Battle of the Desserts

Last week, we had two family get-togethers within like two days.  The first night, my sister made a dessert.  It was amazing, absolutely fine restaurant style that one would easily pay $10 for.  Homemade New York Cheesecake with Rhubarb Sauce.  Supposedly, the Rhubarb Sauce was a recipe of our Mommy's, but I don't ever remember tasting it before and trust me, I would have remembered.  Let's see if I remember the recipe:

Rhubarb Sauce

3 1/2 cups cut up rhubarb
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
frozen strawberries

Combine the rhubarb, water and sugar and cook on stove until rhubarb is tender.  Add pudding and mix until thick.  Add strawberries if you wish to the mixture and then cool.

My sister is the cheesecake queen.  She makes THE most beautiful cheesecakes you'll ever see this side of a restaurant.  And not only are they pretty, but they are GOOOOOOOD!!!  I can make a cheesecake, but my excuse is that we live so far out in the country that by the time I get my cheesecake to town, the roads put big huge craters in the middle of my cheesecakes.  Yep, that's my excuse and no one's going to change it!

Anyway, my sister's New York Cheesecake is to die for.  I'm not even sure I should give you the recipe because even if you make it, it probably won't taste or look like hers anyway!

My Sister's New York Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP butter, melted
5 - 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream

Mix crumbs, 3 TBSP sugar, and butter.  Press onto bottom of 9 inch spring form pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition, just until blended.  Blend in sour cream.  Pour over crust.

Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set.  Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan.  Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Okay, so I can MAYBE see why mine don't turn out like hers.  As I am guffawing the preciseness of the directions, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "hmmmmm, do you think if I actually did some of these things, my cheesecake might just work???"  No, it couldn't be because I just turn my mixer on and blow caution to the wind...medium speed, low speed, does it really make a difference?  Really, do I have to go find a knife or metal spatula and then DIRTY IT to loosen the cake?  What is a metal spatula anyway???  Okay, okay, so maybe my sister's "attention to detail" does work out for the best...

Well, so after devouring a wonderful meal at my sister's house of steak kabobs and cheesecake with rhubarb sauce, we began to talk about the next family get-together meal.  Now remember, I was irritated with myself for saying I would bring a salad to our first get-together, so by golly I wasn't going to make that mistake again, and I hurriedly said I would make the dessert.  Whew-that disaster was averted!

That is, until the next day when I started to think about what to make for dessert.  WHAT WAS I THINKING???  How can you offer to make a dessert after everyone just had my sister's New York Cheesecake with Rhubarb Sauce???  HOW DO YOU TOP THAT???  I swear there was a cold sweat on my skin-have you ever read books that talk about a "cold sweat"?  Well, this is what I best imagine that as...

I went through recipe after recipe after recipe to no avail.  I googled the top ten recipes of all time-nothing.  How am I ever going to top my sister?  True, I did beat her that night at the card game "Up And Down the River", so that should account for something, right?  Well, I gave up.  I couldn't think of anything that could top my sister's cheesecake, so I just pulled out a recipe-wait, cream puff?  Chocolatey cheesecakey puddingy layer of goodness?  Chocolate and caramel drizzled on whipped cream with toffee sprinkles and mini chocolate chips?  Have I just stumbled upon the one dessert that might just bring my dessert making to my sister's level???

Cream Puff Dessert

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups cold milk
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 package instant cheesecake pudding mix

Topping:
1 8 oz carton whipped topping
chocolate and caramel ice cream topping
toffee bits
mini chocolate chips

In a saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil.  Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms.  Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until smooth.  Spread in a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, milk and pudding mix until smooth.  Spread over cooled cream puff.  Refrigerate for half an hour.  Spread with whipped topping and drizzle and decorate with topping ingredients of your choice.

Yummy!  Now I'm not going to say that my dessert in any way topped my sister's cheesecake with rhubarb sauce, but it was good.  I felt like I put in a gallant effort to top her.  And even better, while I didn't win at the card game that night, neither did she! :)  Love ya, Sis!

Oh wait, there was a surprise player in our Battle of the Desserts that we weren't expecting that night.  My Aunt also made a dessert and oh my goodness, was it ever delish!  Don't have a recipe for you, but imagine Symphony Bars baked in the middle of decadent brownies.  Yep, I can hear you moaning in delight already!  Which leads me to another recipe-has anyone ever tried a Milky Way Cake?  There are like 10 full sized Milky Way Bars baked into this cake?  I have never, but The Pioneer Woman Blog and the pictures she adds with it SO makes me want to try it!!!