Category: <span>Sweet Treats</span>

Lemon Soufflé Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping

I made this yummy, light lemony cheesecake with Quincey, my 14-year-old cousin, to teach her how to crack and separate perfect eggs, make meringue and fold it into the batter. She did well! It was perfect and worth the extra trouble to make. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 4 large egg whites
• 1/3 cup white sugar

• 3 cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 9-inch springform pan. Cut an 18-inch square of aluminum foil and wrap around the outside bottom of the pan.
2. To make the crust, mix the graham cracker crumbs and brown sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter until thoroughly blended. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool on a rack.
4. To make the filling, place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl; beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Continue beating while gradually adding 1 cup sugar. Beat until sugar is thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and sour cream until well blended.
5. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Continue beating while gradually adding 1/3 cup sugar in a slow stream, until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat. Gently fold 1/3 of the meringue into the cream cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with remaining meringue, mixing carefully to not deflate the egg whites, until no meringue streaks remain. Pour the filling into the prepared pan, and place in a large baking pan. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the baking pan up to 1 inch on the sides of the springform pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven until the top is almost set, 50-55 minutes. Turn off the heat, prop the oven door open about 2 inches, and allow cake to rest in the oven until completely set, about 1 hour longer. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight before serving.
7. To make the topping, place 1 cup blueberries and sugar in a saucepan; cook over medium heat until berries begin to break, 6-8 minutes. While still hot, strain the berries through a sieve or cheesecloth placed over a bowl, reserving the juice. Discard berry pulp. Allow the juice to cool.
8. Mix remaining 2 cups blueberries and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Stir in the strained blueberry juice. Just before serving, pour the blueberry topping over the cheesecake.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2018 Allrecipes.com
Printed From Allrecipes.com 3/5/2018

Recipe By:  MERRYMOBERRY

Patti LaBelle’s Lemon Bars

John and I love a good lemon bar cookie. I found this recipe in People magazine July 17, 2017. I was able to use fresh-picked Arizona lemons the first time I made them. Outstanding! However, store bought lemons will make a great cookie as well.

Ingredients

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, divided plus more for dusting the pan

¼ cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting lemon bars

1/8 tsp table salt

½ cup unsalted butter, thinly sliced, at room temp, plus more for greasing pan

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest, plus ½ cup fresh juice (from 4 lemons)

4 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8-inch square nonstick baking pan and line it with crisscrossed sheets of aluminum foil or parchment paper so that 2 inches hang over each side to create “handles”. Lightly grease foil and coat with dusting of flour. Turn pan upside down and tap to remove excess flour.
2. Prepare the crust: Whisk together 1 cup flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and stir to combine. Knead until a smooth dough forms. Crumble dough into prepared baking pan and press gently into an even layer. Freeze 15 mins.
3. Bake crust in the center rack of the preheated oven until golden 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Prepare the filling: Whisk together remaining 1/3 cup flour, granulated sugar, lemon zest, juice and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Pour mixture over hot crust. Return to oven and bake until filling is lightly browned 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Run a small sharp knife around the inside edges of the pan to loosen pastry. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
6. Lift the foil handles to remove pastry from pan. Place on rack to cool completely about 30 minutes. Cut pastry into 9 equal squares. Peel off and discard foil. Just before serving, sift powdered sugar over bars.

Makes 9 bars

Chocolate Chess Pie

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 tablespoons cocoa powder (I like Ghirardelli best)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt and set aside.
3. Beat together eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the sugar mixture mixing well.
5. Pour into pie shell.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes. At 25 minutes, crust may need to be covered to avoid over browning.
7. Pie is done when a knife is inserted in the center and comes out clean.
8. Cool completely before slicing.

Use a refrigerated pie crust for a super quick and easy pie. Serve with a whipped cream and berries, if desired.

Banana Carrot Bread

Early autumn is when I start baking all my favorite quick breads to enjoy with a cup of coffee in the morning or herbal tea in the afternoon. This recipe is one I’ve been making since my college days. It’s moist, flavorful, and colorful with shreds of carrot running through it.  Enjoy!

1 cup (2-3) mashed bananas – see tip below on freezing bananas

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 eggs

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup finely grated raw carrot

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• Beat eggs until light. Add in sugar, oil, and mashed bananas. Beat with an electric mixer for two minutes.
• Sift together flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon.
• Fold dry ingredients into banana mixture mixing thoroughly. Sir in carrots and nuts.
• Spoon into one 9×5 loaf pan or 4 small bread pans that have been sprayed with non-stick spray.
• Bake at 350 degrees. Large loaf 50-60 minutes. Small loaves 30-40 minutes.  Check loaves near end of baking time in case they need to be tented with foil to avoid overbrowning.

*Buy bags of overripe bananas from the produce discount shelf. Peel bananas and freeze whole in freezer bags. About an hour before baking, put frozen bananas on the counter to thaw at room temperature. Squeeze out excess moisture before adding bananas to recipes.

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

½ cup butter

½ cup oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup buttermilk

2 ½ cups flour

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

4 tablespoons cocoa

2-3 cups peeled and grated zucchini (2-3 zucchini)

1 cup chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour (use cocoa) a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
• In medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
• In large bowl, cream together sugars, butter, and oil. Beat in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk.
• Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture.
• Stir in zucchini until blended.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
• Bake for about 45 minutes until cake tests done in the center.

Tennessee Lemon Chess Pie

I love chess pies! Unless you live in the south, you may not have heard of this pie. Folklore attributes the name to pie chest with chest said with a southern drawl. Another explanation is when asked what was for dessert, the answer was “jes pie.” No matter the reason for the unusual name, these pies taste great and are really easy to make. This recipe is from a 1984 Oxmoor House Southern Heritage cookbook I’ve had for years. It’s a perfect dessert after Josmo’s Café Salmon Pesto Packets.

1 sheet unbaked refrigerated pie crust in 9” pie plate

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 T flour
1T cornmeal
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup milk
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Lightly beat eggs then beat in sugar. Beat well. Add flour and cornmeal mixing until blended. Add milk, melted butter, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Beat well.

Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean and the pie lightly browns.

Note: Check pie after 25 minutes for browning. Use pie crust guard and tented foil to cover pie to prevent over browning.

Cool completely before slicing.