Green Tea Sweets

Yield: appx 25 2-inch cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 145g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1.5 tbsp Matcha (powdered green tea)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (for coating)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk the confectioner’s sugar and green tea together in a bowl.
3. Add the butter and green tea/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and light in color.
4. Add the flour and mix until well combined.
5. Add the egg yolks and mix just until the eggs are fully incorporated and a mass forms.
6. Form the dough into a disk and chill in the refrigerator until firm (about 30 minutes).
7. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thickness.
8. Cut the dough with a leaf cookie cutter.
9. Toss each cut cookie in a bowl of granulated sugar to coat.
10. Place the sugar-coated cookie on a parchment lined pan. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges.

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Persimmon Crème Brûlée

Yields: 8 servings

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large egg yolks
• 1 large ripe persimmon, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place eight 6-ounce crème brûlée dishes in a roasting pan; set aside. 
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat just to a simmer and remove from the heat. 
3. Stir in vanilla and cool to room temperature. 
4. Whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. 
5. Gently whisk the cream mixture into the yolk mixture. 
6. Pour the custard into the dishes and transfer to the oven’s middle rack. 
7. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the side of the dishes. 
8. Bake until set but still jiggly in the center — about 50 minutes. Cool completely. 
9. Cover and chill up to 2 days. 
10. Brûlée the tops, heat the broiler or prepare a kitchen torch. 
11. Place a persimmon slice on each crème brûlée and sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the top of each. 
12. Place dishes on a baking sheet and broil, watching carefully, or use a torch to melt the sugar until bubbling and golden brown. 
13. Let rest until the sugar hardens to a crisp shell.

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Churro Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar (see note below)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 16 tbs unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and softened
• 2 tbs cream cheese, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs melted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbs plus 2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Note: If you can’t find superfine sugar, simply process 1 cup granulated sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds, then measure out 3/4 cup for the recipe. 

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour mixture, one piece at a time. Continue to beat the flour-butter mixture until it looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1-2 minutes.
2. Beat in the cream cheese and vanilla until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Knead the dough in the bowl by hand a few times until it forms a large cohesive mass. 
3. Roll cookie dough into rods about 3/4-1 inch in diameter. Cut the rods into 3 inch pieces, place on a plate and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 2T plus 2tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. 
4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies on a baking sheet, with about an inch between each cookie. Using a pastry brush, brush each cookie with melted butter, and then sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar mixture. 
5. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and immediately place indentations lengthwise along the cookies using a wooden skewer. Let cookies cool for five minutes on the cookie sheet, then place on a cooling rack to cool completely. 
6. (Optional) For more cinnamon-sugar flavor, brush cooled cookies with more melted butter and sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar

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Cheesecake Brownie Bites

Yields: about 30 brownie bites

Ingredients

For brownie:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbs instant espresso powder, mixed with 2 tsp water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup flour

For cheesecake filling:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbs sugar
• 1 large egg yolk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso and water, and vanilla until well combined.
3. Stir in sugar and melted butter until well combined. Then stir in flour. Set brownie batter aside.
4. In a separate bowl, stir together cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk until well combined. Transfer to pastry bag.
5. Grease a mini-muffin pan. Spoon 1 tbs brownie batter into each cup. Pipe a generous amount of cheesecake filling atop brownie batter, then top each with an additional tsp of brownie batter. (Swirl to create a marbled effect)
6. Bake for 12 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan. Eat warm or transfer to cooling rack.

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Cranberry Bliss Bars

Ingredients

For blondie layer:

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 oz white chocolate (coarsely chopped)

For frosting:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 6 oz white chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (coarsely chopped)
• (Optional) 1 tsp grated orange zest

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish or line with parchment paper.
2. To prepare blondie layer: In a medium bowl, melt butter for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar. Pour into large bowl and let cool to room temperature. 
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla with electric mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
5. Gradually add dry mixture to butter mixture.
6. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate.
7. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 18-21 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
8. Let cool completely.
9. To prepare frosting: Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl until combined. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate and beat until blended.
10. Frost blondies. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries. Drizzle remaining white chocolate.
11. Let frosting set, then cut into bars. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

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Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients

• 1 lb large strawberries
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4-1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

Yields: 30 cheesecakes

Ingredients

• 42 oreos (30 whole, 12 coarsely chopped)
• 2 lbs (32 oz) cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line muffin pans with liners. Place 1 Oreo at the bottom of each liner.
2. Beat cream cheese at medium speed using an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar. Beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs slowly. Beat in sour cream and salt.
4. Stir in chopped Oreos by hand.
5. Divide batter among muffin tins, filling each almost to the top.
6. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set (about 22 minutes).
7. Let cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).
8. If desired, garnish with whipped cream and crumbled Oreos.

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Ambrosia Salad

Yields: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (11 oz) can of mandarin oranges
• 1 (8 oz) can of crushed pineapple
• 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip Whipped Topping

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Chocolate Fudge S’mores Mug Cake [Recipe 10]

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Nutella Fudge Pops

Yields: 6-7 pops

Ingredients

• 3 frozen bananas
• 1 tbs cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

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No-Bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Yield: 9 bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add in brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix to combine. Add in oats and stir. Cook over medium-low for 4 minutes.
2. Melt chocolate and peanut butter in microwavable bowl. Set aside.
3. Lightly grease 8x8 baking pan. Press 3/4 of oat mixture into bottom of pan. Pour melted chocolate and peanut butter over oats. Crumble remaining oats on top.
4. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

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Or use any other cake recipe