Layered Turtle Cheesecakes - in Ball Canning Jars

 I received an assortment of Ball Canning jars to create these gift sized cheesecakes from Ball Canning and to facilitate this review.  A positive review was not required and all opinions and experiences are my own. 

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite parts to a holiday dinner is dessert.

Not a deep thought, right. Who doesn't enjoy a little treat around the holidays? Well, today's recipe is not only a fun treat to make ahead that you can stash in the fridge, but it also makes a great gift. I know that I wouldn't mind receiving a Layered Turtle Cheesecake in a Ball Canning jar, tied up with some festive string and a cute little spoon.

Yes, this recipe is too good to keep to myself. As an early Christmas present, dear readers, I will be sharing this easy recipe along with a fun sponsor, Ball Canning. More about the iconic canning jars in a minute, first let's dive right into the dessert spread laid out by my talented fellow bloggers:

Busy-at-Home : Mini Chocolate Fudge Cobblers with Homemade Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream

Daily Dish Recipes: Spiced Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifles

Adventures in All Things Food: Layered Turtle Cheesecakes

Flour on My Face: Pumpkin Spice Cranberry Trifle in a Jar

The Gunny Sack: Peppermint Brownies

Will Cook for Smiles: No Bake White Chocolate Cheesecake Gingerbread Trifle

I have to say I was over the moon to hear Ball Canning from Jarden Home Brands would be included in our week of  Holiday Recipe series. I have an entire shelving unit in my utility room devoted to organizing my canning jars, canning supplies and preserved food.

It is impressive that Jarden Home Brands, started by the Ball brothers, has been around for more than 125 years. You can read more about the history of Ball Jars on the freshpreserving.com site.

I use Ball canning jars because I know they will hold up to pressure canning, they will keep my preserved food air tight and safe, and with the newer colored glass jars and the Elite Collection, they are also great to look at and use for general storage. I keep my dry good, beans and rice, in large glass Ball jars since we switched out of plastic storage.

Over the years I have made several fun gifts to hand out in Ball canning jars. From homemade honey mustard to lavender sugar scrub, the possibilities seem endless! But, check out their Pinterest account for more great ideas and recipes.

I was thrilled to find that we would be using our Ball jars for a holiday dessert. I have seen people make some amazing things in Ball jars, but ultimately went with a cheesecake. It is my husband's favorite dessert. I am rather fond of the caramel, pecans and chocolate involved in this.

So grab some Collection Elite Brushed Silver Half Pint or Pint sized Ball jars. These are beautiful enough that they don't need much more than some simple festive twine or a bow. They also have a perfect wide mouth  that makes it easier assembling these treats.

First I assembled all my ingredients. Cheesecake is always better if your ingredients are at room temperature. I took the cream cheese and butter out, unwrapped my caramels and chopped the pecans. I actually like to put my prepped ingredients in small Ball jars for convenience.

I crushed up my sandwich cookies in the food processor with a little sugar and melted butter.

Then I pressed the crumbs into the bottom of my Ball jars. Because of the wide shape of the jar base, these worked really well for getting my fingers down into the jar to press the crumbs down.

I sprinkled just a little of my chopped pecans on top of the crumbs before layering in the cheesecake filling.

At this point, I could get started on the caramel sauce. Just good old Kraft caramel and evaporated milk. Warm slowly and stir.

Keep going till the caramel sauce reaches a smooth and pourable consistency. Set the sauce aside... or test it with a spoon. I firmly believe in taste testing at this point.

The cheesecake itself is really easy to make. Just beat the cream cheese, then add the flour, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Bake the cheesecake till the center isn't jiggling anymore.

Then comes the best part, aside from eating them... filling! The pint jars gave me enough room to add a layer of cheesecake, then caramel, and cheesecake on top. In the half pint jars I did a thin layer of each, with just a scoop or so more of cheesecake.

Be sure to leave  1/2" inch of head space for final topping. You will want to be able to put a lid on easily.

After the cheesecake is baked and the bottles are filled, I chilled my cheesecakes overnight. Then I topped them with pecans, mini chocolate chips and drizzled each one with a little more caramel sauce.

You could make a label for these, or just go simple with spoons and baker's twine. My only addition was to add a Ball wide mouth plastic storage cap when gifting. They work well for the refrigerator and are easier to unscrew.

Layered Turtle Cheesecakes

You Will Need:

• 1 c. chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 c. pecans, roughly chopped
• 11 oz. caramels, unwrapped
• 1/4 c. evaporated milk
• 2 (8oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten slightly
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 c. pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. mini semi sweet chocolate chips
• more caramel sauce for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Pulse up the cookie crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar and butter in a food processor. Divide between 6 Ball jars and press the crumbs down. Sprinkle with pecans.

After the crusts are made, melt the caramels in evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Whisk till smooth. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a standing mixer, cream together the cream cheese and remaining sugar. Cream for a full 3 minutes, scraping down the sides during the process. Beat in the flour, then eggs, one at a time and finally adding in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides to ensure there are no lumps.

Bake the cheesecake filling in an oven-safe dish for about 45 minutes, or until the center is no longer jiggly. Turn off oven and allow the baked filling to come to room temperature with the oven door open.

Carefully spoon half the cheesecake mixture into the bottom of the jars. Then spoon in a thin layer of caramel. Top with the remaining cheesecake filling, be sure to leave 1/2" gap from the top.

Refrigerate the cheesecakes overnight. To serve, sprinkle with pecans, mini chocolate chips and drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy! 

And, let's not forget this week's Giveaway! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Holiday Progressive Dinner - Giving Mini Holiday Loaves this Holiday and Giveaway

*Disclaimer - I received the Country Door products to facilitate this review and assist in my holiday dinner.  No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required.  As with all Adventures in All Things Food & Family reviews, all opinions and experiences are my own.  

In my neighborhood, neighbors still drop off jars of homemade jam, home canned tuna and other fresh goodies around the holidays. This year I have already started my baking in order to always have a gift on hand for those generous neighbors. This week is going to be all about Hostess Gifts and Gifts from the kitchen.

Welcome back to our final week of the Holiday Progressive Dinner Series. This week I am excited to announce the week's sponsor is Country Door.

Country Door has a fabulous selection of home decor, bed and bath, for the home and seasonal items as well. I selected this Colander Set in peacock to review. With a 1 1/2 quart, 3 quart and 5 quart colander, I was able to rinse, drain and strain just about anything I needed.

I fell in love with the color, too. I am trying to slowly replace my kitchen items and keep everything in a light, Caribbean blue shade. This set fit in perfectly. The three sizes nest into each other taking up less room in my kitchen cabinet. They are also light enough that I can store them on a top shelf and fill them without worry.

I also reviewed their Drink Dispenser and Stand which was a big hit with my husband. We like to have ice tea or water with citrus slices available all day to keep us drinking. My husband comes out of the field or shop and wants to enjoy a tall glass of cold water. It holds about 3 gallons which should keep us in water this Summer.

This will also come in handy this holiday season for entertaining. I will keep it filled with holiday juice blends or water to keep everyone happy. The top is wide enough to fit in ice cubes, citrus slices, easily fill with liquid and clean thoroughly. The spout is easy enough to use one-handed and the stream of water was fast enough to fill up my glass quickly.

Connect with Country Door on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to hear about all the latest products and promotions.

This week I am sharing my favorite homemade goodies to give away around the holidays - quick breads!

Holiday Progressive Dinner 

Week 7 Recipe Links

Gifts from Your Kitchen

Mini Holiday Loaves - Cranberry Orange, Banana and Pumpkin Chocolate
at Adventures in All Things Food

Quick and Easy Homemade Candy: Peanut Clusters, Toffee Pecan Clusters & White Chocolate Snowballs at Busy-at-Home

Candied Nuts at Flour on My Face

Peppermint Patties at The Gunny Sack

5 Easy Last Minute Gifts from the Kitchen at Daily Dish Recipes

My first quick bread to share is my Banana Bread. Sweet, moist and so fast to make, I love sharing this one with family. We all have brown bananas to use up, right? I collect mine into zip top bags in clusters of 3 and they are ready to go for making banana bread.

I create this sweet bread with two bowls, a whisk and spoon. No need for a mixer.

This recipe will either make one standard loaf, or 4 mini loaves, as will the other recipes. I think the mini loaves are the perfect size for gifting. With a bow and gift tag they are easy to have on hand for those last minute gifting needs.

Banana Bread

You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 egg, scrambled
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your mini loaf pans with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the mashed banana, sugar and lemon zest. Mix. Then add in the egg and oil.

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and then add your banana mixture to it. Stir to combine and then fold in the nuts. Divide between 4 mini loaf pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops start to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, wrap tightly in kitchen wrap and let sit for at least 24 hours before slicing and eating. Once cooled they can also be frozen.

Another fun quick bread to make is Pumpkin Chocolate. I freeze my own pumpkin puree during the Fall, but you can also used canned just as easily.

Pumpkin Chocolate Bread

You Will Need:

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1 c. pumpkin puree
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c. canola oil
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped
• 1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your mini loaf pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the first 8 dry ingredients. Whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin, milk, eggs, and oil and beat with a hand mixer. Beat on medium till completely smooth and blended. Fold in the walnuts.

Divide between the 4 mini loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops start to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, wrap tightly in kitchen wrap and let sit for at least 24 hours before slicing and eating. Once cooled they can also be frozen.

Another holiday favorite of mine is a nice, tart Cranberry Orange Bread. I use a mixture of dried and fresh cranberries to really bump up the flavor.

I used fresh Oregon cranberries. These were dry picked so they last much longer in the refrigerator. They are crunchy and tart. I like to rough chop mine so I have large pieces in my bread, but not whole berries.

This batter is much thicker than the two others. Don't let that worry you. The secret to this one is the cold lumps of butter. They will add to the moisture in the quick bread during baking.

Cranberry Orange Bread

You Will Need:

• 2 c. flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. butter, unsalted and cut into cubes
• 1 c. fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 c. fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 c. dry craisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking pans with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter till you have pea sized lumps.

In another bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest and egg. Add this to the flour mixture along with the cranberries and craisins. Stir till just combined and divide into 4 small mini loaf pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops start to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Once cooled, wrap tightly in kitchen wrap and let sit for at least 24 hours before slicing and eating. Once cooled they can also be frozen.

Giveaway Time!!

Open Door has a prize package for one lucky reader.  Enter using the rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

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Who Are You Calling Fruitcake? A Recipe You Will Love

*Disclaimer - I am part of the Good Cook Blogger Program and received these products for review. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

I have to admit that I love fruitcake.

I know, hit me with your best fruitcake joke. I can take it.

Despite the bad rap, have you ever tasted homemade fruitcake? Most of the time mass-produced treats give a recipe a bad name. As a child I remember my Mom brought home a homemade fruitcake. It. Was. Amazing!

Luckily, at the age of 8 I didn't realize the thing was preserved in liquor. It was a dense and moist cake filled with fruit and nuts. Rich and full of holiday cheer, I never understood the disdain.

Then I tangled with a sub-par loaf. The kind you get straight off the shelf in a big box store. The price was just too good to be true. Believe me, it was. I haven't touched a fruitcake since, but the memory of that moist and delicious cake still lingers every holiday season.

Then all of these ingredients just happened to converge in my kitchen at the same time.

Well, I might have helped, but once the Sweet Creations 4cup Mini Loaf Pan arrived along with festive parchment and I knew immediately what I would love to create. I mean, after the Drunken Banana post I had a little rum left to use up.

I was excited because I always seem to get clumsy with small single loaf pans. They slip, they slosh and a side will slip between the oven rack slats...and I don't generally enjoy it. Plus, it is nice to have all the loaf pans in one place. I hate hunting around for one missing little pan!

This loaf pan did a beautiful job on my fruitcake, the bottoms didn't stick at all. There is nothing worse than losing the bottom half of your loaves - especially if they are for gifting. Clean up was easy and I was thrilled with the size of my finished cakes.

So, I let the fruit mix chill out in the rum overnight. Toasted some pecans and made a simple cake. I created this with my dried fruit and nut favorites, but you could definitely change things up.

I filled the pan up 3/4 full and had enough batter to bake two batches. 8 little loaves ready to share... or savor all by yourself. I won't tell anyone.

What helps fruitcake keep? Oh, just a wee bit of rum basted on the outside. Then I wrapped them up tightly and made them pretty with parchment and baker's twine. You can find the same cute snowflake parchment on the Good Cook site.

Definitely too cute to use as a doorstop!

Mini Festive Fruitcakes

You Will Need:

• 4 c. of your favorite dried fruit mixture - pineapple, cranberries, dark and golden raisins, apricots, etc.
• 1/4 c. rum
• 1/4 c. apple juice
• 1 tsp. Princess Cake flavoring
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 orange, zested
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 c. corn syrup
• 3 1/4 c. flour
• 3 Tbsp. cake enhancer
• 3/4 c. whole milk
• 1 c. toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/2 c. candied cherries

Combine the rum, apple juice, flavoring, extract and dried fruit overnight in a covered bowl.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray the Sweet Creations 4 cup loaf pans with non-stick spray and set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars.  Then add the baking powder, salt, nutmeg, almond extract and orange zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add the corn syrup.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour and cake enhancer together. Add this to the mixer alternating with the milk. Beat until the cake batter is smooth. Fold in the fruit mixture, toasted nuts and cherries.

Fill each loaf 3/4 full, there is enough for 2 batches (I made 8 loaves). Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean. Remove from the pans once they are cool enough to handle and brush with rum. Wrap tightly and repeat if desired (go as crazy as you like!), let them rest a day before enjoying.

Want to create your own little mini loaves for the holidays? Use code: SWEETLOAF  to get 25% off on goodcook.com

Ready for the Holidays? Start Now with Kmart Layaway

This is a sponsored post. I am a Kmart blogger, though all opinions are my own. #ad #KmartLayaway

You can’t deny it; everywhere you look there is evidence of the holiday season. From Christmas displays to center aisles loaded with the latest toys and photos of turkeys and recipe ideas everywhere, I have to admit that it is time to start shopping. @Kmart just might be able to help.

Although I don't like to start thinking about gifts and the holidays until after Thanksgiving, there are a few holiday ‘musts’ that you need to start sooner rather than later. I am not a fan of the shopping crowds! Like putting my big (or small) purchases on Layaway. Since most Layaway contracts are eight weeks long, this is the ideal time to shop now and pay over time. No one wants wallet shock on November 29th, right?

Didn't think so. Still need convincing? Here are a few ‘Layaway Lessons’ to keep in mind:

1.) The cat ate your Christmas tree. OK, so even if you don’t have a cat but last year’s Christmas tree was on its last limb and this is the year you need a new one. On the other hand, maybe you just got a cat and the days of having a real tree are over. Either way, you need some new decorating digs. Pick up a pre-lit tree (because that’s the way to go), LED lights, wreaths and village houses now and pay them off in time for decking those halls!

2.) Your gift list has grown. Maybe you've found a new group of friends, entered into a new family or you’re just feeling extra generous this year. Long gift lists call for Layaway. Fill that cart to the brim and roll it over to the Layaway counter. Your pals won’t know you paid their gifts off over time.

3.) Money is tight this year. It’s not just you; many of us are watching our spending. If you’re having trouble staying afloat while keeping those bills paid, Layaway is a must. Not only will you avoid ‘wallet shock,’ you’ll keep your pre-holiday peace of mind.

Whether you plan to do a little... or a lot of shopping this year, you can Layaway almost everything on your list without paying a service fee through 11/23. You can also choose to pay in store, online or using your mobile phone. Eight or 12 weeks later (depending on your contract) you can pick up your items and you're good to go!

Now that you've figured out how easy #KmartLayaway is, you can use it all year round at Kmart.

Peppermint Crunch Hot Cocoa Mix - November Secret Recipe Club #Recipe

The weather has officially jumped from warm to miserable here and I am finding myself curling up in a chair with either a good book or my latest knitting project and a warm mug of something sweet.

Some days it has been chai tea, other days a homemade pumpkin latte, but this month a went for a peppermint and chocolate treat with my own hot cocoa mix.

I remember my Mom would make up a monstrous batch of cocoa and it was scooped out of a tall tupperware container with a red lid. It was simple, yet delicious. All I had to add was a mug of hot water and I was instantly warmed from the inside out.

Well, November's The Secret Recipe Club assignment pointed me to The Tasty Cheapskate's blog.

Jean has a great blog with many frugal and tasty recipes. Okay, I love to save money on meals... usually so I can splurge on new pans or kitchen gadgets, but I do value being smart about the food budget. While going through her recipes the Hot Cocoa Mix post caught my attention. It brought up memories of my Mom's mix. I knew instantly it had to be my November recipe.

I did take a few liberties with Jean's mix. Mine is probably no where near as frugal. I added a mix of cocoas, Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips and mini marshmallows - my family has to have marshmallows in their cocoa.

Package this up in mason jars with a festive muffin paper on top and holiday ribbon and you have a quick and easy present or hostess gift. The quart jars hold about 10 servings of cocoa and this recipe made enough to fill two. Or gift one and savor the rest of the batch for yourself. I won't tell.

All you need is a whisk or a blender. I prefer the blender to really get everything uniformly mixed, but work with what you've got.

Peppermint Crunch Hot Cocoa Mix

adapted from The Tasty Cheapskate

You Will Need:

• 3 c. sugar
• 3 c. instant dry milk powder
• 1/2 c. Ghirardeli Cocoa
• 1/2 c. Hershey's Cocoa, 100% Cocoa 'Special Dark'
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
• miniature marshmallows

To make the mix, place all the ingredients, except the peppermint baking chips and marshmallows, in a blender. Pulse until well pulverized and mixed. 

*You can also just whisk together the ingredients, but you won't have a uniform texture in the mix. The milk powder can contain bigger lumps. My mom's had lumps though and it tasted just as good.

To make the cocoa: Add 1/4 cup mix to 3/4 cup hot water. Stir to dissolve. Sprinkle the top with the miniature marshmallows and Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.

For gifting: Layer the cocoa, peppermint chips and miniature marshmallows. I divided the mix between two jars and filled the rest up with the toppings. Decorate the jar and add a tag or label with the mix instructions.

Enjoy!

Now go check out the other blogs participating this week in The Secret Recipe Club:

It's So Sweet to Share - See's Candies Has Many Gift Options + Sweepstakes

The holidays always bring out my sweet tooth!

Whether giving or receiving, a box of candy, truffles or other sweet treats, See's Candies is a brand name I grew up with and love. So many options, so many different flavors to try the gifting possibilities are endless.

I was contacted to do a review of See's Candies for the holidays. Whether you have a favorite in mind, or just want to browse their large selection of Christmas Gifts, Hanukkah Gifts, Hostess Gifts or Stocking Stuffers, you will be impressed with the options. It used to be a tradition in my husband's family to receive a box of See's Candies Peanut Brittle every holiday. We could always look forward to that sweet and salty treat. Since our home is already bursting with "stuff", I always appreciate a gift that can be savored, but also doesn't take up more room in our home.

I opted for three different candy assortments; Victoria Toffee, Eggnog Truffles and the Holiday Fancy Gift Box - Snowflakes. First let me introduce the creamy, rich Eggnog Truffles...

I love eggnog, so this one I just had to try. Rich and creamy filling wrapped in white chocolate did not disappoint. These little beauties were rich enough that I couldn't have more than one in a sitting. The small box would make a lovely stocking stuffer or gift for a coworker.

When I think of See's Candies I think about boxes of assorted chocolates, a real exploration for my tastebuds, so I had to get a gift box. The box didn't come with a flavor key, but the chocolates are in See's best-loved flavors with something in there for everyone. White chocolate, milk and dark, soft or crunchy this pregnant mama is keeping them all for herself. Well, I might share one or two with my husband.

Each box of chocolates arrived in the mail packaged beautifully and in great condition. So, if you don't have a local See's Candies store near you, be sure to take advantage of all the great options available to order online.

Last, but not least I sampled the Victoria Toffee, which has become my new favorite. I love the crunch of the buttery toffee, almonds and milk chocolate. Yum! I think this has replaced my beloved Peanut Brittle and satisfies both my need for something crunchy and sweet.

With so many great options for gift baskets, business gifts or even the kids in your life, be sure to check out See's Candies website. Be sure to also check out the 'custom mix' boxes of chocolates you can hand select to please that person on your list.

Sweepstakes Alert!
See’s is currently running a sweepstakes thru 12/24. Enter to win prizes daily & a chance to win the Grand Prize – 1lb of chocolate a month for 30 years! Good luck. 


*Disclaimer - I received samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and experiences are my own.