Easiest Berry Cheesecake Wraps

So fast you won’t believe it’s not store-bought, and so delicious you’ll be going back for more. 

You need a last-second dessert and you have only half an hour. Think quickly - what do you make?

The answer is cheesecake.

No one thinks cheesecake is a quick dessert - but it can be, if you cheat a little. But only a little, because there are only so many corners you can cut on a dessert that is conventionally round.

This recipe will require an air fryer for maximum efficiency, but you can also bake on a rack if you only have your oven - or perhaps toaster oven; we are huge advocates of using a toaster oven when the weather is warm. Please don't heat up the whole house if you don't have to! It's a fight your air conditioner (and likely also your electric bill) will lose.

Ingredients:

4 large tortillas

1 8 ounce brick of cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 Tablespoons fruit preserves

cooking spray

cinnamon-sugar for dusting

Tools:

Air fryer (or oven and baking tray with a rack), measuring spoons, mixing bowl(s), spoons, whisk or hand mixer, plate, large ziploc plastic bag (optional)

Take your tortillas and your cream cheese and preserves out of the fridge. All three will be easier to work with if they're a little bit closer to room temperature.

Move your tortillas to a plate and fan them out a bit for easy grabbing later. Any whole wheat or white flour tortilla will do, but if you're shopping specifically for this recipe, we recommend Ole Xtreme Wellness high-fiber tortillas. They're soft, extra flexible, brown up nicely, and have a very mild flavor that won't fight with your cheesecake filling.

Scoop your cream cheese into the mixing bowl and break it into chunks - it will warm a little quicker if the air can circulate around smaller pieces.

Preheat your air fryer (if using one) or oven to 365 degrees. If you're warming up an air fryer, you can allow it to turn off after 5-7 minutes. It doesn't need to stay running the whole time like the oven will; the small area and convection fan in the fryer makes a huge difference. (Maybe you're one of the lucky ones whose oven has a convection fan! Did you know those require additional servicing?)

If your kitchen is plenty cool right now (lucky!) and your cream cheese is still very solid, you can pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften it up, provided your mixing bowl is microwave safe. Please do not microwave it any longer than that! Melted cream cheese does not work the same way in this recipe. You really don't want it to melt until it's actively baking.

Measure up your vanilla and sugar, and toss them in with your cream cheese. Use a whisk and all your wrist strength, or an electric hand mixer, to whip these two ingredients into the cream cheese. It should appear fluffy and light once thoroughly incorporated.

As far as preserves go, we used two spoons each of blackberry and strawberry preserves in our example photo. You can use whatever you have on hand, but we strongly recommend using a pair of complementary flavors... and avoiding grape! Grape is not your friend for this recipe, regardless of what you attempt to pair it with. Hopefully you have some raspberry or peach or strawberry preserves in your cabinet. We also really like the Smucker's Mosaics flavors for this - especially the cherry and blueberry. We didn't have the strawberry and blackberry on hand, but it's another available Mosaics flavor, specifically the one that inspired our flavor choice today. Additionally, if sugar is a concern, feel free to utilize a low- or no-sugar preserve instead.

Measure your four tablespoons of preserves into a dish and break up the big globs with a fork (it will make your life easier in a minute, trust us). You'll have fewer big pieces with homemade preserves, as they don't typically have as much pectin as the store bought ones. Either way, it's easier to just break it all down before it goes into the cream cheese blend.

Once you've got the preserves to the point they'll blend well, dump them into the mixing bowl with the cream cheese blend and swirl it together. Your goal here is a marbled look, not necessarily all one color. Congratulations, you've made cheesecake filling! Once you've swirled everything together, divide it up into quarters.

If you're working in a confined space, or if you're just super-messy like us, you might consider spooning your filling into a Ziploc bag and trimming a corner so you can simply squeeze to dispense the appropriate amount for each wrap. You can scoop it directly from the mixing bowl into the tortillas, but we always seem to drop some on the counter or on the floor when we do it that way, no matter how careful we are. The family dogs are usually thrilled, but the clean-up crew never is.

Whichever way you choose, transfer roughly 1/4 of your filling into each tortilla. Roll your tortillas like burritos so that all the sides are closed. Spritz the inside edge of the seam with cooking spray as you finish rolling, so that when heat is applied it will sear closed. Place them seam side down on your plate. Once all four have been rolled, spray the tops lightly with your cooking spray and dust gently with cinnamon sugar (or cinnamon mixed with sugar substitute).

Transfer each gently to your air fryer basket or your baking pan with a rack. Cook 10 minutes at 365, and remove them gently with tongs once the upper crust of the wraps has turned golden. The oven may take a little bit longer than ten minutes. If they still look pale and doughy when you go to remove them, let them cook another two minutes or so. Check frequently and trust yourself to see the difference in color once it happens. Regardless of how long it's in the fryer or oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes - that filling is HOT.

Serve warm, topped with whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar, with a scoop of ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce, garnished with fresh berries... Whatever you like the best. We went with some frozen yogurt - because any dessert worth scorching yourself on is deserving of some frozen goodness to balance it out.

Let us know what you think about this delicious dessert over on our Facebook. We’d love to hear from you! 

If you want another sweet treat to make, check out our double chocolate guinness cakes. 

Breakfast Apple Oat Cake

The Perfect Get-Going Food For A Winter Morning

By now, your winter break is probably over. That means the kids are back to school, too. We aren't sure about your house, but in this house, we're all slow to get moving on cold weather mornings. That lag often translates into running late for school, hurrying to work, and forgetting a decent breakfast.

Even if your kids are remote or hybrid learners in the ever changing school landscape that is so common this year, they're not freed from the constraints of having to get out of bed on time; most schools are tracking attendance based on what time they log in! The remote learners just have a shorter commute - from wherever they sleep to wherever the computer is kept.

Clearly this whole winter situation wasn't designed to be easy. Who really wants to get up before the sun when it's freezing out? You need something tasty to look forward to in the mornings - something that you can prepare ahead of time, and just grab and go during your busy out the door rush.

We think you might just need our special apple oat cake. It's full of fruit and grain, and it even has a little boost of protein from the addition of some nuts. (That extra protein is to help you stay feeling full.) It's also low in sugar, so you won't get that wilted sugar-crash feeling like a bowl of cereal or a muffin sometimes leaves you with.

You can bake it in an eight inch round pan and cut it up into soft triangles, or you can spread it in a thin layer on a rimmed sheet pan and cut it into crispier bars. You can keep it simple and make it the same way we did, or you can jazz it up with goodies like maple syrup or chocolate chips. Experiment with it and find what you like!

Ingredients

2 cups oats (quick cooking or old fashioned are fine, but NOT steel-cut)

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

2 eggs

1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or peanuts

1/4 cup dried berries or raisins

Tools

Mixing bowls, whisk or fork, measuring cups, spoon, pan (8 inch round or 13 by 9 inch sheet), aluminum foil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350.

Mix together your oats and applesauce in the mixing bowl. Add your salt and baking powder and stir until both are incorporated.

Stir in your sugar, cinnamon, nuts and berries. Feel free to add other goodies here, too, like a spoonful of honey or some favorite spices.

In another bowl, whisk your two eggs lightly. We'll be adding them to the first bowl at the same time as the melted butter or margarine, so make sure you've let the heat come back down some on the butter/margarine. The last thing we want to do is end up with scrambled eggs in oats. (Certainly someone out there must like eggs and oatmeal, but we don't think they go together too well.)

Mix your whisked eggs and melted butter into the first bowl and stir thoroughly.

Line your pan with aluminum foil to help make sure everything comes out in one piece and can be cut up neatly, rather than coming out of the pan in misshapen lumps of varying sizes.

Pour your oat mixture (we hesitate to call this a batter, as it's quite thick and rather lumpy) into the pan you prepared. Smooth it down with a spoon and nudge it into the corners or up to the edges of the pan - it won't spread very much on its own.

Once it's nice and level in the pan, place it in the oven on the middle rack. For a round pan, it should take about 40 minutes. If you used a sheet pan, cut that time down to about 25 minutes and check it frequently to avoid burning the bottom or edges.

Once a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, and the center of the cake looks solid and lightly browned, it's ready to come out of the oven.

Allow it to cool for eight to 10 minutes before using the aluminum foil to lift it up from the pan and place it on the counter. Cut into slices or bars, whichever you like.

Store in an airtight Tupperware, wrapped in plastic wrap, or wrapped in aluminum foil. They'll keep up to four days at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze them, and then pop them in the toaster oven in the morning. They're pretty tasty if lightly toasted and buttered or drizzled with melted peanut butter.

Sure, it's not quite as alluring as visiting the local drive through, but it's more convenient! And it might make you feel a little better about your progress on those new years resolutions. Let us know what you’re planning for year ahead over on our Facebook page, or in the comments below. 

If your appliances are giving you fits, don’t forget that we’re here to help. Whether you need someone to take a look at your oven, or you just want some maintenance tips for your dryer, we aim to be the best. For you and all of our clients in the Coppell area, Appliance Rescue Service is just a call or click away. 

Call us at (214) 599-0055

Beat the Heat With This Spicy And Sweet Set of Ribs

Sweet and Spicy BBQ Ribs 

Welcome to this month’s first recipe, all about sweet and spicy ribs. Texas is known for its grilling, right? With the heatwave that’s melting us, we wanted to get out of the kitchen and work outside where there’s hopefully going to be a breeze.  So we went digging and found this great recipe tucked into the back of the recipe book that sounded perfect to share. It’s even got a delicious side of grilled (or broiled) peaches to pair with it and tame some of the heat. 

4 pounds  pork spareribs

½ cup chili sauce

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¾ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp hot pepper sauce

4 medium size ripe peaches

2 Tbsps peach preserves

About 2 hours before serving or a day ahead 

Take your rack of ribs and cut them into two-rib portions. This means you won’t be fighting as much for space later, and they’re easier to flip with tongs. 

Put an 8-quart saucepot over high heat, add in the ribs, and enough water to cover. Bring it to a boil. Put a lid on top of that and turn the heat down to a simmer. Leave that there for an hour to get the meat tender. 

Using tongs, remove teh ribs from the saucepot and put them on a platter. 

If you plan to grill right away, go start the barbecue. If you’re cooking the ribs later, put them in the fridge covered in foil. 

About 1 hour before serving 

Prepare your outdoor grill, remember, coals need at least 30 minutes to heat fully. Meanwhile, mix chili sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, allspice and hot pepper sauce.  (If you want to check out how to make your own chili or hot pepper sauces, check out the notes below.) 

Cook your ribs over medium heat, 15 to 20 minutes to heat them through. Brush with the sauce frequently during the last 10 minutes to keep them from charring. (Unless you’re like our bloggers and prefer a bit of char on your ribs. Then just be careful.) 

Cut all of the peaches in half and discard the pits. Grill the peach halves with ribs, turning and brushing them with preserves until hot and browned. This should take roughly 5 minutes. Remove ribs and peaches from the grill, transferring to a platter and enjoy.

When you’re done and it’s time to clean  up, throw your grill grates into the dishwasher for an easier cleanup. 

If you can’t grill, due to weather or what have you, try broiling your ribs. 

Start off by precooking the ribs and prepping the sauce same as we did above. 

Roughly 30 minutes before you want to serve, preheat the broiler. Arrange the ribs on a rack in the broiling pan and brush with the sauce. Broil ribs 5 to 7 inches from the heat for 20 minutes, turning and brushing with remaining sauce every 5 minutes. 

Remove the ribs from the broiler and transfer them to the platter. 

Grab your peaches, and just like above, cut them all in half, chucking out the pits. Place peach halves with the cut side up on the rack in the broiling pan. Brush the peaches with preserves and broil for 5 minutes.  

Transfer the peaches to the platter with the ribs and enjoy a sweet and hot treat. 

Let us know what you think over on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear from you and how your ribs turned out! 

If this isn’t your thing, we have something completely different coming out in two weeks, so be sure to check back then. 

Remember, if your appliances are giving you trouble, or if you just want someone to give them a once over, give us a call. We want to help keep your home running in tip top shape. 

Call ((214) 599-0055) 

Set an appointment online.

Notes: 

We know that most people don’t like to go and make their own chili and hot pepper sauces. It’s a lot of work after all. For those of you that do though, these recipes are for you. Please let us know how they turn out! 

Chili sauce

Check out this recipe straight from Ball’s own Fresh Preserving site. This recipe is a classic and with good reason! The flavor is rich and complex and goes great anywhere you’d typically throw in chili sauce (and even a few places you hadn’t considered yet.) 

The ingredient list looks like this 16 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (about 16 medium)

6 onions, chopped

6 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

`2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cups white vinegar

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. freshly grated or drained bottled horseradish, optional

1 Tbsp. celery salt

1 Tbsp. mustard seeds

1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground clove

Hot Pepper Sauce 

If you’re looking to make your own hot sauce, a great place to start is at Wholefully. Her ingredient list looks like this. 

1 1/2 pounds peppers of your choosing (a mix of sweet peppers and hot peppers), tops/stems removed, halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled

4 cups filtered water

4 teaspoons sea salt

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, optional

If on the other hand you’re an aficionado and want to go a step further you can take a look at this guide we found that takes you from the very beginning, through multiple different recipes and up to creating your own business if you’re so inclined. That is over at Chili Pepper Madness.