Minty Oreo Cheesecake Brownies

Merry Christmas Eve!!! I can't believe Christmas is tomorrow!!! To round out this wonderful season of baking, I'm leaving you with one last recipe - Minty Oreo Cheesecake Brownies!!

I found the recipe for these decadent treats over at Crazy for Crust and thought they'd be a perfect finale to all the other recipes I've posted in the past week. They are a combo of treats: brownie, cookie, and cheesecake! Scrumptious!

The original recipe calls for Candy Cane Oreos, but since I couldn't find those at any of the stores I ventured to, I opted just to use the Winter Oreos with the red filling. Also, the original recipe called for these to be topped with Andes Baking Chips, but I could find those either! So my lovely friend Nick helped by chopping up some Hershey's Peppermint Kisses so they'd be more chip-like. You rock Nick!

These are an easy-to-make treat that look super involved that will impress (and feed!) a crowd.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas eating, relaxing, and spending time with loved ones. Enjoy!

Minty Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
Recipe Adapted from Crazy for Crust (originally adapted from Inside BruCrew Life)

• 1 box brownie mix, plus eggs, water and oil called for on the box
• 20 Winter Oreos, about 1 package
• 1 egg
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cups Hershey's Peppermint Kisses, chopped (or 3/4 cup Andes Baking Chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Make brownie mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter into the bottom of the pan and spread to coat. Line the brownie mix with the Oreos and then top with the remaining brownie mix.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until combined and no lumps remain (your ingredients need to be at least room temperature for this!). Beat in egg and sugar. Pour over brownie mix and spread to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle your chopped Hershey's Peppermint Kisses on top of the cheesecake layer.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting. Store in refrigerator.

Summer Fruit Pizza

One of my favorite holidays, Fourth of July, just passed. I love the Fourth of July. I love it because it is smack dab in the middle of my favorite season (summer, duh) and it celebrates my favorite place ever, the U S of A. I love the sunshine, pool time, and fireworks. You can't beat it, folks.

Obviously, I also love the food served on the Fourth of July: cheeseburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon...I am hungry just thinking about all of it. But you can't have a proper Fourth of July celebration, or any summer cookout for that matter, without a delicious dessert. You just can't. Of course you can have apple pie (yum) but at my house, we are all about the fruit pizza.

This fruit pizza is to die for. A light and flaky homemade pie crust topped with a fluffy cream cheese layer and sprinkled with all the fresh and delicious fruit summer has to offer (my mom and I tried to decorate our fruit in a fireworks display - can't quite say we succeeded...)

I love that this dessert is a different take on the traditional pie or tart and is always well-received by friends and family, who always ask for seconds. This is a definite summer must!

Summer Fruit Pizza

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3-4 cups assorted fresh fruit (of your choice)
• 1/4 cup apple jelly, melted

Directions

1. Combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Pat mixture on lightly greased 12-inch pizza pan; bake at 350 degrees F until browned, 8-10 minutes. Cool.
2. Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla until fluffy; spread over crust.
3. Arrange fruit on cream cheese; brush with jelly to preserve fruit. Enjoy!