froze beautifully and were just as delicious as they were at Christmas.

I also want to share a recipe I mentioned in a comment on While We're Waiting. The blogger, KS, ask me for the recipe and I promised I would post it today. I used to make this Bailey's Eggnog for my friends on Christmas Eve and it's like drinking a cloud. I was a bartender in my younger years and this recipe came attached to the bottles one year.

I haven't made this for many years and it is a "pre-Salmonella" recipe. Although the Egg Board says only 1 in 20,000 eggs is infected with this bacteria, I would never take that chance with my guests. I did some research and according to the USDA, "…in-shell pasteurized eggs may be used safely without cooking."

Further searching led me to Davidson's, an egg company who distributes pasteurized shell eggs. Follow this link to their store locator to see if they are available in your area. You may have eggs from another company who pasteurizes their eggs, so ask your grocer. If you live in Florida, like I do, the Davidson's Pasteurized Shell Eggs are available at Publix. If your local store doesn't have them on their shelves, ask a manager to order them for you. The item code is 76888.

I don't recommend the recipes made cooking the eggs into a custard-like substance, they are too thick and just plain yucky. I have read that using the liquid pasteurized egg products also don't produce a flavorful eggnog. If you can't find pasteurized eggs, I would just buy already prepared eggnog, the thick-style, add the Bailey's and fold in the whipped cream. Will it taste as good as my recipe? I doubt it, but I think it would still be good, adding Bailey's just makes a good, creamy eggnog without that strong alcohol taste.

With all that said, here is the recipe:

Bailey's Irish Cream Eggnog for a Party

• 12 eggs, separated
• 
1 cup sugar

• 1 cup milk
• 
2 cups Bailey's Irish Cream
• 
6 cups heavy cream

• freshly grated nutmeg

1. In a large chilled bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar with an electric hand mixer until very thick and creamy. Set aside.
2. In another chilled bowl beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
3. Combine egg whites with egg yolks, mixing on low speed for just a minute.
4. Stir in the Bailey's by hand.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the eggnog mixture.
6. Serve immediately and remember to share with others.

You can also try this easy recipe:

Slippery Eggs

• 1 cup non-alcoholic eggnog
• 2 shots Bailey's® Irish cream
• 2 shots butterscotch schnapps
• ice cubes
  

Stir ingredients well so that the drink is the original color of the eggnog; serve over ice.

The Eggnog Poem

If you see a fat man, who's jolly and cute,

wearing a beard and a red flannel suit;

And if he is chuckling and laughing away,

while flying around in a gift-laden sleigh;

With eight tiny reindeer to pull him along;

Then let's face it — your eggnog's too strong!

(Author unknown)

Have you entered the giveaways at Ocean Dreams and While We're Waiting? They are both absolutely fabulous and you can find links to each of them in my sidebar.

'Tis Friday again, so you all know that if you stop by Michael's at Designs By Gollum you'll find fabulous links to more Foodie Friday participants. Have a wonderful week, stay warm, bake your hearts out and enjoy the festivities!