I think I may have mentioned here before, one of my babes has food allergies...it was really bad to begin with. Wheat, soy, peanuts, almonds, rye, and egg were all no-no's for her {and for me because I was nursing!} from about 3 months to 1 year. At her first birthday we had her tested again, and the skin prick test showed that she had outgrown all but soy, peanuts, and egg. A few months later she had outgrown the soy, so now (she's almost 2) we're only dealing with egg and peanuts. For the most part, it's not that bad, but baking is a challenge.
{I had to show a pic of them eating!}
I've found a couple great websites for recipes, and my favorite is one called Egg Free Bakery. I've also learned how to adapt other recipes I find, by combining different techniques.
When making special desserts, I strive to bake something that the entire family can eat, instead of making Elise and Meri {her twin sister whom I treat as if she has allergies as well...it makes my life easier!} eat something else.
We had a neighborhood block party this weekend, and as part of it, they had a "Baked Goods Contest." I love to make {and eat} desserts, so I was all over that. After scanning my Pinterest boards and blog reader, I decided to make Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Bars, as created by Bakerella.
For the cheesecake, I used an egg-free recipe that I came across on a food allergy comment board. I wanted to rewrite both of the recipes here, so I could easily find them, but still give credit to the people who created them! {Hopefully all of my links above work!}
So...here's the recipe as I made it - and no step-by-step photos, because I'm not a food blogger and I forgot.
**Oven to 325 degrees**
Oreo Crust:18 Oreos, crushed into crumbs
2 T sugar
5 T butter, melted
Mix cookie crumbs and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir until completely combined.
Firmly press mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.
Cheesecake Filling: {I halved the original for this recipe}
2 {8-oz} packages of cream cheese1/2 + 1/3 cup of sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/2 T vanilla extract
3 oz heavy whipping cream
12 Oreos, broken into fourths
Beat cream cheese on low until creamy. Add in sugar, cornstarch and vanilla, mixing on low until creamy.
Add in heavy cream, mixing only until blended.
Stir in broken cookies and pour over prepared crust.
Bake at 325 for 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
Chocolate Ganache. Yes, this really happened. And it is amazing.
{I could have easily cleaned out this bowl with a spoon!!}
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 T butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/8 cup powdered sugar
6 Oreos, broken into fourths
Combine cream and butter in a saucepan and heat, removing just before boiling. Place chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl, and pour cream mixture over it.
Let it sit for a minute, then stir until completely combined.
Whisk in powdered sugar until combined.
Pour over cooled cheesecake, and top with cookie pieces.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut chilled cheesecake into bars to serve.
{And BTW, I won the contest!! Kind of a no-brainer though...none of the other desserts were chocolate.}
