Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Meringues
I kind of neglected to mention that when I made those strawberry meringues a little while ago, I also made espresso meringues.
And that (to my surprise) I liked them even better than the strawberry meringues!
I thought maybe it was just me so I gave some to a friend who isn’t really a big fan of meringues. She couldn’t stop eating them either, which just proves that they’re amazing. I miss them already – because I ate them all.
I’ve mentioned it before, but meringues are very easy to make. You just need to whip some egg whites to stiff peaks (with a mixer, hopefully, or your arm might fall off) and add some flavoring. Then you dollop them on a baking sheet or pipe them into any shape you want, and bake until dry. That’s it!
OR… you could then dip them in melted chocolate, because coffee and chocolate pair very, very well together. The espresso somehow makes the chocolate taste more chocolate-y. Each bite of these chocolate-dipped meringues taste a lot like a sip of the foamy mocha lattes I practically lived on in college. Coffee-lovers are sure to be delighted by them!
Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Merginues
Adapted from Real Simple
Makes about 40 quarter-sized cookies
As with any meringue, it’s imperative that you not have any egg yolk in your whites or they will never reach stiff peaks. I couldn’t find espresso powder at my local grocery store, but I did find some at Target. Start checking your meringues after 1 hour of baking. The goal is for them to dry and lift easily from the pan without browning. Actual cooking time can vary based on piping size and humidity.
Ingredients
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet or two with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, vanilla, espresso powder, salt, and cream of tartar on medium high until soft peaks form. While beating, sprinkle in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated. Increase speed to high and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
Pipe or dollop meringue onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 200°F for about 2 hours, or until meringues are dry to the touch and lift off the pan easily. Cool meringues completely on the counter (or, if humid, turn oven off and cool for 2 hours in the OFF oven.) Dip bottoms in melted chocolate and place on parchment, wax paper, or Silpats to dry.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
There are three things you need to know before you read any further: I am on a major peanut butter and bananas kick right now, I am obsessed with Chobani Greek yogurt, and I hate anything with fake banana flavoring.
(True story: I once ordered a pint of peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream from the local ice cream stand. I got it home and joyfully dug in, only to find myself gagging seconds later when I realized they had given me fake banana chocolate chip instead. That was a sad, sad day. The end.)
So anyway, I stalk Chobani online a little bit. (A lot.) Their teases about new flavors leading up to the new year were almost more than I could bear. When they finally announced the new flavors, I was half excited and half disappointed: pear (yay! I love pears!) and banana (oh). I was pretty sure the banana yogurt would be gross, but I have so much faith in Chobani that I tried it anyway.
You guys. It wasn’t gross at all. It tastes like real bananas! Not that gross banana flavoring everything else seems to use. I didn’t hate it at all. In fact, I liked it.
Short story long, I found myself with 2 aging bananas, some banana yogurt and a craving for peanut butter one evening. Obviously there was only one thing to do – make banana muffins. With peanut butter. And chocolate chips (duh).
I had a few lofty goals for these muffins that I wasn’t sure I would achieve. First, I wanted them to be kinda healthy. Not so healthy they tasted healthy, but healthy enough I could eat them guilt-free. Second, healthy muffins tend to be fairly dense but I was aiming for something more cakey and moist. I have to say, on those two counts I think I’ve nailed it. The muffins are fluffy and tender, and just on the sweet side with the chocolate chips. Perfectly snack-able any time of day.
But I couldn’t leave well enough alone.
The peanut butter flavor is kind of subtle when competing with the chocolate chips and I was looking for it to smack me in the face. So I frosted my healthy-ish banana muffins. The good news is that the frosting is healthy too because it’s made with – surprise – Greek yogurt! So now you can have your cupcakes and eat them for breakfast too. (Bonus special frosting recipe below the muffin recipe.)
Question: If you frost a muffin, is it still a muffin? Is it a cupcake? A muffincake? A cupmuffin?
Disclaimer: Chobani did not sponsor or commission this post in any way. I just love their yogurt!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Makes 12 regular muffins and about 6 mini muffins
These muffins are just barely sweet as is. If you omit the chocolate chips or like your muffins on the sweeter side, use more sugar. Try to be patient and let the muffins cool before eating them, or they’ll stick to the wrappers. Don’t be afraid to bake these ahead. I find their flavors are best after resting for a day or two.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (8 ounces) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash cloves
dash allspice
2 very ripe medium bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (6 ounces) Chobani banana Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons milk
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mash together bananas and brown sugar with a fork. Add yogurt, milk, egg, peanut butter and vanilla. Whisk to combine (may be lumpy). Add flour and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix! (Batter will be thick.) Fold in chocolate chips.
Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full. (Scoop any remaining batter into lined mini muffin cups.) Bake at 375°F for 15-18 minutes (10 minutes for minis) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Extra Bonus Peanut Butter Frosting
So here’s the deal. I made this up on the fly and didn’t make enough to frost the whole batch. In other words, use this as more of a guideline than an exact recipe. You’ll probably need to at least double it if you’re going to frost the whole batch.
Ingredients
3/4 cup (6 ounces) Chobani plain Greek yogurt
2-3 Tablespoons peanut butter or PB2
vanilla extract
pinch of salt
sugar
Directions
Mix together yogurt and other ingredients until desired consistency and sweetness. Frost cupcakes. Serve immediately. Frosting should be stored in the fridge.
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Meringue Roses
Riddle time! What looks like roses but tastes like chocolate-covered strawberries?
Strawberry meringues, of course!
I’m not the first person who has ever made strawberry meringues shaped like roses, but my meringues have a secret ingredient that I didn’t see in other meringue recipes: freeze-dried strawberries. Other recipes I read used combinations of red food dye, fresh strawberries, or even strawberry jello to achieve that pink color and strawberry flavor. I liked the idea of fresh strawberries, but I wanted a way to concentrate that bright fruit flavor while also removing the moisture. Freeze-dried strawberries turned out to be the perfect solution. And because they’re 100% real strawberries, there’s no red food dye to mess with. Success!
I enjoy making meringues for a couple of reasons. First, it gives me an excuse to practice my (dismal) piping skills. Second, as long as you’ve got a stand mixer and are good at separating eggs, they’re a breeze to make. And last but not least, the way the finished meringue cookies just melt in your mouth like flavored clouds keeps me coming back for just one more… over and over and over again. These strawberry meringues are delightfully light but they burst with the bright, decadent flavors of chocolate-covered strawberries.
Make some for your Valentine and they’re sure to fall in love with you!
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Meringue Roses
Makes about 24 rose-shaped cookies
As with any meringue, it’s imperative that you not have any egg yolk in your whites or they will never reach stiff peaks. At first freeze-dried strawberries were hard for me to find until I realized Target sells them! I used these – and I should warn you that reducing them to powder in the food processor can be kind of messy. Also, don’t put your face over the lid when you open the food processor unless you like inhaling strawberry dust! If you don’t have Silpats or have thin baking sheets, try doubling up your baking sheets to prevent your meringues from browning too much on the bottoms. I used the Super Star Tip from the Bake It Pretty cupcake icing kit to pipe the roses (there’s a demo video on their site!)
Ingredients
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon raspberry liquor (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1 ounce freeze-dried strawberries, separated
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
Directions
Place freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor and process until reduced to a fine powder. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet or two with Silpat mats or parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and raspberry liquor on medium high until soft peaks form. While beating, sprinkle in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Sift 2 tablespoons of powdered strawberry over meringue (reserve the rest) and gently fold in with a spatula until incorporated.
Pipe or dollop meringue on to prepared baking sheets. Bake at 200°F for about 2 hours, or until meringues are dry to the touch and lift off the pan easily. Cool meringues completely on the counter (or, if humid, turn oven off and cool for 2 hours in the OFF oven.) Gently press dried meringues into remaining powdered strawberry for an extra dose of color and flavor. Dip bottoms in chocolate and place on parchment, wax paper, or Silpats to dry.
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Slow Cooker Beef Provencal Stew
I thought, hey, wouldn’t it be nice to share one of my all-time favorite stew recipes in January when everyone is in desperate need of some warm comfort food?
Well, joke’s on me. It was nearly 70 degrees outside today! The good news is that it looks like the cold weather will return sooner or later, so you still have the chance to try this stew.
What do I love about this stew? More like what don’t I love. It’s full of tender beef, carrots, mushrooms and onions, and the broth has a deep, rich flavor thanks to the red wine and ample garlic. I also love that it doesn’t have any potatoes in it to get mealy and mushy. Just lots of sweet veggies and savory broth.
Perhaps most importantly, I love that it’s a slow cooker stew. That means I can toss everything in my crockpot and forget about until 4-6 hours later when dinner is ready. It even reheats well, so you can cook it ahead of time! I love to serve it over egg noodles for a warm and comforting dinner on a cold winter night.
My husband and I love so many things about this recipe that it’s a winter staple at our house. I think it will become one at your house too!
Slow Cooker Beef Provencal Stew
Adapted from Cooking Light
Serves 6
To make this recipe gluten free, skip the flour and, if desired, thicken stew at the end using a cornstarch and water slurry. Serve over egg noodles or gluten-free noodles.
Ingredients
2 cups chopped carrots
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped
1 pound stew beef or boneless chuck roast, cut into cubes
1 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
3 cups cooked extra wide egg noodles
Directions
Prepare a slow cooker. Add carrots, onions, and mushrooms.
Heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned. Remove garlic from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Raise heat to medium-high. Season beef with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Brown beef on all sides (in batches, if necessary). Add garlic back to pan. Sprinkle flour over browned beef. Stir and cook until all raw flour is incorporated, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add beef mixture to slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients (except egg noodles) to slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on High for about 4 hours or on Low for about 6 hours, or until beef is fork tender. Serve over cooked egg noodles.
Rich & Creamy 5-Minute Microwave Hot Chocolate For One
Hello, friends! Hope you had a delightful holiday and that Santa brought you everything you wished for. Santa brought me everything I wished for – and the flu. I don’t remember putting that on my list.
But enough about me, let’s talk about chocolate. Specifically, hot chocolate – and I don’t mean the kind that comes in a packet. There’s nothing wrong with that kind, of course, but hot chocolate can be so much more. But before you start thinking that improving your hot chocolate is going to take a lot of effort and time, think again.
This hot chocolate whips up in 5 minutes in your microwave.
Yes, that is as awesome and dangerous as it sounds. I’m guilty of indulging in a cup at least once a week (often more). It’s so easy and decadent!
First you heat real chocolate and a little bit of water in the microwave.
I know, I know. you’ve been told to never mix chocolate and water or bad things will happen. Well, it’s 2013. We’re living in the future, where it’s OK to mix water and chocolate. Just go with it.
Once it’s melty, stir it all up to make a luscious smooth chocolate sauce. Then drink it. No wait, that’s not right. I mean, you can drink it, but then you’ll have to start over.
I’ll wait.
Ready? Ok, add your cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Stir again. Notice that it smells and looks just like brownie batter, but without the eggs. Resist the urge to drink it (again).
Now slowly stir in enough milk or water to make a full cup of hot chocolate, and heat it up in the microwave until it’s hot.
BAM. Done. Amazingly creamy, rich hot chocolate in 5 minutes.
Use your newly discovered powers for good, OK?
PS. Adding toasted marshmallows is definitely a good idea.
Rich & Creamy 5 Minute Hot Chocolate For One
Adapted from Brett Wilson
Serves 1
I don’t add any sugar because I like my chocolate dark. Feel free to add sugar to taste. Using milk will yield a richer, creamier hot chocolate, but it’s still great with just water. I use Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips because it’s quick and I’m lazy. If you use chopped chocolate, make sure the pieces are small – no bigger than M&Ms or chocolate chips. You may have to experiment a little with the initial microwave time (15-20 seconds) and water amounts to get perfect results. I find 15 seconds and 1 3/4 tablespoons of water works perfectly for me. If you don’t get it just right? Your initial chocolate sauce won’t be perfectly smooth and may have visible chocolate flecks. Don’t panic and don’t throw it out! Keep going, it will still taste great. Then immediately make another cup… for practice ;)
Variation ideas: Stir in a tablespoon of peanut butter at the end, or add a splash (or two) of bourbon, or add a few drops of peppermint extract. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
45g (about 1.5 ounces or 1/3 cup) high-quality chocolate chips or bar chocolate (chopped)
1 to 2 Tablespoons cold water
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
tiny pinch of salt
6 to 8 ounces milk or water
toasted marshmallows (optional)
Directions
Combine chips and water (just enough to just barely cover chocolate) in a 12-ounce microwave safe mug. Microwave on high for 15 seconds. Let sit for 2 minutes. (You may poke the chocolate to make sure it’s all covered by water, but DO NOT STIR until 2 minutes have passed.) After 2 minutes, stir thoroughly until a smooth chocolate sauce forms. If after stirring unmelted chocolate chunks remain, microwave for another 5 second and stir again. (If your sauce isn’t perfectly smooth, don’t panic. Just keep going!)
Add cocoa powder, vanilla and salt to mug. Stir until combined and mostly lump-free. While stirring, slowly pour in 6 to 8 ounces of milk or water. Microwave to desired temperature. (This takes about 2 minutes in my microwave, but keep an eye on it because it can boil over!) Stir and serve hot.
Gift Ideas for Bakers and Cooks
The holidays are coming! The holidays are coming!
Sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you. I just thought maybe you should know, in case you’re like me and waiting until the last possible minute to do your shopping. Lucky for you and me, online shopping was invented just for times like these. You might also want to know that today is Free Shipping Day!
Whether you’re looking for gifts for loved ones who cook and bake, or are just looking for a little something to ask Santa for yourself, check out the list of gadgets and whatsits below. They’re all of my favorite kitchen things that I know, love, and use over and over again.
I swear on the Naughty & Nice list that I’m not getting any money for any of this – no sponsors, no referral fees, nada. I just wanted to share!
Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin
Have you ever read a recipe that said “Roll dough out to 1/4″ thickness” and though to yourself, “How thick is that”? Do you know someone who makes a lot of cut-out cookies or cinnamon buns or pizza dough? This adjustable rolling pin is just what the doctor ordered. It has these clever little discs on the sides to adjust the thickness of your dough from 1/16th-inch to 3/8th-inch, ensuring perfect dough every time. It also has handy ruler markings across the middle for measuring out even slices! You can even ditch the discs and use it as a regular old rolling pin.
Available online from Joseph Joseph and Amazon.
OXO Stainless Bench Scraper & Chopper
This is one of those tools I didn’t know I needed until after I had it. It is truly multi-purpose! I’ve used it for everything from dividing yeast doughs, lifting cookies, scraping flour off counter tops and even decorating cakes. Yup, it’s perfect for getting super smooth buttercream on your layer cakes. I love that it has a sturdy, cushioned handle too.
Available online from OXO and Amazon.
Ateco Revolving Cake Stand
If you make layer cakes, you NEED this. I’m eternally grateful to Zoe from Zoe Bakes for telling us about this gem. It changed everything for me when it comes to cake decorating. The revolving base makes cutting and icing cakes so much easier and your results are much more even. The stand has a heavy cast iron base, which means you don’t have to worry about your cake toppling over, and the top is removable for easy cleaning. I love that it’s pretty enough to use as a display stand too!
Available online from Ateco and Amazon.
OXO Scoops
These scoops are essential for anyone who makes cookies. Using a scoop is the best way to get uniform cookies that bake evenly in the oven. They have nicely cushioned handles and despite using them on some pretty tough dough, I have yet to break one! Their scoops work well for portioning out muffin batter and scooping out ice cream too. I find the medium (1 1/2 tablespoons) is the perfect size for cookies.
Available online from OXO and Amazon.
Bake It Pretty Best Ever Cupcake Icing Kit
If you are cupcake frosting challenged like me, this kit was made for you. It comes with all of the pastry tips you will ever need for frosting cupcakes, a professional quality reusable pastry bag, and best of all – an online video you can watch teaching you various frosting techniques with the tips. I’m still practicing, but I can almost make pretty cupcakes now!
Available online from Bake It Pretty.
Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mats
I use these for everything. I love that they’re reusable, that I don’t have to deal with cutting parchment paper or greasing baking sheets, and that nothing sticks to them. They are perfect for baking cookies, but can also be used for things like chocolate dipped candies and sugared nuts.
Available online from Silpat and Amazon.
Large OXO 5-quart Mixing Bowl
What can I say? OXO makes good stuff! I am totally in love with this bowl. It’s huge so I can make anything in it – meatballs, cupcakes, yeast dough, whatever. My favorite part, though, is the black grippy part on the bottom. Because it grips the counter on it’s own, you can stir things in this bowl with one hand. Best thing ever! If you’re a kitchen multi-tasker, you will love this bowl as much as I do!
Available from OXO and Amazon.
Thermoworks Thermapen
I got fed up with inaccurate, broken $20 thermometers so last year I asked Santa for one of these Themapens and lucky me – he delivered! I love love love it. Thermapens cost a lot more than $20, but they’re instant, durable, and extremely accurate. I use mine for everything. You normally think of thermometers as something you use for meats, but I use mine as a candy thermometer too because it goes up to 572°F! Did I mention they come in a rainbow of colors too?
Available online from ThermoWorks, King Arthur Flour, and Amazon.
Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Blender
I love this little gadget and I get a lot more use out of it than I thought I would. It’s great for making smoothies and blended soups, obviously. But did you know you can make whipped cream and the world’s fastest hollandaise sauce with it? The bottom part detaches with the click of a button, making it super easy toss in the dishwasher for cleaning. Also, for a kitchen appliance it’s pretty cheap at right around $30. What’s not to love?
Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Bites
Um, hi. Remember me? Anyone still out there? *taps glass*
I know it’s been a while, but I hope you’ll forgive my extended absence because these Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake bites are sooooooo good. Seriously. Cheesecake is not my most favorite dessert, and also white chocolate and I are not on speaking terms. I think it tastes kind of toothpaste-y. Don’t even get me started on how it’s not actually chocolate, despite its name.
Then I discovered that when you combine white chocolate and cheesecake some sort of undeniable magic happens – they both get instantly better. A LOT better.
Like, please-take-these-away-I-can’t-stop-eating-them better.
Aside from how scrumptious these little bites are, I also happen to like how easy they were to make. Mini cheesecake pans make pretty mini cheesecakes but having to divide everything into umpteen separate tiny cups is kind of a pain, right? You don’t have to do that with this cheesecake! It bakes in an 8×8 pan. Serve it whole, cut it in half and split it with your spouse, or cut it into 36 bite-sized pieces: the choice is yours.
Cheesecakes are normally paired with cherry or strawberry, but cranberries are seasonal right now and I’m not gonna hide it – I can’t get enough of them. So I topped my cheesecake with cranberry jelly. If you think cranberry jelly sounds complicated, it’s not. It’s pretty much just strained cranberry sauce. It also happens to taste fairly similar to raspberry jelly, so even my cranberry-hating husband liked it!
Oh, and did I mention this cheesecake is ideal for stress-free holiday entertaining because you can make it ahead of time? Make it two days ahead and keep it in the fridge (if you think you can avoid eating it), or pop it in the freezer for longer and defrost at room temperature the day you plan to eat it.
I hope this recipe makes your holidays a little more merry and bright!
Cranberry White Chocolate Cheesecake Bites
Adapted from Food in Jars and A Farm Girl Dabbles
Makes one 8×8-inch cheesecake, or roughly 36 1-inch square cheesecake bites
There’s no canning required here! My instructions cover making refrigerator cranberry jelly (for storing in the fridge). The bright red jelly will start to bleed into the cheesecake after a few days in the fridge. I recommend adding the jelly topping the day you plan to serve the cheesecake, or freezing it after adding the jelly and thawing the day of serving. You won’t need all of the jelly, but don’t be afraid to slather it on generously. I wished I had used a bit more.
The outside edges rose a bit while baking, so for even square bites I trimmed the edges off (and ate them – yum!) Tip: For the cleanest cuts, rinse a sharp knife under warm water & dry between each cut. Tedious? Yes. But it works! Also, try to cut straight down and avoid any sawing motion.
Cranberry Jelly Ingredients
1 pound whole cranberries, washed
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup apple cider
juice of 1/2 lemon
Cheesecake Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces 65-70% dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3.5 ounces (about 1 cup) chocolate graham crackers crumbs
8 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
little pinch of salt
2 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces (for drizzling)
1/8 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
Directions
Make-ahead Cranberry Jelly: Combine cranberries, sugar and apple cider in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cranberries burst and start to break down. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Pour through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the skins as needed to filter the jelly. Store in refrigerator overnight or until set.
To make cheesecake: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with a double layer of foil, taking care to leave some overhang on the edges to lift the cheesecake out later. Butter or spray with non-stick spray.
Add butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over low heat. Heat, stirring frequently, just until melted and combined. Remove from heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly coated. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of prepared pan. Chill crust in freezer until ready to bake.
While the crust chills, make the cheesecake. Heat 8 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave in a small, microwave safe bowl for 1 minutes on 50% power. Stir, and continue microwaving for 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly between each, until completely melted. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and sugar, and beat until combined. With the mixer on low, add melted white chocolate, vanilla and salt. Spread cheesecake mixture (may be thick) over chilled crust. Smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
Bake at 325°F for 40-45 minutes, or until edges are set and barely browed while center still jiggles some. Cool completely on a wire wrack. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, and up to 2 days.
Place about half of the cranberry jelly in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds, then stir briskly until jelly is loose and pourable. Spread evenly over cooled cheesecake. Return to fridge and chill for at least 1 hour. (Ideally you will do this step the day of serving to prevent any color bleed into the cheesecake.)
Using the foil overhang, carefully lift cheesecake from pan. Melt remaining 2 ounces of white chocolate in the microwave. (Stir in coconut oil to thin for easier drizzling.) Pour melted white chocolate into plastic sandwich bag, snip off a tiny piece of the corner, and drizzle over cheesecake.
Serve cheesecake whole, or cut into bars or bite-sized pieces. Leftovers (as if!) can be stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container.
