Smashed Cake Cheesecake Pie

 Raspberry Smashed Cake Cheesecake Pie

I see so many desserts it is amazing, all just a little different from the other, and so many, very yummy! I have quite a few go to recipes when I need something quick. I needed this real quick! It was my sons girlfriends' birthday and I found out after we ate dinner, YIKES!
I get in the kitchen and mix up a chocolate cake mix, crazy because I have a signature chocolate cake people are always asking me for. (there was no time to look for all my ingredients strewn about as we change things here) Then I see a tin of Solo raspberry filling, easy! All I had to do was warm that up a bit. Then the cool whip, cream cheese refrigerated cheesecake trick and voila a Smashed Cake Cheesecake Pie and an additional casserole dish filled with the scrummy treat for my daughter to take home in her new beloved hand me down casserole dish, love her Mumma

Half the cake mix, made to the box directions goes into a pie dish and the other half into a vintage casserole dish you want to stealthily give to your daughter.

I wanted it smashed down more so I used plastic

Then I quickly grabbed the rest of what was going on in my mind so I wouldn't forget because I have already been in the kitchen "cleaning up" for 45 minutes URRRGH! I'm sure she knew, how does  somebody not smell a chocolate cake?

Onward ... I used 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and one large tub of cool whip. I beat the cream cheese and butter with the powdered sugar until smooth. Then folded in the Cool Whip, whereupon, this magical transformation takes place. You are going to love that! PUT THE SPOON DOWN! Meanwhile I gently heated the pie filling. I really love this Solo brand and drag it back from the USA when I travel. You could mix pie filling with the same flavour of jam about 1/2 and 1/2 to get the same fresh taste or even add more berries to your pie filling.

Once the "cheese cake" set I put craters in it to get the pie filling down into the pie part as much as I could.

Then I heard her coming towards the kitchen to help make coffee so I didn't get the top as I wanted it, the filling had cooled too much. Not that big of a disaster ... right? You would eat it right?

So here is the end of the story ... I put sprinkles on it because she loves sprinkles otherwise I would have left them off and maybe used a bit of real whipped cream piped on. Everyone enjoyed their smashed in dessert and I was prouder than a peacock that I pulled it off in one hour and twelve minutes. Remember I was making one alongside in a casserole dish. You do not get to see that one *grinning* Let me just say it looked as pretty as the casserole dish my daughter inherited that was her grandmother's.

Have y'all ever had the desire to smash up a cake and run around like a fool in your kitchen? Try this, I promise it is all worth it.

P.S. She had no idea I was making her a smashed in pie cake with sprinkles and was delighted! Everyone thought I was downing a mocha Kahlua coffee from my Tassimo while I was cleaning the kitchen haha!

Espresso Chip Brownies...have a great morning!

8 ounces of your favorite dark chocolate

1 cup of unsalted butter

5 whole eggs

3 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon Neilsen-Massey vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon instant espresso granules

-Don't blink because it is very easy and the outcome is dense and velvety. Perfect for the holidays. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9 baking dish.

-Place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high until the chocolate is fully melted, about 2 minutes but watch carefully. Stir until fully blended.

-In a standing mixer with the paddle blade; place the eggs, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Mix on high for about two minutes. Then on a very low speed or stir setting, slowly add in the butter and chocolate mixture. Next add in the flour and beat on medium only until combined and then stop! Overmixing is deadly to brownie texture!

-Remove the paddle blade and grab a spatula. Pour the chips and espresso into the batter and fold them in by pulling the bottom batter to the top gently. You only want them evenly through the batter, you don't want to 'mush'.

-Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for about 35 mins. I love this because it is the perfect amount of time to make dinner!

Additional ideas: I poured a bag of marshmallows on top of the brownies this year and they were AMAZING!!! I have also added in dried cranberries or cherries. Get creative and play with your food. Enjoy!