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Baking with Betty

September 2, 2010 By Mom Spark 2 Comments

Last week I had the honor of visiting the General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis, MN with 29 other influential bloggers.  We were there specifically to meet with the Betty Crocker folks and learn more about Betty Crocker products.

Monday night we had an amazing boat dinner cruise on Lake Minnetonka.  It was a great opportunity to mix and mingle with the other bloggers attending (most of them whom I did not know) and the General Mills crew.  The food was delicious, the drinks refreshing and the views from the boat were fantastic.

Tuesday, we spent all morning and afternoon learning about the history and products of General Mills and Betty Crocker, as well as put the products to the test by baking!  We baked just about everything-brownies, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and even pizza using Bisquick.  We baked in the coveted Betty Crocker kitchens that were beyond beautiful and inspiring. [Read more...]

No-brainer Recipe: Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

August 16, 2010 By Ali 4 Comments

I find something utterly delicious about the combination of chocolate and sour cream in desserts. Of course, I also adored chocolate truffles made with goat cheese, as crazy as that sounds, but this dessert is much more main stream. Enjoy a square chilled from the fridge, with a glass of milk to wash it down.

Chocolate Cheesecake Squares
Makes 9 squares

Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup cookie crumbs
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese (softened)
1 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1 large whole egg plus 1 large egg white

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line with two crisscrossed pieces of parchment or wax paper, spraying between sheets. Spray lined pan; set aside.
2. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press crumbs into bottom of prepared pan.
3. Blend cream cheese and sour cream in food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, egg, and egg white; process until smooth. Pour into pan.
4. Bake until just set, 35 to 40 minutes; cool completely in pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Invert onto a tray; peel off paper, and reinvert crust side down. Cut into 9 squares.

Adapted from Everyday Food