That magical two weeks in Texas where it's nice enough to go outdoors where you are either going to get eaten up by a tornado or melt from heat exhaustion. So with such little time to enjoy the season, you have to spend as much enjoying it and not in the kitchen.
So bust out the slowcooker to take away some of the work and the heat - even when it comes to desert! Take a look at the recipes for three recipes you've probably never thought out making in your slowcooker - Strawberry Cheesecakes in a Jar, Oatmeal Cookie Apples, and Banana Rum Cake. These recipes are part of the WFAA Good Morning Texas segment on April 28 - hope you've watched!
SLOWCOOKER STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES IN A JAR Inspired by KingAuthur.com Flourish blogIngredients
Crust 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon melted butter (optional)
Filling 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature 1 2/3 cups sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 large eggs, at room temperature ½ teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup cream, half & half, or whole milk Instructions For the crust: In a small bowl, mix 1 cup graham cracker crumbs with 1 tablespoon sugar. (If you like you can add a tablespoon melted butter to the mix for a more moist the crust.) Place 2 tablespoons sweetened crumbs in each of seven 1/2-pint Mason jars. Press down lightly. For the mixture: Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, eggs, orange zest and cream until smooth, but be careful not to overmix. Put batter into a pitcher for easier pouring and fill each jar 3/4 full with batter. Place jars in a 8 qt slowcooker. Fill the crockpot with water until it reached about ½ way to the jars (also called a warm bath or bain marie. (To make sure you don’t get water in the cheesecakes, place tops back on batter and then remove after pouring.) Cover slow cooker with lid and allow for cooking for 1-2 hours. (It’s all about how your crockpot cooks.) To check for doneness, use a knife and insert from outer edge and check that the knife comes out moist, but clean. Turn off the slowcook cooker and allow the jars to cook for 20 minutes before removing. After placing on rack, allow the jars to rest at room temperatures for an hour before sealing. Then chill in the fridge for several hours before serving. Add your favorite topping like macerated strawberries sprinkled with sugar.
SLOWCOOKER OATMEAL COOKIE APPLES Ingredients 4 apples 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup margarine 3/4 cup raisins 1 cup instant oats 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Core apples Instructions Wash and core apples (I’d make a larger hole than a regular core job to make room for the good stuff.)
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Stuff the apples with the oatmeal raisin mixture. Spray crockpot/slow cooker with a non-stick spray, then place apples inside. Sprinkle the rest of the apple crisp topping over the apples. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready, the apples should be very soft to the touch/poke. Serve with ice cream or a little cream like an oatmeal cookie.
BANANA RUM CAKE Inspired by Better Crocker