Independence Day Cheesecake

What is more perfect for the Fourth of July than a red, white and blue dessert? Nothing, I say. Especially when it's a creamy New York Cheesecake topped with fresh berries and homemade whipped cream.

What you need:
4 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 3/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup cornstarch
1 fluid oz amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
Blueberries
Raspberries

For the whipped cream:
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Set all your ingredients out ahead of time and let them come to room temperature. Place your oven rack in the center and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap the outside of a ten inch springform pan with foil and generously butter the inside of the pan.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

Mix in sugar and cornstarch. Blend in sour cream and whipping cream. Add amaretto and vanilla.

Stir in eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Pour into prepared pan.

Place pan in another pan at least one inch wider than cake pan and add warm water to the outer pan to create a warm water path. This will prevent the top of the cake from cracking. Bake on the center rack for 70 minutes or until only the center of the cake jiggles slightly.

Turn oven off and let cake cool inside the oven with the oven door open for an hour. Remove from water bath and let cool completely. Chill at least 3 hours before decorating. Rinse your berries and prepare whipped cream.
In a medium bowl, whip 1/2 cup whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form.

To make the pattern, start with a dot of whipped cream in the center. Make a ring of blueberries around the dot. The next ring should have a pattern of one blueberry, one dot of whipped cream, one blueberry etc. The next ring should be two blueberries to each dot of whipped cream and the next is three blueberries to each dot of whipped cream. You see the pattern.
Now make a ring of raspberry halves, followed by a stripe of whipped cream. Keep with this pattern until you have covered the cake.

Voila! Now you have a patriotic cheesecake for your Fourth of July celebration! Just don't let the whipped cream get to warm or it will melt.

Here's a tip for cutting pretty slices of cheesecake: Use string. I used a piece of thick thread and stretched it across. It slices the cake cleanly in half and you just pull it out after you reach the bottom. Just make sure you don't try to cut through the blueberries! They're too tough for the string.

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie

Source: All Recipes

Creamy Key Lime Pie Ice Cream for Father's Day!

I have to blame my dad for my love of baking. When I was a toddler, he allowed me to sit on the counter and "help" him make chocolate chip cookies or cake or fudge or whatever treat he decided to bake. In all honesty, I ate batter more than I did anything else. But I guess something stuck from those many times of watching him concoct delicious treats because I'm still baking up a storm to this day.

The theme of this month has been treats that are easy and delicious for Fourth of July get-togethers. However, since it's Father's Day, I wanted to make something that was good for both. I knew I wanted to make ice cream for my next Fourth of July treat and Key Lime Pie happens to be my dad's favorite dessert. And thus, a search for yummy Key Lime Pie ice cream began. While the following recipe is tastes good, I would not suggest it. I found it to be frustrating and disappointing, but I certainly hope you have better luck.

What you need for 2 servings:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Key Lime zest
1/3 cup Key Lime juice
1/2 cup coarsely crushed graham cracker crumbs

Whisk together the first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in the milk and half-and-half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. The original recipe says 8 to 10 minutes, however, it took me a good deal longer. I would say it took about 20-30 minutes. Be patient and don't stop stirring or else you will have a mess of scalded milk.
Remove from heat.

Beat egg yolk until thick. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup hot cream mixture. Add yolk mixture to remaining cream mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer to remove any solid bits of scalded milk. If you want it to be green, add a couple of drops of food coloring. I added 2 green and 1 yellow. Allow to cool for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Place plastic wrap directly on cream mixture and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Pour mixture into 1 1/2 quart electric ice cream mixture. Prepare according to machine's instructions. About half way through, add your lime zest, lime juice and graham crackers.

This ice cream is deliciously creamy and refreshing. However, I found this recipe a little disappointing because it says it makes a quart, but it only produced about half of that. I also found it frustrating how long it took for the mixture to thicken in contrast to how long it said it should take. Overall, a tasty concept, but I bet there's better recipes out there.

Good luck and happy ice cream making!
Rosie

Source:Southern Living

Fluffy Blackberry Crumb Bars

This week, my boyfriend's mother gave me a huge bag filled with fresh, ripe blackberries. I mean, these berries were GIANT and just looked incredible. As soon as I saw them, I thought "What in the world can I make with these blackberries that everyone would like?"

Naturally, Martha had the answer.

These blackberry crumb bars are incredibly light and airy, and the combination of sweet cake with fruit makes them the perfect summer treat. They're also so easy to make that's it's not hard to make them in bulk for a large group dinner!

What you need:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 3/4 cups flour, spoon and leveled plus more for pan
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 containers (5 oz each) blackberries (I used 1 1/3 cup blackberries since mine were fresh picked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides, and then butter and flour the paper, tapping out excess.
For the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup flour and mix with fork until it has formed large, moist crumbs. Place in refrigerator.

Now for the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat room temperature butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low, mix in flour mixture.

Spread batter evenly in the pan. Make sure it's evenly distributed or you might end up with one half crispy and the other underdone!

Sprinkle the black berries on top of the batter. By the time I finished, the top was cover in berries and there were very few blank spaces. Don't worry, these berries cook down so you can't have too many of them.

Sprinkle chilled topping over the berries and batter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached.

Allow to cool completely in the pan. When cool, lift the cake out using the paper overhang. Cut into 16 bars.

These bars turned out simply beautiful. They cut incredibly easily and they're extremely moist and delicious.

Good luck and happy baking!

Rosie

Source: Martha Stewart

All American Apple Pie

June is here which means sweltering heat, icy treats and a countdown to 4th of July. I don't know why, but I LOVE 4th of July. Every year, my family gets together at my parents house where we cook out and shoot fireworks. Of course, my responsibility is always the dessert. But what makes for a good 4th of July dessert? Through June, I hope I can give you guys several ideas for delicious, easy desserts that go great for the 4th. A classic that never fails is apple pie. This is my dad's favorite dessert and it's so easy to make!

What you need:
Basic double pie crust
4 lbs (8-10) apples (I use a mix of Granny Smith and Gala)
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup flour, plus additional flour for rolling out crust
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of nutmeg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Prepare your crusts. I made a simple homemade recipe, but you can use your own recipe or a store bought crust. Roll out the first crust to about 12 inches and line a 9 inch pie plate. Leave about an inch of overhang around the edge.

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Squeeze lemon juice into a large bowl. Peel, core and slice apples into 1/4 inch wide slices. Cut slices in half and place in bowl. Toss apples in lemon juice as you go along to prevent browning.

Add flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg to apples. Stir until apples are evenly coated. Heap into the pie plate, mounding apples toward the center. Dot with butter.

Roll out second pie crust to 12 inches. Gently brush the rim of the bottom pie crust with water. Place second crust on top of pie and pinch the edges together to seal. Tuck overhang under itself. Using your thumb and index finger, press the dough against the knuckle of your other hand to form fluted edges. Using a floured knife, cut about 5 to 6 slits radiating from the center to form vents.

Place pie on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. I like to cover the edges of the crust in foil while it's baking to prevent them from burning.

Make sure to let your pie cool before you dig into it! This pie smelled so good while it was baking that we were all drooling by the time it finally got out of the oven.

Personally, I find that using all Granny Smith apples makes my pie too tart. That's why I use a mix of Granny Smith and Gala. It gives it a sweeter and fuller flavor to have both. Top with some vanilla ice cream and you've got the perfect summer treat!

Good luck and happy baking!
Rosie