MargaretsHome.com turns one year old today! To celebrate, you, my dear reader, are invited to take part in a giveaway. The giveaway is not sponsored, it’s just my way of saying, “Thank you,” for taking the time to subscribe to my blog and participate with your comments. You keep me motivated and inspired. Giveaway details are at the end of this post.
I must confess that blogging is time-consuming when you do everything by yourself – shop for ingredients, cook, set up a photo-shoot, take a “million” photos, clean up, write, edit, and finally post. Photography is the most challenging part for me, but, its totally worth it when I get comments like, “I don’t like it when I drool on my keyboard,” and, “Wow. . .my mouth is watering. . .I am going to try and make this.” So, please keep your feedback coming.
For those of you that have been part of my blogging journey, I’ve posted my favorite mango and white chocolate cheesecake recipe. A piece of this cheesecake will make you feel like you’re in heaven!
Mango and White Chocolate Cheesecake
Adapted from Gourmet Baking
For the Crust
1 1/3 cup almond flour
½ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set a rack in the middle. Line the bottom of six mini springform cake pans with parchment paper.
Mix all the ingredients for the crust. Put three tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of the mixture into the bottom of each mini pan and press lightly to make the crust. Put the mini pans on a 12×17 inch baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Cool while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
For the Mango and White Chocolate Cheesecake Batter
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cups white chocolate chips
2/3 cups mango puree, (I used Alfanso mango puree from the Indian grocery store)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a metal bowl, over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate chips, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a large bowl, of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Blend in the melted white chocolate, mango puree, and vanilla.
Divide the cheesecake batter into six equal portions and pour the batter over the cooled crust in mini pans. Bake in a water bath at 300 degrees F for 50-60 minutes. Or, until the edges are set but the center is still slightly jiggly. Cool and refrigerate overnight.
For the Mango Jelly
1½ cups mango puree
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon water
Add mango puree and sugar to a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle boil. Add a tablespoon of water to the gelatin and microwave for 10 seconds. Stir into the mango puree. Remove from heat and cool in an ice bath to room temperature. Once cool divide the amount of jelly into six equal portions. Pour over the mini cheesecakes. Refrigerate overnight.
For the Garnish
1 small bunch champagne grapes
½ cup strawberries
½ cup blueberries
½ cup raspberries
a few mint leaves
For the Glaze
½ cup sugar
1 cup passion fruit juice
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons corn syrup
In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring sugar and half cup passion fruit juice to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in the other half cup of passion fruit juice and add it to the saucepan. Cook, stirring until mixture thickens and looks clear. Stir in corn syrup. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Cool completely.
To Finish
Remove the cheesecake from the pans and set them on small cardboard cake rounds. It helps to use a hair dryer on low heat to remove the cheesecake easily.
Decorate each cheese cake with a few grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and mint leaves. Add a touch of glaze over the fruits. There you have it! My favorite mango and white chocolate cheesecake.
THE ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY – this giveaway closed on September 30, 2013.
How to Enter:
1. Visit http://www.margaretshome.com and subscribe by e-mail to MargaretsHome.com (use the subscribe button at the top right). One lucky winner will be randomly chosen from my e-mail subscriber’s list. If you’ve already subscribed, you don’t have to subscribe again.
2. Leave a comment on the giveaway post (today’s post dated, September 10, 2013). Only one comment per person, multiple comments are welcome but only count as one entry.
Official Giveaway Rules:
1. Eligibility: This giveaway is open to readers with US shipping addresses (No P.O. Box). Void where prohibited by law.
2. Minimum age for entry: You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
3. How to enter: Subscribe to margaretshome.com. and leave a comment on this blog post. (If you have already subscribed, you don’t have to subscribe again. Just make sure you enter a comment on this blog post.)
4. Entry limit: A limit of one entry is allowed per e-mail address. You may not enter more than once, whether or not you use a different e-mail address. No e-mail address equals no valid entry.
5. Entry Deadline Date: All entries for this giveaway through this site must be received on or before September 30, 2013, at 8:00 p.m. (EST).
6. Winner selection: Winner will be chosen randomly.
7. Winner notification: Winner will be notified within five (5) days after the closing deadline date.
8. Claiming Your Prize: Winner must respond within five days of notification and provide me with a mailing address (No P.O. Box) or forfeit the prize, in which case an alternate winner will be selected.
9. Publicity: Acceptance of prize constitutes the winner giving the owner of Margaretshome.com permission to announce your name and prize on a blog post.
10. Prize: The prize is a Multifunctional Digital Kitchen Scale worth approximately $40.00. Winner may not substitute the prize for any other prize or for cash.
11. Privacy: Your privacy is important to me. I will not disclose your address or phone number when required to ship your prize, to anyone except if I use a company to ship your prize. Your e-mail will not be shared or sold.
12. Purchases: No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this giveaway.
13. Chances of winning: Odds of winning are based on number of entries.
14. Disclaimer. The owner of Margaretshome.com will not be responsible for a) any late or lost entries; b) telephone, electronic, hardware, software, network, Internet, or other computer or communications-related malfunctions or failures; any giveaway disruptions, injuries, losses or damages caused by events beyond the control of the owner of Margaretshome.com blog or by unauthorized human intervention; or c) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the giveaway.
Good luck!
Congratulations dear Margaret on your 1 year anniversary. You are truly amazing! Hope to see you one day in the city. Let me know when we can have lunch. Keep on cooking dear friend!
Rosan
Hi Rosan – Thank you. Time went by very fast. Yes, I need to come and visit you and Consuelo.
Congratulations! Hardly seems possible. Thank you for sharing all that good information.
Hi Ben – Thank you. It is so good to hear from you. I hope all of you are keeping well. Yes, you are right, the year has gone by much too fast. Have a great day and I hope the recipes inspire you to make some Indian food for Barbara. Love you.
I’m also prepping for the gobi recipe you’d posted before while I type this. I’ve tried several of your recipes and I am really happy with the results. My fiance has new outlook towards my indian heritage from the kind of food I cook.. So thank you.
Dear Priyanka – Nothing inspires me more than hearing comments like yours. Thank you. I hope you will come back to visit my blog again and share it with your friends. I’m sure you will enjoy the gobi subzi – happy cooking.
Congratulations on the one year anniversary. I’m trying to get my hands on your cookbook. Your blog and recipes are extraordinary; something about them reminds me of home and my mum. I’ve passed the word around about your quinoa biryani recipe to every Indian-woman-in-a-kitchen that I’ve met in the last few months. Thanks for the work you put into this. It’s the very best in its league.
Dear Paul – Thank you and I appreciate your comment. I’m thrilled about you’re sharing my quinoa recipe with others. Please visit my blog and thank you for subscribing and celebrating with me!
All the best,
Margaret
Dearest Maggie – many congratulations. I’ve enjoyed every entry and your pictures are so beautiful. Keep the hard work up. Love you always
Sonia
My dearest Sonia – Thank you. Coming from you, that means a lot. Didn’t mean to complain about how much work it was to do the blog. It just happened to be one of those difficult days. For the most part I love every bit of it. Definitely need to work on the photography. A new camera would be nice.
Love you lots,
Maggie
This is sooooooooo yummy!!!
Dearest Jyoti – Thank you for all your encouragement and for sharing my blog posts with your FB friends. I appreciate it. Will gladly make you more mango and white chocolate cheesecake!
Love you lots,
Mom
Hi Maggie,
Congratulations. I have enjoyed your blog and the recipes over the year.
Hope the curry leaf plant is doing good. You need it more than anybody else! Let me know if it’s not.
All the best,
Parveen
Hi Parveen – Thank you so much. Glad you enjoy my recipes. And, yes, you are so right. I need the curry leaf plant more than anybody else. I hope I can get a smaller plant from you one of these days. This one seems to be going downhill. But I’m still giving it a lot of TLC and keeping my fingers crossed!
Maggie
Congratulations Margaret on your first anniversary!!
I enjoy your postings, pictures, recipes and blogs. I liked watching the video on how to make a flower with a tomato peel. You made it look so easy that will try making it. All the best! Silvia
Dear Silvia – Always good to hear from you. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. It has been a year of learning and I hope to get better. I miss you and I really enjoy reading your comments on FB and here. Please continue to keep in touch. I hope you will subscribe and win!
Congratulations!!!! I enjoy seeing and drooling at your beautiful, delicious food pics. Enjoy trying your recipes and looking forward to more. Wishing you all the best.
Molly
Dear Molly – Thank you. You are such a big supporter of this blog and my FB food pictures. Appreciate it very much. I hope you win! Have a beautiful day.
Love,
Maggie
Hi Maggie–Can’t believe it’s been one year! Congratulations!
Every Tuesday I look forward to your recipe. I’m sure it is hard work because a lot of planning goes in it but please keep them coming. I enjoy the lovely pictures that go along with each recipe and most of all I love it when I try the recipe and it comes out perfect (like yours)!
Keep it up!
Usha
My dear Usha – Your message really touched my heart. Thank you so much. You are one of the faithful ones who keeps commenting and encouraging me. You also try out the recipes and give me feedback which I appreciate immensely. Thank you with all my heart. You are a wonderful friend and I’m keeping you for the rest of my life!
Lots of love,
Maggie
Congratulations Maggie!!! Wow such a super job you have done. I love all your dishes, I mean not your hundis!!! I have tasted some and it is delicious. Keep up your good job friend. My prayers are with you.
My dearest friend – Finally, I get a response from you! So good to get a compliment from you because you are a great cook! I’m happy you entered the giveaway and I hope you will win!
Love you,
Maggie
Congratulations Maggie. Your cooking is fantastic but I love you more. May your second year exceed the first in the finest ways.
Dearest Lorna,
Thank you for your sweet comment. I love you lots too. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me. Enjoyed reading the Nigella cookbook you brought me from cover to cover.
Maggie
Could not let this opportunity pass. You have been such an inspiration to me. I thank God for u and the recipes you’ve shared thru your fantastic vegetarian cookbook and now thru this blog. May god continue to use u this
Dearest Alice,
Thank you for your beautiful comment. I appreciate it very much. You have always been so supportive of my love for cooking.
God bless you, sweetheart. I love you lots.
Maggie Ammama