Tag Archives: cheesecake

Blueberry Cheesecake and Happy Mother’s Day

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Blueberry Cheesecake3

Celebrate Mother’s Day with this luxurious, rich, white chocolate cheesecake with home made blueberry topping. It is definitely worth the time and effort to make this special dessert for your mom.

Blueberry cheesecake has been one of our family favorites for many years. I remember making it for the first time in a 9 by 13 inch pan after tasting it at a restaurant. It was more like a blueberry bar than a cheesecake, but as far as the taste – I couldn’t have been happier. My recipe has evolved since then and it has become decadent with extra calories to go along with it. But Mother’s Day is a good time to have a piece of cheesecake without feeling terribly guilty.

I can’t help but think of my mom while I write this post around Mother’s Day. I have beautiful memories of of her. I remember she used to play catch with me while I ran around a flower bed in my garden. When I think back now, I wonder how she ever found the time to do that while holding a full-time job, cooking every meal, and doing a myriad other tasks that moms have to do. While she made chapatis in the kitchen, she taught me my multiplication tables and spelling. She was strong in her faith and prayed for all her children and grandchildren. We felt protected and loved when we went through difficult times in our lives. Oh, I love her so very much, and wish I could tell her one more time.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the selfless mothers out there. God bless you.

Blueberry Cheesecake
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
½ cup almond flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

For the topping:
2 cups fresh blueberries
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup water plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling:
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of an eight-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

To make the crust: In a bowl mix graham cracker crumbs, almond flour, sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of the springform pan. Bake for six minutes. Cool completely.

To make the topping: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, sugar and one-third cup of water. Stir frequently, and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries. Simmer until the blueberry topping is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about five minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Cool and refrigerate until you are ready to serve the cheesecake.

To make the filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until creamy.  Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing on low after each just until blended. Add melted white chocolate and vanilla and beat until mixture is smooth. Pour over the crust and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool completely, run a butter knife gently around the edge of the pan, and refrigerate for four hours or over-night.

Serve slices of cheesecake with whipped cream and blueberry topping.

MargaretsHome.com Turns One – Celebrating with a GiveAway

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Mango and White Chocolate3

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!