FOOD: The Bake with Paris

By Paris Brown, NNPA Newswire Contributor

The Bake with Paris is a brand-new series in the Black Press presented by 13-year-old Paris Brown. Paris loves to bake, and over her summer vacation, she will write about some of her best experiences. Paris will also include her recipes. Please enjoy.

Quarantine day 1,000,587- at least that’s how it feels.

I needed something new to bake.

I had recently made a peach cheesecake, and my family and I agreed that the crust was our favorite part.

It was buttery, sweet, and crunchy, which made my mouth water just thinking about it.

Then we figured, why not make a cookie that tastes just like that?

So, I looked up a recipe and got to work, but it wasn’t all that great when we tasted it. After that, I decided to go rogue and make my own recipe.

I used Graham crackers as flour and mixed it with unsalted butter and sugar to get that great buttery flavor.

I added both white and brown sugar for an extra bit of depth, and then I used vanilla extract and a dash of salt as flavor enhancers. Lastly, I added two eggs as a binder, and into the oven it goes!

There are many things you can do with these cookies- you can eat them by themselves, put some chocolate and marshmallows on top to make s’mores, or create a cheesecake filling, just like I did.

I mixed cream cheese, butter, a little bit of milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar to make the filling. It tasted like everything I’d want in a cheesecake. Sweet, tangy, and creamy. Delicious!

The last step for the cookies was to let them cool and fill them. Once they were completely cooled, I put filling on them and sandwiched them together. They were so good, my mom jumped up and started dancing!

I love baking because it brings so much joy, not only to me but to those who help me bake and to those who eat it.

It’s also a distraction from all the negative from the outside world. So, if you’re looking for something to do, look up a recipe and see where it takes you. Delicious things can happen when you take a chance.

Cheesecake Cookie Recipe

Cookie:

• 2 1/2 cups crushed Graham crackers(about 24 Graham crackers)
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract(you can use regular extract too)
• 2 large eggs

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract

Baking Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, mix together crushed Graham cracker crumbs, butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until it looks like wet sand.
3. Scoop on cookie sheet and flatten.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese.
2. Slowly add powdered sugar.
3. Add milk and vanilla extract.

Once cookies are completely cooled, put filling in the middle and sandwich together, then enjoy!