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Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

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I LOVE these cookies. They’re just so, so pretty. My watercolor red velvet sugar cookies are super delicious (hello, red velvet in cookie form), but they are super easy to make, with minimal supplies and they make awesome gifts. Decorate these for Valentine’s Day for your loved ones, or switch it up and make them for the holidays with the cookie cutter of your choice.

Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Red Velvet Sugar Cut Out Cookies

This cookie has all the flavor of red velvet cake in sugar cookie form. This recipe is similar to my go-to sugar cookie recipe, but with the addition of cream cheese, cocoa powder and red gel food coloring. This recipe comes together fast and easily, and can be made in advance and frozen. Bonus, especially if you’re planning on making a lot of cookies.

Room temperature butter and cream cheese is beaten with sugar until just combined. An egg, red gel color, and vanilla are mixed in, followed by flour, cocoa powder and salt. Be sure to beat the butter and sugar together until *just* combined. No need for “light and fluffy” for these cookies. Incorporating air during the beating process contributes to spread as it causes the cookies to puff up and deflate and spread while baking. Chilling the dough before baking is also an important step to help keep the cookies from spreading.

The thinner you roll and cut out the cookies, the more crisp they will be. I like to roll my dough out to about  1/4″ thick to make sure they’re softer towards the center, and crispy on the outside. Once you cut out the cookies, they need to be chilled. Chilling is important with sugar cookies as it helps them retain their shape. Once the cookies have been chilled throughly, they are then baked and cooled.

Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Royal Icing

While the cookies are cooling, make the royal icing. I decorated my cookies with my go-to royal icing. This recipe is slightly different from some recipes because it contains corn syrup, which gives the icing a bit of shine when it dries, but also gives it a bit more elasticity when when piping. Additionally, it helps the royal icing to be a bit softer and not as rock hard when it’s dried.

I used the same icing consistency (15-20 second icing) to outline and fill in my cookies. Thin out stiff royal icing  with a few drops of water at a time until a toothpick or spatula that is ran through the icing creates a line that fills up and flattens out within 15-20 seconds. For this consistency, the icing has to be thin enough to flow, while remaining thick enough that it doesn’t fall off the side of the cookie. Pipe a border around the perimeter of the cookie and fill it in. Let the royal icing dry completely before painting.

Watercolor Paints

To make my watercolor paints, I used edible powder colors. You can certainly use gel color if you like, but I like the powder color because of more color options and the color dissolves better. Make a paint by adding vodka to the color until you reach the desired color. Test the color by dipping the clean paintbrush into the watercolor paint and paint a stripe on a paper towel. Make any adjustments, like adding more color to make the color darker, or adding more vodka to make the color lighter.

Instead of using paintbrushes for this project, I used cosmetic sponges. I find that they apply the color more evenly and blend the colors better. I think there is better control over the application of the color better with the sponges. Use a separate sponge for each color used. This technique will work with brushes in a pinch. Be sure to not saturate the brushes with too much paint and dab rather than painting strokes.

Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Watercolor Effect Tutorial

  • Work with the lightest color up to the darkest color. The watercolor effect is achieved by layering and building color. With the cosmetic sponge, dab on lightest color over the surface of the cookie.
  • Repeat with the second lightest color.
  • Repeat with the next color, and proceeding colors. I used 4 colors but you can use as many as you would like.
  • Dab the darkest color on to the cookie. Use a clean sponge to blend the darker color into the rest of the watercolor design.
Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

  • Use a clean paintbrush (used for food only) to clean up and dab a bit of color around the perimeter of the cookie to make sure all the white of the royal icing is covered.
  • Leave to dry for 15 minutes.
  • For the gold splatter, measure out a 1/2 teaspoon of edible gold dust powder. Add 2 – 3 drops of vodka and mix until you have a thick but liquid paint.
  • Saturate a clean paintbrush (used for food only) and with a gloved hand, pull the bristles back with your thumb, release the bristles and flick the paint onto the cookies. Repeat a couple times until you like the way the gold splatter looks.
  • Leave to dry completely before packaging or serving.
Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

If you make these watercolor red velvet sugar cookies, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more decorated cookie recipes, check out these posts:

Matcha Sugar Cookies

Black Cocoa Sugar Cookies + Decorated Pumpkins Tutorial

Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Tutorial: Speckled Egg Cookies

Watercolor Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
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Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Red velvet sugar cut out cookies
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time17 mins
Chill1 hr
Total Time1 hr 27 mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 24 cookies (3″)

Ingredients

  • 2 ¾ cups (330g) all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (21g) cocoa powder, natural
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 oz (114g) cream cheese
  • 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons red gel food color

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until thoroughly combined.
  • Add the egg, followed by the vanilla extract and red gel color, beating until just combined.
  • Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour/cocoa mixture and beat until just combined. 
  • Turn the dough out onto a work surface sprinkled lightly with flour. Pat the dough into a disc shape.
  • Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
  • Heat the oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Place the chilled dough on a work surface that has been sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the top of the dough and the rolling pin lightly with flour to prevent any sticking.
  • Roll out the dough to 1/8-3/8" thick, depending on your preference, rotating the dough as you roll to prevent the dough from sticking. If the dough is sticking, you can roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper.
  • Cut out desired shapes and place the cookies 2" apart on the cookie sheets.
  • Place the cookie sheets into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
  • Bake the cookies for 16-18 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets, halfway through baking. You're looking for the cookies to be soft when touched in the center, but fully cooked. Baking the cookies longer will result in a crispier cookie while baking them to just cooked will keep them soft.
  • Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes, before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

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Rich, dense, smooth and creamy, cheesecake is truly a dessert staple. Top it with with freshly whipped cream, crushed vanilla bean meringues, fresh berries and a fresh berry sauce and it’s the perfect indulgent dessert. My summer berry Eton mess cheesecake is a twist on the classic English dessert, Eton mess. Eton mess traditionally consists of macerated strawberries, whipped cream and crunchy chewy meringue. It’s kind of like a deconstructed pavlova where the ingredients are sort of just tossed together, hence, the “mess”. It may be a bit messy, but this dessert is anything but. Creamy, crunchy, rich and tangy, this summer berry Eton mess cheesecake is a lofty beauty and makes a show stopping dessert for any event.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

Let’s talk New York cheesecake

New York style cheesecake is generally the type of cheesecake most of people are familiar with.  This cheesecake is dense, creamy and smooth in texture. It’s rich, and hard to eat more than just a small piece – even though we try to anyway, because, well, it’s so good.

So what makes this cheesecake so different than others? In all reality, not *that* much. The ingredients in NY style cheesecake are similar in cheesecakes that are light and fluffy or soft and creamy – cream cheese, eggs, sugar and usually heavy cream or sour cream. Non NY cheesecakes can also use different types of cheese – mascarpone, quark, ricotta, etc. It’s how they’re used and the quantities that makes the most difference. In NY cheesecakes, more cream cheese is used, and cream or sour cream is also used, but a small amount is added for richness and creaminess, and extra eggs and/or egg yolks are added to also make it more dense and rich. NY cheesecakes are usually baked at a high temp first, then lowered to get that iconic NY cheesecake brown outer top but still maintain that creamy center. Oftentimes, NY cheesecakes don’t call for a water bath either.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

About this cheesecake recipe

Now, this cheesecake recipe is similar to that of the NY cheesecake with some exceptions. I wanted the dense, velvety and creamy cheesecake, but wasn’t sold on the firmer exterior (that occurs without the water bath) or the traditional browned top, for my Eton mess cheesecake. I wanted many of the characteristics of a NY cheesecake, for the cheesecake to be able to stand on it’s own, but also traditional enough to be topped with any sort of topping – fruit, chocolate, curds, etc.

Yes, this cheesecake requires a water bath. I know, it seems daunting, and the worry of leaks is real, but trust me on this. I’ve made many, many cheesecakes over the years, and the water bath is just so necessary to keep the cheesecake from drying out along the edges and to keep the top from cracking, and allows the cheesecake to bake more evenly. I’ve got some tips and tricks in the recipe that will keep you from getting a watery, leaky mess.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

The base of the cheesecake is a traditional graham cracker crust that is baked to golden brown before adding the cheesecake mixture. The cheesecake consists of cream cheese, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and a little bit of heavy cream. Sour cream can be used in place of the cream, just reduce the lemon juice by a teaspoon so that it’s not too tangy. I prefer to use Philadelphia brand cream cheese for my cheesecakes. It’s consistent quality and flavor, and a brand I know I like to bake with. Use a cream cheese you enjoy eating, but also one that doesn’t have a lot of odd ingredients and fillers.

Super important, make sure your cheesecake ingredients are room temperature. If they’re too cold, the mixture could end up lumpy or curdled. The cheesecake mixture comes together pretty quickly in the bowl of stand mixer. Once the eggs are added, do not over beat. Eggs trap air and this could cause the cheesecake to puff and deflate. It’s best to do the heaviest beating when mixing the cream cheese and sugar. This ensures your cream cheese is smooth so you won’t feel like you will have to over mix to smooth out lumps when the remaining ingredients are added and mixed.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

Prep the springform pan for the water bath by wrapping it with foil. The best foil to wrap your springform pan in, is 18″ wide heavy duty aluminum foil. This foil is long enough to wrap the pan without coming up short, which could allow the water to seep in. Double layer the foil for extra protection. The foil pan is then placed in a roasting pan, or a large pan (I’ve used a 14″ cake pan many times), and filled with hot water, halfway up the outside of foiled pan. The cheesecake is baked slowly in the water bath for about an hour/hour and fifteen. When the cheesecake is done baking, turn the oven off, prop the oven door open and let it slowly cool in the oven for 45 minutes. This process is crucial for preventing cracks. Cooling the cheesecake too fast can cause cracking.  Finishing cooling at room temperature for 2-3 more hours. Then chill the cheesecake for 3 more hours in the refrigerator.

The berry sauce is made by simmering fresh or frozen berries, lemon juice, and sugar. Allow the mixture to simmer until thickened. At this point, you can leave the seeds and chunks of berries in as is, or you can blend, then strain the mixture for a smooth sauce. I typically strain mine for a smooth sauce. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before using.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

Fresh whipped cream requires only 3 ingredients – heavy cream, sugar and vanilla, and is super simple to make. Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and a whisk attachment in the fridge before making the whipped cream. Beat the ingredients together until the cream *just* holds stiff peaks. Spread the cheesecake with the whipped cream, reserving a little bit to pipe in between the meringues.

You can use store bought meringues or you can make your own. Find my recipe for small batch meringues here. Make the meringues according to the directions, but instead of piping the meringues, use a spoon to create rounded spoonfuls (these don’t have to be perfect, or even all that pretty), and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake the meringues for about an hour/hour and a half, until the meringues are firm to the touch, and no longer sticky. They should be firm and crunchy on the outside, and softer and chewier on the inside. Cool before using.

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

Place the meringues on the whipped cream, overlapping them to create height. Use the remaining whipped cream to pipe in between the meringues. Top the cheesecake with halved strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Drizzle the cheesecake with the berry sauce. Add some fresh, edible flowers or mint for garnish if you wish and serve. Enjoy!

Check out these recipes for more fruity desserts:

Spicy Pineapple Margarita Granita

Black Forest Cupcakes

Honey Cardamom Peach Galettes

Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake
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Summer Berry Eton Mess Cheesecake

Creamy, crunchy, rich and tangy, this summer berry Eton mess cheesecake is a lofty beauty and makes a show stopping dessert for any event.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time2 hrs
Cooling Time3 hrs
Course: Dessert
Keyword: cheesecake, eton mess, mixed berry, summer berries
Servings: 15 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 ½ cups (150g) graham cracker crumbs, about 10 full graham crackers
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, melted
  • pinch of salt

Cheesecake

  • 5 (8oz) blocks (1130g) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 ⅓ cup (266g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

Berry Sauce

  • 2 cups (454g) fresh or frozen berries
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated or confectioner's sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 batch meringues

Instructions

Make the crust

  • Heat the oven to 325F. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper.
  • Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter and salt and mix with until evenly moistened.
  • Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the springform pan.
  • Bake the crust for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
  • Cool the crust completely. Cut (2) 18" pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil. Criss-cross the pieces so that they overlap, and tightly wrap the foil around the pan and up to the edges of the pan. This size of foil is critical to make sure that the pieces aren't too small, which could allow leaking. Set aside and make the filling.

Make the cheesecake

  • In the bowl of the stand mixer, place the softened cream cheese. Beat on medium speed to combine and break up the cream cheese.
  • Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat for another minute.
  • Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again, then add in the sugar and salt. Beat until combined.
  • Scape the bowl again, then beat for an additional minute, ensuring everything is well blended.
  • Add in the cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat on low until combined, about a minute.
  • Scrape the bowl. Add both egg yolks and mix until combined, about a minute.
  • Scrape the bowl. Add in the eggs, 1-2 at a time, beating until combined, scraping the bowl between additions.
  • Lightly brush the sides of the springform pan with melted butter.
  • Place the springform into a roasting pan or a large (14") cake pan. Prepare a pitcher of hot water.
  • Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan, and use an offset spatula to smooth out the batter.
  • Place the roasting pan into the oven. Fill the roasting pan with the hot water, just enough to come halfway up the sides of the foil of the springform pan.
  • Bake the cheesecake until the cheesecake jiggles slightly, no longer appears wet and an instant read thermometer reads 150F, about 60-90 minutes.
  • Once done baking, turn off the oven. Prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Let the cheesecake slowly cool in the water bath in the oven for 45 minutes.
  • Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Remove the foil. Place the cheesecake on a wire rack.
  • Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake and keep it from splitting in the middle.
  • Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, about 2-3 hours.
  • Wrap the top of the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Make the berry sauce

  • Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
  • Break up the berries with a potato masher or a wooden spoon.
  • Simmer until thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Let the sauce cool completely before using.
  • For a seedless sauce, blend the mixture until smooth. Strain the mixture using a fine mesh sieve.

Make the whipped cream

  • Place a bowl and mixer whisk attachment into the freezer for 20 minutes.
  • Combine the cream, and sugar into the chilled bowl. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks *just* start to form.
  • Add the vanilla extract and mix just to combine. Use immediately.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

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I have been making these overnight cinnamon rolls with brown butter cream cheese frosting, and variations of these rolls for my family for many years. I’ve always sort of viewed cinnamon rolls as a special baked treat reserved for holiday mornings, or for big breakfasts when guests are over, but since we have all been at home these past several weeks, I have been making these often. My kiddos LOVE them. They are crazy delicious.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into a warm, gooey cinnamon roll only to find that the dough is tough or crumbly. Cinnamon rolls should be soft and fluffy, with a sweet brown sugar cinnamon filling, no skimping on the cinnamon, with a cream cheese frosting that drips into the rolls making those gooey centers that might be the absolute best part of the cinnamon roll.

I use a buttery, soft and fluffy brioche dough for my cinnamon rolls that I adapted from Joanne Chang’s book Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe.  Brioche is a buttery and tender enriched dough that is perfect for all sorts of sweet and savory shaped and filled breads, buns, rolls, and more. This is my go-to recipe when making any sort of brioche pastries.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

How to make brioche

Brioche is fairly straightforward to make, albeit a bit time consuming due to the mixing and kneading. Luckily, most of the tedious work of making brioche takes place on a stand mixer. I do not recommend making this brioche by hand, or with a hand mixer. It needs a powerful mixer to be able to knead it properly, and it would take substantially longer to knead by hand. Bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk and eggs are placed into the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients for the best and consistent results, and it’ll be a one bowl wonder dough.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

The dough is mixed together for several minutes, and then the softened butter is added. Do not rush these first few steps of mixing before the butter addition. Once the butter is added, gluten formation is slowed down, which is why mixing times are longer for enriched doughs (doughs with a high fat content and contains butter, eggs, etc.) and also why gluten formation needs to occur in these first couple steps. No gluten strands = tough, dense and crumbly rolls. Softened butter is then added a piece at a time, and set to mix for a good amount of time until the dough has pulled away from the bowl, and has mixed into a smooth, shiny and elastic dough. Pop the brioche into the fridge to deepen its flavors and cold proof overnight.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

In the morning, remove the brioche from the fridge, then make the filling. Mix the softened butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt into a smooth paste. This filling is so good and I think of the amazing cinnamon sugar toast it would make. YUM. But back to the recipe….Roll out the cold dough into a 18×12 rectangle and spread the filling over the dough, leaving about 1/4″ border around the edges. Tightly roll up the dough, cut off 1/4″ off both ends and cut into 12 equal size rolls.

At this point, you can freeze the rolls. I do this often to only bake what we will need. Once you are ready to bake them, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then leave them to proof a couple hours before baking.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

How to make the brown butter cream cheese frosting

While the rolls are baking, prep the brown butter cream cheese frosting. We love lots of frosting so this recipe makes just the right amount for us. If you like less frosting, you can cut the recipe in half. Brown the butter in a saucepan until deeply browned, but not burned. It will be more browned than what you are probably used to, but trust me on this, the browner the better. Let the brown butter cool to room temperature. Mix the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, salt together then add the brown butter. Whip until fluffy. Those flecks in the frosting are from the brown butter and vanilla bean paste. You will want to eat the whole bowl with a spoon, but… you should frost the cinnamon rolls with the brown butter cream cheese frosting while they are still warm.

Then eat them. It will be hard to eat just one. But, eat at as many as you want. No judgement here.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

For more breakfast recipes, check these out:

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Bacon, Cheddar and Chive Scones

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
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Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

These cinnamon rolls are soft, buttery and tender filled with a brown sugar and cinnamon filling and topped with a brown butter vanilla cream cheese frosting that is deeply flavorful and delicious.
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time1 hr 35 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon buns, cinnamon rolls, Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings: 12 rolls

Equipment

Ingredients

Brioche Dough:

  • 2 1/4 cups (315g) all purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups (340g) bread flour
  • 3 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (82g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup (120g) cold milk Any kind of milk will work. I use 2%.
  • 1 cup + 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature cut into 10 pieces

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces (224g) block cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups (210g) confectioners sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the all purpose flour, bread flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk, and eggs.
  • Fit the dough hook attachment to the mixer. Miix the ingredients on low speed for 3-4 minutes until the ingredients are thoroughly combined, and pockets of dry flour have been fully incorporated.
  • Mix for an additional 3-4 minutes. The dough will be stiff and dry.
  • Add the butter, a piece at a time, mixing after each addition until each piece is mixed into the dough.
  • Mix on low speed for 10 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl every so often to fully incorporate the butter. The dough will look like a gooey mess, but that's ok.
  • Once the butter has been completely incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 15-18 minutes. The dough will go from gooey and shaggy to smooth and cohesive.
  • Turn up the speed to medium high and beat for 2 minutes. You should hear the dough making a slapping sound against the sides of the bowl.
  • The dough should have a little bit of stretch and should be able to be picked up in one piece. If the dough breaks when you pull at it, mix on medium speed for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the dough so that it doesn't form a skin.
  • Proof the dough in the fridge overnight.
  • In the morning, remove the dough from the fridge and set aside so you can prepare the cinnamon sugar filling.
  • Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix into a smooth paste. Set aside.
  • On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a 18x12 rectangle.
  • Make sure the long side is facing you. Starting on the long side of the dough closest to you, tightly roll up the dough into a log. Pinch the seams together so that the log doesn't become unrolled when cutting into rolls.
  • Trim 1/4" off of each end of the log. Cut the dough using a sharp knife, a bench scraper, or unflavored dental floss into rolls, about 1 1/2" wide.
  • Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Place the rolls evenly in the pan, leaving space between each roll.
  • Cover the pan with plastic wrap and proof in a warm spot for two hours, until the dough has risen, is puffy and the rolls are touching each other.
  • Heat the oven to 350F. Remove the plastic wrap from the rolls. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 190F.
  • While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. Place the butter in a light-colored sauce pan over medium-low heat. Once melted, the butter will begin to pop and sizzle around the edges. In about 5-8 minutes from when you started, the butter will turn dark golden brown. The majority of the popping will subside and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will be a dark toasty brown. It will smell buttery and nutty, but not burned. Let the butter cool to room temperature.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in the room temperature browned butter and mix to combine. When all the ingredients are combined, turn the speed up to medium. Whip until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Once the rolls are out of the oven, let them cool for about 5 minutes before adding the frosting. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve.

Notes

Brioche recipe adapted from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang.
 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

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Oh hi! Guys, I have been living my best autumn-pumpkin-caramel apple life. Fall is my absolute favorite season. I thrive this time of year, and I’m totally energized by the cool weather, color changing leaves and the smell of warm spices. I’ve been baking a lot (my house smells a-mazing), planning recipes to share on the blog as well as developing my holiday menus for the bakery. Today I’m sharing my first ever pumpkin recipe on my blog (yay!) – my pumpkin cream cheese muffins with cinnamon sugar pepita topping. These pumpkin cream cheese muffins are fluffy, moist and perfectly spiced and filled with lightly sweetened cream cheese and topped with a crunchy pepitas and cinnamon sugar – and I have to say, I think they are so much better than the coffee shop pumpkin muffin.

I’ll admit, I’m not much a fan of the “pumpkin spice” trend. I definitely don’t enjoy in it in my coffee. Locally roasted with a splash of cream for me please. Really, the first signs of fall for me means apple baking season. I’ve not met many (if any) apple bakes or desserts that I didn’t like. Usually, I use pumpkin in savory cooking before I end up baking with it. Some of our faves: Half Baked Harvest’s Smoky Pumpkin Beer and Cheddar Potato soup is so, so delicious and a huge hit in my house. Skinnytaste’s Hearty Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili is also a family favorite. When I start baking with pumpkin, it’s always muffins, bread or cake. So I knew that the first pumpkin recipe I shared on the blog needed to be these pumpkin cream cheese muffins. Delicious, flavorful and cozy.

To roast a pumpkin or used canned pumpkin?

Since I tend to use a lot of pumpkin in the fall, my preferred way to use pumpkin is straight from the can. I don’t find that roasting and making my own  pumpkin puree is really worth it. Canned pumpkin is convenient for use as well as being generally consistent in flavor and texture. I’ve had mixed results with fresh sugar pie pumpkins. Like with any other vegetable, flavor and ripeness of a pumpkin can be a bit of a gamble. I’ve had  pumpkins that were sweet and flavorful, but I’ve also had some that were bland and grainy. Ultimately, it’s your preference. If you use canned, just be sure to use pure pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and seasoned.

How to make the muffins

The muffins are super easy to make and don’t require a mixer – a definite win. They are made using the traditional muffin method by combining dry ingredients in a bowl and wet ingredients in another, then combine them by pouring the wet into the dry and mixing with a light hand until just combined. I used a combination of spices and chose to use individual spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove) over pumpkin pie spice so that I have more control over the flavor and can adjust the spices to suit my tastes.

How to make the cream cheese filling

The cream cheese filling is quick and simple, combining softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla and whisking until smooth. I prefer to place the cream cheese filling in the centers of the muffins to copycat the coffee shop version and also because I love the pop of tangy cream cheese. I have also swirled the cream cheese into the muffin as well with success. For extra crunch and flavor, I sprinkled pepitas, cinnamon and sugar around the edge of the muffins.

When distributing the batter among the liners, you’ll notice that the liners get quite full. No worries though, the batter will not overflow. Notice in the first photo how beautifully they bake up.

I know you guys will love these muffins just as much we we do. If you try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For more muffin recipes, check out these blueberry streusel muffins

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Fluffy and moist spiced pumpkin muffins filled with a sweet cream cheese filling and topped with a cinnamon sugar pepita topping
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time21 mins
Total Time31 mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: muffins, pumpkin, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, pumpkin muffins
Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

Pumpkin Muffins:

  • 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
  • 1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil

Cream Cheese Filling:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.

Make the cream cheese filling.

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
  • Place the filling into the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Make the muffins.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. 
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs and oil. 
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Do not over mix. Only mix until no pockets of the dry ingredients remain. 
  • Distribute the batter equally into the lined cupcake pan.
  • Distribute the cream cheese filling into the centers, equally among the muffins.
  • Mix together the 1 tablespoon of sugar and the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pepitas and the cinnamon sugar mixture around the edge of the muffins. 
  • Bake the muffins for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Do not check the muffins for doneness by inserting a toothpick through the cream cheese center. I like to check by inserting a toothpick through the muffin at an angle. 
  • Cool the muffins in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a cooling rack. Best served slightly warm. 

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

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When it comes to brownies, I feel like everyone has their go-to recipe, and the idea of yet another brownie recipe seems so ho hum. But these raspberry swirl cheesecake brownies are not your typical brownies. These brownies are decadent, chocolaty, creamy and fruity, all in one bite. Fresh raspberry jam is swirled into a creamy cheesecake topping that is swirled into intensely chocolatey and fudgy brownies. The raspberry jam is sweet-tart, with a concentrated fruity flavor. The cheesecake swirl is creamy and tangy and is super delicious with the raspberry and chocolate. While there are a few components to making this recipe, they’re easy to prepare in advance, and can be assembled before baking.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

How to make the fresh raspberry jam

This super small batch of fresh raspberry jam is easy and can prepared quickly. I prefer using fresh raspberries, but you can use frozen if you prefer. To make the jam, combine sugar and raspberries into a saucepan with a bit of lemon juice. The juice will help retain the bright pink raspberry color and add a pop of freshness to the jam. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it reduce, stirring occasionally. That’s literally it. The raspberry jam will be thickened and super concentrated in flavor. After straining out the seeds and pulp, pop in the fridge to cool and thicken up further. Not only is this jam fabulous in these brownies but it’s also great for drizzling on ice cream, mixing into butter creams, spreading on scones and even for mimosas.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

The cheesecake batter

Cream cheese is mixed together with an egg yolk, sugar and vanilla. Be sure the cream cheese and egg yolk are room temperature before mixing so the cheesecake doesn’t curdle. Once the cheesecake batter is mixed until completely smooth, set aside and prepare the brownie batter. If you’re assembling your brownies at a later time, cover the bowl and pop the the cheesecake mixture into the fridge.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

How to make raspberry swirl cheesecake brownies

This brownie recipe is dense and intensely chocolatey. No cakey brownie here.  It’s my absolute favorite and I use variations of this brownie recipe all the time. Be sure to use higher quality chocolate here because the chocolate flavor is everything in these brownies. Butter is melted with chocolate and espresso powder. The sugars are whisked in to the warm mixture to dissolve a bit and bring the mixture up to a cooler temperature so that when the eggs are added, they don’t scramble. Eggs are whisked in one at a time, followed by vanilla. Cocoa powder, flour and salt are added until *just* blended. Don’t over mix or the brownies will be tough.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

To achieve the swirls, start by spreading the brownie mixture evenly into the pan. Using a small ice cream scoop, or a spoon, scoop out equal portions of the cheesecake mixture onto the brownie batter. Spoon about a teaspoon of jam over each cheesecake scoop. With a knife or skewer, create swirls in the batters until the cheesecake mixture and jam are well distributed and swirled. Pop in some fresh raspberries if you wish, then bake. I know it will be hard to resist, but allow the brownies to cool fully before cutting into them. Store leftovers in the fridge tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more delicious bar and brownie recipes, check out these posts:

Blackberry Pie Bars

Lavender Lemon Shortbread Bars

Salty Bourbon Millionaire Bars

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Brownies

Sweet-tart, homemade raspberry jam is swirled into a creamy cheesecake topping and swirled into a dense, fudgy brownie.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Dessert
Keyword: brownies, cheesecake brownies, raspberry brownies, raspberry cheesecake brownies
Servings: 9 -12 squares

Equipment

Ingredients

Raspberry Jam

  • 3/4 cups (6oz/170g) fresh raspberries, frozen works well too
  • 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cheesecake

  • 1 block (8oz/225g) Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brownies

  • 3/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper.
  • Make the raspberry jam first to allow time to cool. In a saucepan, heat the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Reduce raspberry mixture until it has thickened a bit. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl. You should have 1/4-1/3 of a cup of raspberry jam. Place into the refrigerator to chill.
  • Make the cheesecake batter. Combine the softened cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla and mix with a hand mixer or a whisk until smooth. Set aside.
  • Make the brownie batter. In small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder and salt to combine. Set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan, over the lowest heat setting, melt the butter with the espresso powder.
  • Once melted, remove the pan from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until completely melted.
  • Add in both the granulated and brown sugars and stir until combined. The mixture should now be room temperature.
  • Add in the eggs, one at a time, stirring just to combine after each addition.
  • Stir in the vanilla extract.
  •  Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
  • Pour the brownie mixture into the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
  • Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the cheesecake mixture onto the brownies in nine even spots.
  • Spoon a teaspoon of the raspberry jam over the cheesecake scoops.
  • Using a butter knife, create swirls in the batter until the jam and the cheesecake are well distributed. Press a few fresh raspberries into the batter.
  • Place into preheated oven to bake for 38-45 minutes. This time could be a bit longer, or it could be less. Insert a toothpick into the center to check for doneness. There shouldn't be uncooked cheesecake batter. The edges should be visibly cooked, pale brown and the brownies shouldn't jiggle or look wet.
  • Once baked, set on wire rack to cool. To speed up the cooling process, pop into the fridge after cooling down from the oven for 15 minutes.
  • Once cool, cut into even bars and serve.