Matcha Cheesecake

Lower frigid temps had me craving for something sweet and since I've been on this green tea kick, I decided to incorporate it into a modern cheesecake! Some of you may know I'm not a finessed baker, so I'm always in my kitchen trying to hone in on my skills within the baking department. I pulled a recipe from A Cozy Kitchen for my first attempt at a matcha cheesecake.

Matcha Swirl Cheesecake

Matcha Swirl Cheesecake. Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen. All photos by:  © Suzanne Spiegoski

Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 1 (nine-inch) cheesecake

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups (about 16 cookies) chocolate cookie crumbs
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Cheesecake:

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 ounces (European-style, not Greek) yogurt, room temperature, divided
• 2 tablespoons green Matcha powder
• 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Swirl (optional)

• 1 ounce (European-Style, not Greek) yogurt
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter. Add the crust mixture into a nine-inch (10-cup) springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom of the pan until packed tightly. Transfer to the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes (unfortunately since the crumbs are so dark you can’t really tell when they’ve toasted so it’s important to pay attention to the clock). Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the filling. Wrap the bottom of the spring form pan in a few sheets of foil and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the matcha with 1 ounce of yogurt until very smooth—be sure to really get in there to whisk out the lumps of matcha. To the bowl of a stand-up mixer, using a paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Next, add in the matcha yogurt mixture, reserved 3 ounces yogurt and sugar; beat until combined. With the machine one, add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each egg is incorporated before adding the next one. Lastly, mix in the pure vanilla extract and salt.
3. To a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and powdered sugar until smooth. If it’s thick at all (this will depend on the yogurt you’re using), you may need to add a splash of water. It should be the texture of heavy cream.
4. Pour the matcha and cream cheese filling into the springform pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Make sure it reaches the edge of the pan. Make little dollops of sweetened yogurt all over the surface of the cream cheese. Take a skewer or popsicle stick and run it through the dollops creating a marbling effect. Make it as messy or neat as you like. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan or another pan that’s as big. Transfer to the rack of the oven and fill up the roasting pan with about 2 inches of water. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until it looks set, yet it’s still a bit wobbly in the center. Place on a cooling rack for 30 minutes and then place it in the fridge to set for at least 3 hours. (I let it set overnight.) Slice it up and serve.

Sinfully decked out in blackberries. I just love a high contrast in colors!

Cheesecake can be slightly difficult to make, being how easy it is to crack the beautiful dessert. But you can still say no to crack if you follow these tips! NEVER open your oven while the cheesecake is baking. The air and change in temperature will ruin it indefinitely. Make sure to wrap your sweetness in aluminum foil. This will trap the heat and prevent the cheesecake from being overcooked. And lastly, make sure it's being 'bathed' in water, as this also preserves the heat from accelerating too fast and therefore burning the crap out of it.

This matcha cheesecake is to die for! I put in a tad extra green tea powder for more vibrancy with the coloring.

I also added some blackberries for aesthetics and added flavor and texture. The fruit brings an acidic pop to the already very rich cheesecake. I always hate it when a dessert is way too sweet, overpowering any other taste but sugar. Blech! Doesn't it look appealing decorated in the center? I love the deep contrast in color!

You want a piece of me?

For the crust, the cookies I used were chocolate Teddy Grahams. They came out very leveled and super tight. Look at the cut on the cheesecake, I'm getting hungry! Perhaps a little side dessert with lunch today? ;-)

Black and green never looked so good together.

What's your favorite kind of cheesecake? I would've made a classic New York-style cheesecake but I wanted to do something a little more innovative - something I've also never tried making before. Let's just say the results were beyond delish! Happy Baking & Happy Hump Day! Stay warm friends. ♥

LOVE & XX'S

FOLLOW MAQ + SUZ

Christmas Cookies

Happy the Day Before the Day Before You Know What! It's a rainy one here in New York and the perfect kind of day for endless amounts of baking! My apartment smells like a gingerbread house - and it's perfectly delightful! It's the first time I've ever baked actual gingerbread cookies (shocker!), but I have to say it was really easy! And the best part? The decorating of course!

Christmas Gingerbread Cookies w/ Icing

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ground ginger

• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• ½ cup molasses

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

1.     In a large bowl or standing mixer, combine the dry ingredients: Flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

2.     To the same bowl, add your butter, egg, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix until your dough comes together. Just beyond the stage seen in this photo, it'll become shiny and more like play dough.

3.     Shape your dough into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and let the whole thing rest at room temperature for 1 hour (or you can leave it out for up to 8 hours if needed.)

4.     Working in two batches, roll out your dough with a rolling pin. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. If the dough sticks to your rolling pin, use just a little extra flour on the pin.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out your gingerbread men from the rolled dough. Place the cookies about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with either silicone, parchment paper or greased. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies) at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

5.     Whatever shape you choose, cool the cookies completely on a wire rack before frosting.

6.     Use a small tipped pastry bag to make lines, polka dots, or any other finely detailed pattern. I use 3 large egg whites mixed with 14 oz. of confectioner's sugar. Whisk until it begins to form peaks and voila!
 

The shapes I used were Christmas trees, German Shepherds, dog bones, stars, and cute little gingerbread men. Of course I had to write MaQ's name on one of them!

I went with green, red, and white colors, though you can use whatever you want! Next time I would definitely like to add in some more sparkle, with a touch of silver and/or gold.

This is a great activity to do with the kids. It's not only fun but the time spent with the ones you love is what's priceless. Enjoy and be Merry! We can't wait to show you our annual Christmas photo! Stay tuned!

Love & xx's,

Christmas Coffee Cake

Happy December! During this month every year, I make a delicious coffee cake that I can never get enough of. I was obsessed with this streusel-filled cake, and only this cake, as a child – especially around the Holidays! It's the perfect side with your coffee on Christmas morning, but it's so scrumptious you'll want to have it every single day! It's not exactly the most healthy cake I've ever had, but every once in a while, you just got to treat yourself. With all the running around I need extra calories to burn! :P

Christmas Coffee Cake

Serves 9-12

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 ½ cups AP Flour

¾ cup sugar

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ cup milk

1 egg

Streusel filling:

½ cup brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ cup finely chopped nuts

2 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 375°F.

2.       Grease 9 -10” springform pan

3.       Mix batter ingredients together, then add only half of the streusel filling in with the batter.

4.       Pour mixture into pan, sprinkle remaining ½ streusel mixture on top

5.       Bake 25-30 minutes. Let the cake sit for 5 minutes before serving.

I used walnuts for my chopped nuts, but you can use a variety of nuts if that's your thing. You can also substitute the butter with shortening, or to make it less fatty, substitute the butter with some applesauce! It's a great trick for those who are wanting a more healthy option when baking a cake!

I used a 10" springform pan to bake the batter in, but you can also use different sized baking pans such as 9x9x2, 8x8x2, or 9 x 1/2 round. From my experience the squarer the pan, the fluffier the cake will be! If you are into making it a more round shape, the cake will be more compact but still as yummy as ever!

Don't be surprised when you want a second (okay, maybe even a third) serving in one sitting! I'm not kidding when I say how truly good this cake is! Not a coffee drinker? This cake also goes perfect with tea or a glass of milk!

You can also add some dried fruit like apricot, cranberry, etc. but I'm not really into it because it reminds me too much of fruitcake, which I am soooo not a fan of! But it's always nice to mix things up!

What are some of your favorite Holiday baking recipes? I love sharing recipes and would love to see your version of a coffee cake! Stay tuned for more baked goodies coming up on the blog this month! Look out for gingerbread cookies and a Matcha pie! Yummy :)

Love & xx's,

maQ + Suz

Our Thanksgiving Spread

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day was filled with warmth, love & full bellies! I am thankful for every day. Every sunrise or sunset I get to see makes me filled with gratitude. However I'm thankful most for my husband, Gilles and our fur baby, MaQ. They are my family and without them I'm not sure where I would be today. Their love makes each day worth getting up for. I love these two more than anything else in the world. Thank you both for always having my back.

Today's post is all about my cook-a-thon from yesterday's feast! I've been cooking our turkey's for the past 7 years and I must admit, this year's turkey was the best yet! I got a decent-sized bird to last us for days, just shy of 14 pounds! I panicked the first time I handled a turkey. The idea of cooking the darn thing was intimidating enough, let alone preparing all the side dishes and appetizers, cocktails, etc. Secondly, I was honestly grossed out. But now, with persistent practice in the kitchen, I prep faster and with more confidence, therefore with much more ease. It's a breeze now and I relish the idea of cooking a 20+lber one day, ha ha! This year was also the first time where I never felt overwhelmed! My cooking skills are improving, and I'm so happy to share with you my progress thus far! Here are a few tricks of the trade I've learned from the many Thanksgiving dinners I've made in the past years:

ALWAYS PREP IN ADVANCE! I can't tell you how many times I was that dingdong who'd rush to the market on the day of Thanksgiving. BAD Suz! BAD. Life is continuously hectic in New York, and I never could seem to manage to prepare anything beforehand and made everything on the actual day! This year in particular, I bought everything I needed the day before. Lol. I also made the pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Eve, which definitely helped take off a little pressure from all the cooking on the day of.

BUTTER, BUTTER & MORE BUTTER. What's the secret to French cooking? That's right, folks, the more the better. If you want your turkey to have a super moist, rich taste, the key is where you put the butter. I like to season mine first with a variety of herbs & seasonings, then take the mixture and place it under the skin. The trick is to not to rip the entire skin off though. I will poke a hole through each end on both sides, and will especially be generous with the butter when it comes to the breast. I put most of the butter in this section because this part of the turkey has a tendency to be the most dry.

COVER TURKEY WITH FOIL. Remove the foil when there is only 1 hour left to finish cooking the bird. This is the time to baste the turkey from the cooked juices, I usually try to do this every 10-15 minutes (for an hour), giving it a nice brown on the skin. Doesn't it look delicious?!

USE UNFLAVORED DENTAL FLOSS TO TIE THE LEGS. It's easy to remove and even easier to tie if you have an extra pair of hands. (Thanks, hubby bear for the awesome teamwork!) I'm not sure what everyone else uses, but I've been using this method for years and it's never failed to secure them tightly!

A VARIETY OF SIDES GOES A LONG WAY. Some of my favorite trimmings are mashed potatoes and stuffing (or dressing as the South calls it). I could literally survive on the stuff! But you never know who's going to show up, so it's a good thing to mix it up and try different and new recipes. I also made my version of candied yams & apples, which is on the sweeter side comparatively to the other dishes. Salad is also a great starter. I mixed mine with mushrooms, red & yellow peppers, onion, cucumbers, tomatos and shredded carrots. I also will normally have some kind of bread at the table but I totally forget about it in the photo! Last are the cranberry sauce and green beans which are always winners.

HOW TO GET THE FLUFFIEST MASHED POTATOES. A whisk! Just whip those taters up like you're whisking eggs and it'll be the airiest potatoes of your life! Secret's also in the right amount of butter and milk. Don't forget the salt too!

APPEARENCE DOES COUNT. Any kind of decorative effort brings liveliness to a place/setting. Whether it's flowers, funky-looking squash and pumpkins, or a fabulous table runner, I try to keep the spread looking simple yet appealing. Plus, you'll still have all your decorations after which will still keep your place looking fun and festive, unless you like to jump into Christmas right away.  :)

What are some of your favorite tricks for Thanksgiving dinners? Favorite sides? What about your least favorite dish you still come across? Like fruitcake during Christmas? Ha ha! Have a safe rest of your Black Friday and enjoy the Holiday weekend! <3

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Happy First Day of Fall! In honor of my favorite season, I started the morning off right with one of my favorite pastries. Scones! And the ultimate combo: a raspberry white chocolate match made in heaven! These are literally the best scones I've ever made, all thanks to Rock Recipes!

RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES RECIPE

Hands down the best scones I've ever made! Thanks Rock Recipes!

Prep: 15 mins Cook: 25 mins Total: 40 mins

Ingredients:

    3 cups flour
    ½ cup sugar
    6 tsp baking powder
    ½ tsp salt
    ¾ cup very cold butter, cubed
    6 ounces good quality chopped white chocolate
    2 tbsp lemon juice
    2 tsp vanilla extract
    1 cup milk
    1½ cups frozen raspberries

Instructions

•     I start these in my food processor because it is so fast but they can be made just as easily in a large bowl by cutting the butter in with a pastry blender or even 2 knifes held between the fingers.
•     In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
•     Pulse in the cold butter until this mixture resembles a coarse meal. It is very important that pea sized pieces of butter remain in this mixture.
•     Transfer to a large bowl and toss in the white chocolate.
•     Mix together the lemon juice, vanilla extract ans milk.
•     Pour this over the surface of the dry mixture. Toss all together gently with a fork only enough to form a dough ball.
•     When the flour is almost incorporated, add the frozen raspberries.
•     Frozen berries work best because they are less delicate and easier to incorporate into the scone dough.
•     It is important that you work this dough as little as possible or the finished scones will be too dense and heavy.
•     Roll to 1 inch thickness and cut out scones with biscuit cutter or in triangles with a sharp knife and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
•     If desired you can brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten together with 1 tbsp water.
•     You can sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar if desired but this is, of course, optional.
•     Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on the size of your biscuit cutter.

Drooling yet? I don't know about y'all but for me, butter is mandatory with scones! So yummy!

I can definitely attest to my hubby's full, content belly. I've already had two with coffee!

What is your favorite kind of scone? Got a killer combination? We'd love to hear about it!

maQ went crazy over the aroma in our apartment. It smells like the most divine bakery right now! Don't you love that after baking? :) We hope, whatever you decide to do to enjoy the first day of Autumn, is a happy, delicious one! We plan to get outside after work! Cheers to the best season!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz