I guess Sunday's going to be my kitchen day. The day feels more sacred, the sun feels warmer and brighter, home feels cozier... it just makes sense. I stayed in most of the day today, and the only things that I set out to accomplish were these two treats.
Kale Chips with Cheddar
I started the afternoon off with these DIY Cheddar Kale Chips, another recipe by Food Heaven Made Easy. And they were true to their word on this snack in terms of how simply and quickly it's made. Take some kale and lay it out on a lightly-oiled baking pan or tray. Sprinkle over with cheddar, a paprika/cayenne pepper mix (or whatever other mix that you fancy), and olive oil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Take them out, sprinkle with a dash of salt to taste, and you're done!
I'm happy to say that my first time eating kale chips is when I made them myself, and they turned out delicious! This recipe is super spicy, though! Since it adds to all the flavors coming together, I didn't mind it. But if you don't like hot or spicy snacks, then you can either tone down the paprika and cayenne pepper, or choose different seasonings. Whichever you choose, I would totally recommend these. Make in minutes, eat in minutes. Thanks again, Food Heaven!
Oreo Cheesecake Bars
Desserts−cakes, pies, cookies, cupcakes, muffins−were my strong point back when I was cooking actively in high school, and I wanted to give something sweet a shot to see if I still I had it in me. But I wasn't in the mood for anything too thick or doughy, so I opted for this Oreo Cheesecake Bar recipe by The Brown Eyed Baker. I tested out quite a few of her recipes back in the day, so it made sense for me to go back to the original source. This recipe is also fairly simple, but the time between prep and serve was a lot longer (at least 6 hours) because you have to let cheesecake sit for a long time after baking so it can solidify sufficiently. It probably took me a little longer too because I don't have a food processor and had to crush 35 Oreos almost completely by hand, but eh well.
Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Crush 23 Oreos into crumbs, mix in a bowl with melted unsalted butter, pat the mix down into the bottom of the pan, bake in the oven for 10 minutes, and take the pan out. There's your crust. In another bowl, soften some cream cheese and mix it with granulated sugar. Fold in 3 eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, and the remaining Oreos (should be 12 or 13), chopped. Pour the batter over the crust, put the pan in the oven again and bake for 50 minutes. Take the cheesecake out and let cool for 2 hours, then put it in the refrigerator for at least another 3 hours. Cut into however many bars you like (the recipe recommends 16), and there you have it! To be honest I'm not crazy about chocolate; I was just in the mood to make something with Oreos in it because it seemed like fun. But this cheescake came out really nice! Solid and smooth, sweet with a little tartness to balance it out. No complaints at all. Thanks, Brown Eyed Baker!
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