Mom's Favorite Unbaked Cheesecake

Whenever we had a special occasion at home such as my birthday or Christmas, Mom would make this unbaked cheesecake and it was everyone's favorite. Yesterday, after 2 decades of missing the taste, I finally got up the courage and ingredients and attempted it myself. There must be something about nostalgia, because nothing ever tasted better than the memories brought back with that first bite. Pure Nirvana. So here, in all its glory, straight from The Mennonite Cookbook, is my Mom's best unbaked cheesecake to delight your own taste buds and family.

Mom's Favorite Unbaked Cheesecake

And yes, we already dug into it, Pure deliciousness!

Ingredients

• 1 pkg lemon jello
• 1/2 c boiling water
• 1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1/2 pint (8 oz or 1 c) whipping cream
• 1/2 box graham wafers
• 1/4 c butter or margarine, melted
• 10 maraschino cherries, cut
• 1/2 c drained crushed pineapple

Preparation

1. Dissolve Jello in boiling water and let stand while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Beat whipping cream until stiff in a medium bowl.
3. With the same beaters, beat well together the cream cheese and sugar in a small bowl.
4. Place graham wafers in a resealable bag and roll with rolling pin til finely crushed. Mix with butter/margarine and press 3/4 of the mixture into a 9x9 pan, reserving the rest for sprinkling on top.
5. With mixing spoon, fold cream cheese mixture and Jello into whipping cream (that bowl will be big enough). Mix thoroughly, then fold in pineapple and cherries. 
6. Pour over prepared base in pan and sprinkle remaining crumbs over top. 
7. Place in fridge for at least 1-2 hours to set and ENJOY! This keeps well for a few days.

Mini Cheesecake Red, White & Blueberry Tartlettes

It's come to my attention that I have been neglecting my faithful followers and friends by not posting for a while. I feel pretty bad about this, so I decided to do something about it.

This week, we had a potluck at work and a BBQ/Pool party to go to on the 4th, so I took it upon myself to make desserts, like usual. They were both a hit, so I am sure you won't mind me sharing these recipes with you! In that spirit, here is the recipe for:

Mini Cheesecake Red, White & Blueberry Tartlettes

These are cute as punch and easy as...well...pie! You can make the little shells the day before and keep them covered, then make the filling the day of the event.

Tart Shells

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Open 2 cans of Pillsbury Crescent Sheets and unroll, one at a time, onto a surface covered with waxed or parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out each can of pastry to approximately 9"x12". I used a pizza cutter to cut the rectangles in 4 pieces lengthwise and 6 down (24 little more-or-less squares). Stretch slightly to thin/shape and place in an ungreased mini muffin tin. Let the "points" poke up and don't press down too firmly (it makes removal easier). Bake for approximately 7-8 minutes, until slightly golden brown (you don't want to dry them out too much).

Filling

Soften 1 brick of Philadelphia Cream Cheese in a bowl (I put mine in the microwave at 80 percent for about 80 seconds since we have a low-voltage microwave). Add 1/4 c white sugar, 1-2 tsp lemon juice and 1-2 tbsp skim milk. You can add a bit of lemon zest if you like. Whip on low with a mixer until blended, then fold in 3/4 cup of Cool Whip until mixed. Place cream cheese mixture in each cooled tartlette using a small spoon (my method) or pipe into the tart with a pastry bag (or a Ziploc bag with one pointed end cut off). Top with a blackberry or raspberry and a few blueberries. I used frozen mixed berries, thawing the bag of fruit in the fridge overnight before using.

Notes:
The tart shells keep well at room temperature for a couple of days if totally covered with a towel or waxed paper (I used a towel and folded it around the baking sheet I stored them on). The mixture keeps well in the fridge until the next day if you want to fill one recipe of tart shells one day and the other the next. You may just want to add an extra 1/4 to 1/2 c of Cool Whip to soften it slightly.

Verdict: The perfect mixture of sweet, chewy and tart. It was very popular at the Potluck.

Strawberry Santas

I got the cutest recipe in an email for an almost-healthy Christmas project for kids and kids-at-heart like me. A rep from Driscoll's Berries asked if I would like to post this recipe and would I ever! I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. I know I have the 'buns in the oven' - well, the dough is rising for cinni buns, mini walnut sticky rolls, orange buns, apple rolls and my favorite zweiback. You may just call this a creative-in-the-kitchen sort of day, which I love best of all! Consider this to be recipe #1 in this year's Christmas Countdown!

Here is the recipe from Driscoll's for the cutest little Strawberry Santas EVER!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut
• 12 large, flat chocolate cookies such as Famous Chocolate Wafers
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 12 large Driscoll's Strawberries, hulled
• 12 small Driscoll's Strawberries, hulled
• 24 Driscoll's Blueberries
• 24 mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 24 mini white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small, wide, microwave-safe bowl on low setting until smooth. Place coconut in wide, shallow, small bowl. Place cookies in single layer on serving platter.
2. Combine cream cheese, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl and mix to create thick frosting (add more sugar as needed if too thin).
3. Place cream cheese frosting in sturdy, resealable plastic bag and snip one corner off bottom to create disposable decorating bag. Alternatively, use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Refrigerate 10 - 15 minutes or until firm.
4. One by one, with strawberry tips pointing up and hulled base pointing down, pipe beard shape with cream cheese frosting at center of strawberry. Press strawberry into coconut beard-side down to adhere coconut to beard. Attach hulled end of strawberry to cookie base with a small dollop of melted chocolate.
5. Dip blueberries half-way into melted chocolate and affix two to each base of berry on cookie to form Santa's boots.
6. Pipe cream cheese frosting around strawberry tips to create heads. Use white mini chips for noses and semi-sweet mini chips for eyes.

Classic Baked Alaska

Classic Baked Alaska

This is one of the most impressive vintage desserts, dating from the 1890's and carried on through the depression and into the classy restaurants of today. While the meringue is time-consuming and takes patience, this recipe not all that difficult if you follow directions carefully. You can choose your favorite frozen yogurt or ice cream and jam to use in the recipe. Spumoni, Black Cherry, Pistaschio and Raspberry Ice Cream with raspberry or blackberry jam are all especially attractive. There is nothing as awe-inspiring as the sight of Baked Alaska, fresh from the oven.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c sifted cake powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• non-stick cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry (or your choice) jam
• 1/2 gallon raspberry-vanilla swirl frozen yogurt or your choice of ice cream
• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• raspberries (optional)
• mint leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a bowl; stir well, and set aside. 
2. Beat 2 egg yolks in a large bowl at high speed of a mixer for 2 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and pale (about 2 minutes). Add 2 tablespoons water and vanilla, beating at low speed until blended. Add the flour mixture, and beat well. 
3. Beat 3 egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-fourth of egg white mixture into batter; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. 
4. Pour batter into an 8-inch round baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center; let cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack. 
5. Loosen cake from sides of pan, using a narrow metal spatula, and turn out onto wire rack; let cool completely. 
6. Place cake, bottom side up, on an ovenproof platter. Spread jam over cake. Cut container of frozen yogurt or ice cream in half; reserve one half for another use. Cut remaining half of frozen yogurt into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange frozen yogurt/ice cream slices over jam to make a dome shape; cover and freeze at least 15 minutes. 
7. Beat 4 egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of a mixer until stiff peaks form; set aside. Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238 degrees. 
8. Pour sugar mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed. Spread meringue over yogurt slices and around sides of cake (yogurt and cake should be completely covered with meringue). Bake at 500 degrees F for 2 minutes. 
9. Serve immediately. 

NOTE: For special presentations, serve with fresh or frozen berries or fruit, complementing the colors of the ice cream and jam that you use. You can also make a loaf-shaped Baked Alaska (using a loaf pan), or a square one (using an 8 inch baking pan).