Jessica's Joyful Kitchen

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 7–10 minutes Chill Time: 6–8 hours Total Time: About 6½–8½ hours Servings: 8 Category: Dessert Notes After Making This has been my favorite dessert since I was a little girl. My mom would make this for me, and I would eat a piece for breakfast, an after-school snack, and dessert every night until it was gone. My grandfather was also a huge fan of Mom’s cheesecake. Most of the time, if she made one for our family, she would make him one too. But on the rare occasion that she didn’t, I would wait until I had eaten it all and then tell him all about what he had just missed.  To this day, it’s still one of my very favorite desserts. This is the simplest, best-tasting little cheesecake there is; I doubt I’ll ever find a better one. Ingredients Crust ⅓ cup (78g) unsalted butter, melted 1¼ cups (125g) graham cracker crumbs, about 16 graham cracker squares 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar Filling 2 packages (8 oz/226g each) redu...

Loaded Baked Potato Soup 6 potatoes with skins, baked 4 Tbsp EVOO 4 Tbsp butter ½ cup flour 2 tsp salt 6 cups 2% milk 1 can chicken broth 8 oz reduced fat sour cream 8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded Optional garnishes: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, chives Whisk oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat, whisk in flour and salt. Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth; a small amount at first to incorporate. Use medium heat until milk thickens, stirring occasionally. Add sour cream. Break potatoes into small pieces; add to pot along with shredded cheese. Heat through. Serve with garnish of choice.

Happy Easter! Hot Cross Buns Dough: 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon instant powdered milk 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, plus 1 egg white 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 3/4 cup mix raisins and dried cranberries 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon orange zest Egg wash: 1 egg 1 tablespoon water Glaze: 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons milk Dough: Put warm water, butter, skim milk powder, sugar, salt, egg, flours, vanilla, and yeast in bread maker. Add dried fruit, spices, and zest and start on dough program. Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9-in round pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 30 minutes. Snip an “+” on each top. Egg wash: Whisk egg and water. Brush on dough tops. ...

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Irish Soda Bread (for Bread Machine) 1 cup water 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons molasses  1 tablespoon honey 1 large egg 1 1/2 cups bread flour  1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 1/4 cup dry buttermilk powder 2 tablespoons cornmeal 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 3/4 teaspoons rapid rising yeast 3/4 cup raisins  1 tablespoon caraway seeds  seeds 1. Process all ingredients in your bread machine set on the dough cycle. Prepare an 8-in. cake tin with flour, set aside. 2. Remove dough from bread machine onto a sheet of floured waxed paper and shape into an 8-inch circle, slightly flattened. Place in cake tin, cover with same piece of floured wax paper, and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 375°F; slash the top of the dough with a large X. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 and continue to bake for 15-20 more minutes. After kneading, dough placed in the...