Vegan Blueberry Cranberry Mini Cashew Icebox Cheesecakes

I'm usually quite the rule follower, but today I broke the rules and I have the sweet Kate from Kate's Kitchen to thank!

With this installment of Blogger C.L.U.E, our group's prompt for November is "Pie".  Now I have to admit I'm not much of a pie person.  Not that I would turn away a warm slice of sweet Apple Pie, but I really don't like making it.  Pie just seems to take so long and needs to be planned ahead.

Enter dear Kate.  A blogger I've been following since the Foodbuzz days, Kate hails from Indiana and cooks with her sous chef extraordinaire (and husband!) Connie.  Cooking in a new kitchen (decked out with white cabinets I can only dream of!) Kate and Connie bring spectacular dishes to the table and truly love creating and then enjoying the bounty.  A girl after my own heart, I'd love to share a Pineapple-Chili Margarita with her.

Which brings us to the pie.  Kate is a little like me and doesn't have many pies on her blog ( that Pear Frangipane Tart ?  Divine!), but a post from a prior Blogger C.L.U.E Installment brought a lovely Blueberry Icebox Pie.  Filled with bright blueberries, yogurt, cream and a dash of my beloved Grand Marnier I found my recipe!!  However... my family is dairy-free.  And plant-based.

Our Blogger Clue Group likes our post recipes to remain as close to the original as possible with a goal of introducing new bloggers to our own readers, and here's where I broke the rules.  Going off-grid, I took Kate's recipe as a base and turned it into a dairy-free recipe that has just made our Thanksgiving menu.

Cheesecake has been my sons favorite dessert since he was little and he asked for it for his birthday right up until the moment he became lactose intolerant.  Even after the intolerance began, he would enjoy a few bites along with some lactose pills and still be ok.  But as time passed his intolerance has become severe and now he simply foregos anything with any dairy, and cheesecake has become a thing of the past.

Now I've seen those cashew "cheesecake" versions and while I've wanted an alternative, I've always turned my nose up at them - just too weird.  Basically, if we can't have the real thing we just won't have it.  But my poor son... could there really be a substitute?

Searching the internet for advice on how to turn the heavy cream and yogurt into something dairy-free for Kate's icebox cake took me time and again back to frozen cashew cheesecakes.  "Fine... I'll try it," I thought - doubtful of the result.

So I soaked my cashews and then blended them up with the other ingredients.  Hesitantly taking a taste, the maple syrup and vanilla brought a delightfully sweet flavor to a surprisingly creamy concoction.  Not at all bad.

Freezing them into my favorite Mini Cheesecake Pan (we gave up full size cheesecakes years ago and I'm ever so thankful not to have to cut the cake anymore!) I cheated again and added a bit of cranberry to the blueberry topping for a holidayish (and healthy) addition.

Popping the minis out of the pan I have to say they looked pretty darn cute.  Letting them thaw as I did my photo shoot, they ended up just about the perfect consistency at about 30 minutes out of the freezer - so note to self, remove them as you sit down to dinner and they will be ideal when dinner is finished!

But the true test came with my taste-testers, Liv and my husband.  Now Liv is not a fan of cheesecake in the first place, and for her Kate's graham cracker crust was her favorite part - but I noted that she did eat an entire mini cheesecake.  Not something she's done in the past.

Asking my husband to take a bite he said, "You know I don't want to eat dairy."  I told him to just try it, it's for a post and I needed an honest opinion.  Taking a bit he thought a minute, then took another.  His comments were as follows:
 
"Nice and creamy, and I love the tartness.  The blueberry is awesome.  But you know I don't want to eat dairy.  Why did you even make that?"

Smiling, I call that success.  Even more fun was his face when I told him the cheesecake didn't actually have any cream cheese in it and that it was totally plant-based.

Thank you Kate!  I haven't told my son yet, but my boy will be having cheesecake when he comes home for Thanksgiving this year, and he will be ever so thankful.  We owe this success all to you!

Check out what the rest of our C.L.U.E member made this month!

Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

   

Kate from Kate's Kitchen

   

Christiane from Taking on Magazines

   

Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

   

Stacy from Food Lust People Love

   

Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

   

Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

   

Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch

   

Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen

   

Kim from Liv Life

   

Anna from annaDishes

   

Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

   

Jean from Lemons and Anchovies

   

Debra from Eliot's Eats

   

Lora from Cake Duchess

   

Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme

   

Rebekah from Making Miracles

   

Aly from Cooking in Stilettos

   

Sue from A Palatable Pastime

Mango Cheesecake

Mango Cheesecake... light, silky, and utterly irresistible.  Hued with pale orange and combined with a delicate mango twist, our Easter 2012 dessert left hints of the tropics on our quickly emptied plates.  Not as dense or rich as many cheesecakes, even my "I can't eat cheesecake" husband cleaned his plate after telling me his piece was far too large.

Epicurious provided the base recipe for this luscious treat which I adapted to our tastes with a few changes.  Watching my waistline as we enter spring and feeding the diabetic grandparents, we reduced some of the fat as well as some of the sugars from the original version without sacrificing any of the taste or texture.

Trader Joe's provided an unexpectedly perfect crust with crushed "Cat Cookies" combined with butter and a touch of brown sugar.  A household favorite for years, I pulled our ever present container off the shelf when I realized I had forgotten to even think about a crust ingredient for our cake.  Low in fat themselves, they suited my "healthier" dessert path and produced a crust I will now be using regularly.

Reviews on the original recipe brought many comments of "not much mango flavor", and I have to agree, the mango flavor is light.  Reviewers commented that fresh mangoes actually brought the least amount of flavor, while frozen and canned mango chunks or pulp seemed to kick it up a notch.  And though I had 3 beautiful, fresh, champagne mangoes ripe on the counter, I turned once again to Trader Joe's with a bag of frozen mango chunks from my freezer.  Easily pureeing the chunks into that beautiful orange hued blend, a squeeze of fresh lime juice provided just the touch to intensify the flavors.

Producing a beautiful mango kissed cheesecake, the puree brought a delicate and not extremely pronounced mango flavor, but a light springy dessert that perfectly suited our Easter meal.  Served with fresh fruit, this dessert is one that has left us wanting more.

Chocolate Espresso-Orange Cheesecake with Grand Marnier Ganache and Candied Orange Peel

Rich in color and flavor, textures slowly melting on your tongue, the slight crunch of the cookie crust adding complexity.... Combine this with the competing flavors of chocolate, coffee and orange darting around your mouth and your first bite of this decadent dessert will assure you that there is indeed a heaven - and that when you get there, Grand Marnier enhanced cheesecakes will be on each and every menu.

Already slightly euphoric following a delightful Christmas Eve with family and close friends, one of those where nearly everything goes right, this luscious, exquisite, sumptuous finale to our holiday meal brought a heavenly end to a wonderful day.  Our laughter filled afternoon had parents sharing stories of holidays past while filling in our young teens on their toddler antics and embarrassing moments.  Taken well in stride, the kids laughed along with us with exclamations of "Did I really do that?" followed by contagious giggles and even more stories.

The Prime Rib was overcooked, but well-done loving grandma was thrilled with the "perfectly cooked for her" end piece.  Luckily the rest of us were OK with medium even though medium-rare would have been optimum.  The green beans were steamed and simply adorned with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt as Liv had requested, and the Irresistible Orange Sweet Potatoes had us all reaching for more.  Ahhh... that streusel is simply divine.

With our appetites already satiated, slices of Chocolate Cheesecake magically appeared, beautifully adorned with sweet strips of candied orange peel.  The surprise arrived when the first bite brought flavors not only hinting of espresso, but also a brightness of orange.  A brightness enhanced with a lovely Grand Marnier finish eliciting delighted groans of pleasure with each delicate bite.

Spiked with pure espresso grounds and Kahlua, the coffee flavors complemented the rich chocolate filling along with flavors of pure orange from the juice and peels of fruits picked less than 24 hours earlier from our own yard.  Topped with a version of my favorite luscious Grand Marnier Ganache, this heavenly dessert must have appealed even to angels watching over us.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Strawberry Grand Marnier Sauce OR Jamaican Pineapple Rum Sauce

Fifteen years ago I received the best birthday gift of my life... my son.  Arriving nearly two weeks behind schedule, we welcomed our bouncing bundle on my birthday and I have been blessed to share this day with this most special person ever since.

Remembering back to those early days of babyhood I find it hard to believe that my baby is now nearly 8 inches taller than I and I'm struggling with the fact that this new man in my household doesn't need Mommy like he used to.  More often than not I'm the one heading to bed earlier in the evening, I'm asking him for help reaching something up high and now I'm the one begging for a hug.

One thing he still needs me for, though, is food.  While he may think that he is "cooking" as he heats up his Trader Joe's Frozen Burritos or Mini Pizzas, he truly does appreciate a good, home cooked meal which is not made up of any frozen parts.  Not a fan of beef, a Grilled Pork Tenderloin fulfilled his request for the main course of our birthday dinner, with me getting to choose the sides.  Returning to his favorite rub and adding my new favorite Watermelon Salad we had dinner set and ready to go.

Dessert, however, was a compromise.  Not being a fan of cakes with what he calls "icky" frosting, his dessert request was a simple Vanilla Bean Cheesecake.  Easy enough to do, but I struggled with the idea of letting the cheesecake arrive to the table unadorned.  Successfully pleasing both of us, 24 mini cheesecakes were prepared as simple, plain Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a choice of either Grand Marnier Strawberry Sauce or Jamaican Pineapple Rum Sauce completed the picture making us both happy.

With my love of Grand Marnier, the Strawberry Sauce has been a longtime favorite.  Discovered years and years ago on the Cooking Light Message Board, we have served this sauce over cheesecakes, ice cream and Strawberry Shortcakes.  The thought of finding a better sauce really never entered my mind... until I tried today's Jamaican Pineapple Rum Sauce.  Caramelized pineapple is sweetened with brown sugar and then enhanced with a splash (or two...) of dark rum bringing a taste of the Caribbean to your table.  Reminiscent of the old favorite Pineapple Upside Down Cake, this Pineapple Rum Sauce just may become a staple in my fridge!

Happy Birthday to my boy... you have truly made my life better simply by having you in it.  Sharing a birthday with you warms my heart and is
a gift I will treasure always.  Thanks for still needing me!

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Heavenly Sinful...  Luscious.  Creamy and scrumptious.  Exquisite.  All apt descriptions of the "plain ole" cheesecake.  I truly believe whoever first decided to mix the simple ingredients of cream cheese, sugar and eggs together then bake for an hour or so deserves Sainthood status.

A good cheesecake, or even an "only OK" cheesecake usually garners overwhelming oooohhhs and aaaahhhs when served for dessert.  A veritable blank palette, the creamy base can easily be used as a jumping point to nearly any direction you can think of.  Fruit, of course always pairs well, but the addition of coffee and Kahlua brings a Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake that will bring you to your knees.  Lime and Tequila can turn your cheesecake into a Margarita while a zesty basil pesto can take your cheesecake into the savory arena bringing the ideal appetizer.

The biggest secret of all??  Cheesecake is really fairly easy to make.  But, sssshhhh... don't tell anyone!  With a simple blending of the ingredients, a bake in the oven and a chill in the fridge you have a dessert or appetizer fit for any gathering.  Dressed up with garnishments or served unadorned you will be praised time and again and frequently asked for a recipe.

Memorial Day Weekend, 2011, brought my husband and I together with a special group of friends.  Some 10 years prior and all new to our neighborhood we were drawn together somewhat by proximity, but more by our love of good food and the similarities of life.  Over the years our friendships have grown into some of the closest I've ever had.  We've traveled together, welcomed new babies, struggled through the difficult times and celebrated the good ones.  As new friends we enjoyed a Progressive Dinner Party, appetizers and cocktails across the street, the main course down the street and desserts and drinks up the street.  Amazingly, we've not repeated this wonderful evening... until last night.

With our travels spanning the world over the next few months our Progressive Dinner Theme included our travel destinations.  Arriving at the Jones' we were transported to Spain and France with appetizers and drinks.  Spanish Olives, cheeses and meats and an exquisite Tomato Peach Gazpacho were waiting along with Absinthe spirited French cocktails.  French and Spanish wines completed the experience and had all of us gushing with pleasure.

Our next stop continued the Spanish flair and treated us to Waleska's exemplary Sangria, but also moved us to the Caribbean with a Ceviche recipe handed down for generations.  Dan, of Becky's Football Stromboli fame, worked the "Steak-cation" and further showed his aptitude for man-food with a savory rubbed steak that he has promised he will write about soon.  Finished off with Becky's delectable asparagus and a flavorful Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad we were ready to head to our next stop for cocktails and dessert. 

The Roberts' had the bar set with nearly everything you could imagine to continue our evening, and the desserts brought plenty of oohs and ahhhs.  Starting with Greg's homemade Italian Lemon Lime Gelato the group was transported to the Italian countryside with enticing flavors and textures.  I'm so excited that he has agreed to share his recipe and write even a post for us.  Stay tuned... Lemon Lime Gelato is up in a day or two!

With Liv Life headed to San Francisco this summer, chocolate seemed to be in order for the second dessert offering of the evening.  Adding a dose of the dark confection to our cheesecake brought the basic blank palette up to another level.  The addition of raspberries enhanced the flavor even more garnering my favorite comment ever... "Heavenly Sinful".

Light and creamy, the cake still brought forth a richness and mouth-feel that was capable of making one weak at the knees.  Trader Joe's Joe-Joe's combined with brown sugar creating a slightly crunchy crust which we topped with a basic vanilla cream cheese layer.  Interspersed into the vanilla layer we dropped raspberry enhanced chocolate cream cheese dollops and then for the finale spread a decadent chocolate ganache over the top of it all.  An ideal finish for one of our most special evenings ever.

Totally satiated and content, the evening was an absolute hit.  Counting myself lucky to live where I do and be surrounded with the wonderful friends I have, we have created a most memorable holiday weekend.  As I write this post I remember and give thanks for those who have fallen for this country and who have made it possible for me to live the life I do.  Thank you.

6/11/11 - edited to note:  My original post omitted the sugar!  Ouch!  As noted below, not amount of any other ingredient would make up for that omission.  The post has been corrected to include the correct sugar amount, please accept my apologies!!

 

Margarita Lime Cheesecake

Cinco de Mayo ranks right up there in holiday food with Thanksgiving.  Frankly, we frequently have Southwestern Thanksgiving's complete with a Cinco do Mayo flair in place of total tradition.  Who says margaritas don't go with turkey??

My real celebration though, usually begins on Tres de Mayo.  You see, some 21 years ago I met my husband on Tres de Mayo, yes, in a Mexican restaurant.  Who knew that the chance encounter with me living in Northern California and he in the Air Force, based in Enid, OK, would lead to the lives we live together today?  Somehow we breached those many miles between us and it was meant to be.

As margaritas have always appealed to both of us and with those same sweet/tart beverages being a part of our first meeting, a creamy Margarita Cheesecake seems to be a fitting way to begin our Tres de Mayo celebrations.  With a little fore-planning I even made an extra so we can continue the Celebrations all the way thorough Cinco!  (That an my neighbor begged!)

Lower in fat cream cheese provides a rich, creamy base that doesn't at all suffer in either taste or texture from the loss of those unneeded calories.  Light sour cream and a generous helping of Margarita "fixn's" - lime, tequila and my beloved Grand Marnier - complete the package bringing a light yet brimming with flavor, creamy confection to your celebration.

Oft requested, this is one of those desserts that ranks up there with our all time favorites.  A staple for summer picnics or a bright treat in mid winter, it is worthy of any special occasion.

Limoncello Lemon Cheesecake Squares in Yosemite

The natural wonder of the Yosemite Valley has held my rapture since my dad took me there on my first visit as a child.  In the beginning I simply loved the raging of the waterfalls, but as I studied geology in college (I'm a bit of a rock geek - Geology Minor) I began to look at the Valley in a new light with an understanding of how the glaciers, rock falls and avalanches, and water have carved and eroded the Valley to its present day beauty.

Even as a wee-one I was thrilled to come home with photos of the falls, the sheer granite faces of El Capitan, and the stunning views of Half Dome.  With a stop at Tunnel View being somewhat of a tradition, I've always yearned for that dazzling clear Valley shot, you know the one... with the cerulean blue skies, perfectly lit rocks and crystal clear air.  Unfortunately Mother Nature has not been on my side and all of my visits have also included haze, fog or rain.  With spring currently shining down on us I brought high hopes for my "perfect shot" of the immense Valley on this Spring Break trip.

Leaving San Diego early Wednesday morning had us dressed warmly and driving through a chilly out of season rain storm.  Arriving at our host destination in Oakhurst (we stayed with friends about an hour outside the Valley) some 6 hours later we all felt overdressed in the 74 degree weather, and we doubted the weather guy's forecast of snow within the next 24 hours.

This weather guy, however, was right!  Some 16 hours later we were back in the car, dressed in the warmest clothes we had with us along with borrowed gloves, hats and jackets.  Heading into the Yosemite Valley for our lunch reservations at the esteemed Ahwahnee Hotel the snow covered trees flew by.  Branches heavy with a few hours of snow glistened in the sun that occasionally popped through the stormy clouds.  Moving up and down in elevation our views ranged from brilliant blooming Red Buds to more snow laden trees and vistas.  The Merced River raged alongside of us in places and meandered in others providing stunning scenery for our hour plus drive.

Lower Yosemite Falls

Dazzling vistas greeted us upon our entrance to the Valley with El Capitan soaring above our car.  Bridal Veil Falls fell gracefully over the granite walls and the snow covered meadows entertained squirrels and deer, the bears however did not show themselves.

A stop at the Yosemite Falls provided us with a rare sight in the lava-like flowing Frazil Ice.  Frazil Ice provides dramatic natural ice flows which begin in the falls of Yosemite, but only during proper weather conditions and usually only in March and April.  Our friends who have had literally hundreds of days in the Valley had never seen the incredible Frazil, but on this day we were all excited to view this rare treat.

The Ahwahnee Hotel, our lunch destination, holds beauty, history and a most perfect location in Yosemite Valley in that the site for the Ahwahnee, once a village of the native Miwoks, was chosen because of its exposure to the sun and stunning views of Yosemite's icons – Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point.  Giant fireplaces are available for guests to warm their chilly fingers in addition to the magnificent dining room lined with floor to ceiling windows providing stunning views of the gushing Yosemite Falls.  Described as the "crown jewel of Yosemite dining", the dining room boasts a 34-foot-high beamed ceiling with large sugar pine trestles that complement the room’s granite pillars.  The exterior of the hotel was designed to reflect the natural beauty of the Valley and to blend in with its beautiful surroundings.

The Ahwahnee Hotel with a Bacon Burger and French Onion Soup

While the room is indeed magnificent, the food was "fine".  Nothing special, however I do believe it tasted just a bit better sitting in front of one of those floor to ceiling windows while watching the snow fall in front of the ravishing Yosemite Falls.  Basic restaurant fare included burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads with a few more substantial entrees including beef, lamb and pasta.  A child menu is available which happily includes ice cream.  Aggressively priced (burgers are $17), the meal is worth it simply for the view and surrounding ambiance.  Our hosts frequent the dining room often and have had what they described as incredible meals (especially breakfast) in addition to the so-so meals that we experienced on our visit.  Service was impeccable, the views were beyond belief and the room itself was breathtaking.

Snowy view from Tunnel View

Heading back out for our Valley Tour we entered lightly falling snow which lent a somewhat magical feel to our surroundings.  The trees were covered and glistening, the falls were gushing, and the fog meandered about the tops of the giant granite monoliths, hiding Half Dome from our view.  While our trip to Tunnel View provided an exquisite elevated view of the entire Valley, the cerulean blue, crystal clear skies once again eluded me, providing instead a different but no less incredible frozen wonderland.

Back home, dinner was filled with the laughter of good friends reminiscing about our day in wintery Yosemite with jabs between my kids of who threw the best snowball.  We set our faux Ugg boots by the fire to hopefully dry by morning (note:  Ugg boots are NOT waterproof!) and as we thawed out our frozen and very wet toes we enjoyed a ray of sunshine in the Limoncello Lemon Cheesecake for dessert.

Giada has once again provided a luscious finish to our meal, this one bursting with lemon flavors and with an excuse to use our freshly made Limoncello.  The addition of ricotta added a slightly different and lighter texture from the traditional all cream cheese cheesecakes and the lemon biscotti crust urged the lemon flavors even higher.  Bringing smiles all around the table, Limoncello Lemon Cheesecake was the ideal finish to our awe-inspiring day.

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

Every year I truly look forward to catching up with distant friends and relatives through the annual Christmas Card.  The photo cards are my favorites giving me a peek at those who are close to my heart but far from my home.  The annual letters are always a special bonus, not only giving the visual peek, but also a few stories and highlights from the year.  Saving the letters for a time when I can grab a cup of coffee (and maybe a nice sweet holiday treat!) with a few uninterrupted moments, a few always stand out from the rest...

So far this year I've caught up with friends from Louisville, KY and I am always amazed at how fast the kids grow.  Family from Minnesota wrote about their latest adventures in Holland, and the Traveling Taylors from Palm Desert caught us up on their latest cruise.  I have to say though, that so far my Father-In-Laws card made me laugh the most.  After a summary of their continuing medical maladies he finished up the letter with the following:

In closing, we leave you with the following questions:

Why is last years Christmas card address list in the linen cupboard with the towels?  Our cars are old.  No keyless entry for us.  So how did we get into our locked car in the Home Depot parking lot, but now can't locate the keys to start the car's engine?

I laughed on and off for about an hour at that one, visually picturing my none too patient mother in law exasperatedly questioning him about how he can lose the keys after he got into the car, then my none too mobile father in law trying to get back out of the car after he had spent minutes settling her into the car and then settling himself in as well.  Him searching pockets and around the seats for the lost keys all the while fielding her exasperated, "How could you?" questions.  I'm looking forward to the live version at our Christmas dinner!

Speaking of Christmas dinner, Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Bars are the perfect holiday treat!  Discovered last year on Joe's blog, Culinary in the Desert, these didn't last long on our New Years Eve table.  Last night they were just as well received at a local Christmas party with comments including divine, hedonistic, decadent, and celestial!  All apt descriptions of these dense, chocolaty, pepperminty, little squares.

The secret is the crust... crushed Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe Joe's (oreo-like peppermint flavored cookies) provide the perfect pepperminty base to the rich chocolate cheesecake filling and luscious ganache-like topping.  A sprinkle of crushed candy canes brings a holiday flair and another welcome dose of peppermint.

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

A puppy quietly snoring in my lap, excited laughter as Liv and her grandfather win another round of Sequence and a belly full of holiday treats are providing a beautiful sense of contentedness on this day after Thanksgiving.  This day is always one of my favorites... today leftover treats from our baking and cooking marathon gave endless options after a quick trip to the Apple Store where we unfortunately came home empty handed (but not without a whole new wish list!). 

Thanksgiving once again provided a wonderful day with family and friends.  Our house guests were up early with Fran helping me in the kitchen from 7 AM until the last dish was washed at 9 PM.  She and her husband Tom brought several bottles of absolutely divine wine that they bottled themselves.  An impressive '08 Zin was my favorite of the evening, beating out our 92 point Cab with its beautifully balanced fruity flavors, lovely long legs and gorgeous garnet color.  WhoDog is not available on the market and we feel extremely lucky to be on the receiving end of the bottle!

Mom and Dad arrived early with big smiles and appetizers in hand.  Neighbors from up the street visited for a bit and then my husband's parents arrived to complete our guest list.

Liv, my Dad and Kona

Mom has made our Thanksgiving gravy ever since I can remember.  I have never mastered her technique, and I'm not sure I ever will, but luckily, Liv was paying attention.  She got her first gravy-making lesson this year and says that she has it down.  The recipe and technique are in safe hands and appear to have made it to another generation.

Gravy making techniques passed through the generations!

My husband says that the half hour before we sit down to the Thanksgiving table is his favorite.  Not that he's much help, but he loves watching the bustle of the kitchen and the stress as we worry about getting all the dishes on the table warm and at the same time, Mom grumbling that the gravy is not working out, me yelling at him to get to cutting the turkey, then him casually pointing out that the water glasses have yet to be filled.  He talks about it all year long, always with a slight smirk and a chuckle.

Dessert is always something to look forward to with one never being enough.  Mom supplied the popular Pumpkin and Pecan Pies this year and I fulfilled my husband's special request of his favorite Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake, once again with help from Liv.  As our master decorator, she provided us with a gorgeous array of beautifully adorned mini cheesecakes bringing smiles not only to the cakes but to everyone's faces as well.

Cappuccino-Fudge Cheesecake is a pleasure that one doesn't easily forget.  Its luscious, creamy texture combines with the coffee enhanced flavors layered with Kahlua laced ganache and a crunchy chocolaty crust to produce a dessert worthy of any and all special occasions.  Oft requested by not only my husband, but other friends and family for special occasions, this exquisite indulgence will be the hit of your event.

Decorated with reserved ganache and topped with chocolate covered espresso beans the cheesecake is visually appealing as well as scrumptious.  For years I used a 10 inch springform pan for the cake, but recently switched to using mini Panettone paper molds for individual servings.  Far easier than making those perfect cuts while everyone is eagerly waiting for their piece!


Luckily we have leftovers... and I've come to the conclusion that cheesecake for breakfast is not all bad!

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Friends over for dinner always makes for a fun evening!  Last night was no exception with the visit of my parents and some long time family friends.  Appetizers from Mom started our evening and our conversation flowed like the wine Tom brought from his vineyard in Oakhusrt, CA.  Our topics ranged from dog care to river rafting to the fine art of photography.  The wine exceptionally complemented the Marinated Flank Steak and bean salad and we had high hopes that the coffee would complement the much anticipated Coconut Cheesecake.  Unfortunately, this one was a flop... so disappointing!  Drew had been requesting cheesecake for days and after waiting all day it was "just OK", nothing special.  To make up for this lackluster dessert, today we whipped up a Vanilla Bean Cheesecake and what the other cake was lacking in flavor this one more than made up for!