Cinnamon Bun Pancakes, Butter Chicken, Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

All these recipes have been my Achilles heel for this pregnancy.  They are all from Tasty Kitchen.  They are all WONDERFUL.  Click through the links to see pictures and read reviews.  For my birthday dinner I’ll be eating Butter Chicken and Cheesecake; resting my head in the food and only coming up for air as needed.         

Cinnamon Bun Pancakes

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons White Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 4 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined.

In separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syurp, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium/low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.

Serve warm with icing drizzled over the top.

Maple Icing Syrup

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• Dash Of Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
• ¼ cups Whole Milk (more If Needed)

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more milk as needed.

Butter Chicken

• 4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut Into Bite Sized Pieces)
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
• ¼ teaspoons Cumin
• ¼ teaspoons Cardamom
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• ¼ cups Butter
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
• 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1 pint Whipping Cream
• 1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
• 2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.

Sauté the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.

Note: this is a little spicy, but you can cut back on the cayenne if you want.

You Rock My World Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

• 28 whole Oreos
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• ¼ cups Butter, Melted
• 6 ounces, fluid Semisweet Baking Chocolate
• 4 packages (8 Oz) Cream Cheese
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ¼ cups Cocoa Powder
• 4 whole Eggs, Brought To Room Temperature
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Smash oreos into crumbs, mix with 1 Tbsp. sugar and melted butter, press into 9″ springform pan.

Bake crust at 350 for 7 minutes, let cool. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees.

Once cream cheese has come to room temperature, beat with sugar until completely smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl often. Mix in vanilla.

Set aside 2 cups cream cheese mixture. In a small bowl, melt baking chocolate until smooth and let cool. To the remainder of the batter, add melted baking chocolate and cocoa powder. Pour chocolate batter over crust. Dollop spoonfuls of white batter on top. Swirl batter with a knife or spatula, creating a nice swirly effect. Tap cheesecake on counter lightly to help batter settle.

Set a roaster pan full of hot water on the bottom rack of oven. Place cheesecake over water on top rack. Bake cake for up to an hour, or until cheesecake is set. Turn off oven, and let the cheesecake set for one hour still in the oven!  Loosen cake from sides of spring form pan with a knife–this helps prevent cracking. Allow cake to cool for a couple more hours.

Prepare ganache: Heat together 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream, beat till smooth. Decorate top of cheesecake.