Update and Sopapilla Cheesecake

Happy first day of August!! I've been a flake again, I apologize.... but not to worry! I've made lots of things so expect to see several updates coming from me this week!

First order of business, do you like my new background/banner?! I did it last night when I should have been working on my paper, but I found the background and just needed to change it right then.  It's not pink, but I still really like it.  Damask is one of my favorite patterns!

Second, has anyone been watching the Olympics? Because I have been watching them like it's my job.  I teared up twice yesterday when I watched the fab five won gold, once live in the morning and again in the evening for the rerun.  Oh and again when the Brits won their first gold by the rowing girls.  Good grief.

Now on to the dessert....

Quite possibly the easiest adaptation of cheesecake ever created: the Sopapilla Cheesecake!  yum yum just look at those, I wish I still had some!

Ingredients

2 cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls

2 8oz Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup butter

Cinnamon and sugar, to sprinkle

Preheat to 350 degrees F

I bought the rolls that came out in strips, so what I did was stretched the strips out both length and width wise of one can of rolls and pressed them together (as to not leave any gaps between strips) on to an ungreased pan.  I couldn't tell you what the exact measurements of this pan are but my guess is 9x13.  Then, combine the cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl.  

I used Neufchâtel cheese because it's 1/3 less the fat of regular cream cheese, but when I was in the store the other day I noticed that the reduced fat cream cheese is 1/2 the fat. So next time I'm just going to used the low fat cream cheese, you could use either though.  Neufchâtel cheese tastes almost exactly the same as cream cheese and no one noticed when I served them this cheesecake ;)

 

 Spread the mixture over the over the dough strips

 

Unroll the second can of crescent rolls over the cream cheese mixture using the same procedure to stretch it out as before.  Melt the bit of butter and spread over top and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar.  I didn't do this part by measurement, just sprinkled what I thought was enough.  It looks like a lot of sugar in the before photo but it came out perfect.

 

Bake at 350 degree F for 20-30 minutes.  You can also tell when it looks done.  The dough looks cripsy and not squishy like before.  I must tell you that this smelled absolutely irresistible.  Even while it was in the oven, I wish my house smelled like these all day long.

Original Recipe