Aha! I think this may become the secret weapon for the season. This is a whipped cheesecake that requires no baking. Period! I know you don’t have time for a long, drawn out baking session.
- 1- 8 0z. pkg. of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, well chilled, divided
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1`/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1 cup finely chopped strawberries
- mint sprigs (optional) for garnish
With your mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 cup whipping cream, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy (4 minutes)
In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the remaining whipping cream on high to get stiff peaks. Stir a large spoonful of whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture to lighten the texture. Now add the cheese mixture back into the remaining whipping cream and gently fold in until completely combined.
Using your eight prettiest glasses (about 2/3 cup), place 1/2 tbsp. graham crumbs in the bottom of each glass. Top with a layer of mousse to fill the glass 1/2 full. Add a layer of chopped strawberries, another layer of mousse to come to the rim of the glass. Garnish with some graham crumbs, some chopped strawberries and, if using, a sprig of mint.
These look pretty, are delicious and look how easy it is.
Easy Homemade Strawberry Gelato
This is wonderful and, as it is made like an Italian Gelato, it is lighter in fat content over most ice creams on the market.
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, cut up
- 6 cups milk
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 12 beaten egg yolks
- red food colouring
Place the berries in a blender and blend until almost smooth.
In a large saucepan combine 3 cups of milk, all the sugar and egg yolks and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. When the custard is done, remove from heat and slowly add the remaining milk, whisking as you add the strawberries and food colouring.
Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Next day, freeze in an ice cream maker according to instructions.
Freeze in a sealable container and you can enjoy a ‘summer’ treat anytime throughout the winter. Oh, I forgot, it won’t last long so make it again and just change the berry type and you will always have a fresh treat on hand.
As I said…..yummy.
White Chocolate Covered Strawberries
While at the store yesterday, we bought some magnificent strawberries. Red, ripe, juicy and I thought this would be a great way to showcase them.
- 2 tbsp. berry sugar
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange peel
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated lime peel
- 6-8 ounces white chocolate (good quality)
- 16 large ripe strawberries
In a small bowl, combine the berry sugar and citrus peel.
In metal bowl over a small pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
Stir with a rubber spatula and when smooth, dip the strawberries halfway up the middle and sprinkle with the citrus sugar.
Lay on a parchment paper lined tray and place in the fridge to set. Put in a pretty serving bowl or plate, add some picks to use and enjoy.
Cheesecake With A Spanish Flair
I love cheesecake, but seem to in the minority most of the time. This is easy, not expensive to make and with the flavours of spring fruit offerings, makes it a real winner.
- 1 lb. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1 1/2 cups berry sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream together the cream cheese, sugar and 1 tbsp. butter. Add the eggs, blending well after each addition.
Add the flour, zest, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. With the remaining 2 tbsp of butter, butter the sides and bottom of a springform pan. Pour in the batter and bake for just 12 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
Strawberry/Rhubarb topping
- 2 cups chopped rhubarb
- 2 cups fresh strawberries
- 1 – 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- sugar to taste
Put the ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the rhubarb is tender. Taste and adjust lemon juice and sugar.
Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with icing sugar and add the fruit topping on top. The topping can be either warm or cold, your decision!
If you didn’t notice….this doesn’t have a crust of any kind. It is so elegant when served.
Mixed Berry Crisp
Summer brings on wonderful dishes and this is one of them.
Serves 8
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Sauce
- 3/4 cup berry sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups blackberries
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup peeled and sliced peaches
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl combine first five ingredients and press one half of the mixture in a greased nine inch cake pan.
To make the sauce, combine the sugar and cornstarch, whisk in the cold water and orange peel until smooth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook for five minutes or until thick and clear, whisking constantly.
Toss the fruit together and arrange over the base. Pour sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture and bake for fifty-five-sixty minutes until fruit is tender and top is golden in colour. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream.
This is a nice take on the apple crisp recipes everyone has.