Lemon Meringue Tarts

Ingredients:

For the Tart Shells:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk (reserve the white for meringue topping)
1/4 tsp almond extract

For the Filling:
2 egg yolks (reserve the whites for meringue topping)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
juice and grated zest of 2 large lemons

For the Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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To make the tart shells:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolk and almond extract. Gradually add in flour and salt. Once it's all combined pinch off a small piece and roll into a ball, press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a silicone muffin tin. You want the dough to be thin because it puffs as it cooks. Repeat with remaining dough. (Alternately you can press the dough into a pie pan and use as crust for a lemon meringue pie)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden. Let cool for only 2-3 minutes before carefully removing shells from pans. This will prevent them from crisping too much and breaking as you remove them. If this does happen, just pop the pans back in the oven for a couple of minutes to soften the shells a bit. Let cool completely before filling. The shells may be stored in a tightly covered container in the freezer for up to 1 month.

To make the filling:
Fill the bottom of a double boiler with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a rolling boil. Place the whole eggs and yolks in the top of the double boiler off the heat. Whisk until the whites and yolks are thoroughly mixed. Place the top of the double boiler back in place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly, watching the eggs carefully so that they don't start to curdle. Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Cook over gently boiling water, stirring often with a wooden spoon until the mixture is the consistency of mayonnaise. This takes 10 minutes or so and you do need to let it sit for a minute or two without stirring or else it won't thicken. You'll see it thicken around the edges of the double boiler. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour the filling into a glass bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap across the the surface of the top (so that a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

To make the meringue topping:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium and add the sugar and vanilla. Mix until egg whites are glossy, about 1 minute.

To assemble: Place the tart shells on a baking sheet, fill the tart shells with lemon filling, spoon a heaping spoonful of meringue on top of each one. Bake for 4-5 minutes until slightly browned.

Toasted Coconut Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Ingredients:

Cupcakes-
1 pkg. white cake mix
1 pkg. instant coconut pudding mix (3.4oz)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups coconut, divided
1/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp coconut extract

Frosting-
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tbsp whipping cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
yellow gel food coloring (optional)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Evenly spread coconut on a cookie sheet and toast it under the broiler until lightly browned (approximately 3-5 min). Stir it around about halfway through to get it evenly toasted.

For the cake- In an electric mixer, combine cake mix, pudding mix, coconut milk, egg whites, oil, coconut extract, and 1 1/4 cups toasted coconut until well blended. Divide evenly amongst 24 cupcake liners. Bake for 16-19 minutes (or until internal temp. reaches 210 degrees)

For the frosting- Beat butter until smooth. Gradually add 3 cups powdered sugar. Beat until no lumps remain. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Thoroughly mix again. Add remaining 1-2 cups of powdered sugar and whipping cream until you reach your desired consistency, then add in food coloring if you're using it. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and garnish with remaining toasted coconut.

Healthy-ish Oatmeal Bars

1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Pecans, Chopped (or any nut you like)
1/2 Cup Dried Fruit (any combination you like- raisins, craisins, dates, cherries, strawberries, apples, coconut)
1/4 Cup Milled Flax Seed (or other seeds- pumpkin, sunflower, etc.)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/4 Cups Milk
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
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Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

Mix wet ingredients together. Add in dry ingredients. Pour into a 9x9 or 8x11 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool, then remove from pan and cut into 9 pieces (using a pizza cutter works great).

With having a new baby I'm struggling to find time to eat. These have become a must-have for me. They are quick to throw together, very portable and they hold me over for a while. I think they taste best slightly warm so I reheat them for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. The great thing is you can make them as healthy or unhealthy as you like, depending on what you choose to add to them. And the possibilities of combinations are endless so you don't have to get tired of just one flavor.


*Recipe adapted from http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/baked-oatmeal-snack-bars

Chunky Avocado Salsa

2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
1/2 can of black beans
1/2 can of corn
juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
10-20 dashes of Tapatio (or other hot sauce), depending on how spicy you want it

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Mix tomatoes, black beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro in a medium size bowl. Add salt and Tapatio to taste. Mix again, then add in avocado last so it doesn't get all mushy. Give it a taste test and adjust salt and Tapatio if needed.


This recipe is a party favorite! I suggest making it not more than 1-2 hours prior to eating. It does not keep well but that's ok because it also doesn't last long. Once you start eating it you'll devour the whole bowl!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups flour
1 bag of milk chocolate chips (I prefer the Ghirardelli brand for this particular recipe because the chips are a little larger than the standard size chocolate chips and they make the cookies way better)
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-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg, pumpkin & vanilla and mix well. Slowly add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Stir in milk chocolate chips.

-Drop by large spoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. They do not taste good under baked so make sure they look dry and uniform in color to ensure they are done all the way through.

-This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies for me.

Another variation is to make pumpkin whoopie pies by leaving out the chocolate chips. Spread the dough out a little, so they don't bake up as thick. Bake for the same amount of time. Then sandwich 2 cookies together with homemade cream cheese frosting in between them.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1-2 tsp vanilla
about 4 cups powdered sugar

-With an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness.

Pumpkin Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
16-20 jumbo shells
1/4 pound thick sliced bacon

Filling:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of salt

Sauce:
1 can chicken broth
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2
4 tbsp butter
1 cup grated Italian cheese blend (I like the Tillamook brand) plus a little extra for the top
2 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

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-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Boil pasta shells according to package directions, drain and set aside

-Cook bacon, drain, crumble into big pieces and set aside

-For the filling, blend pumpkin, mascarpone cheese, nutmeg, pepper and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth

-For the sauce, pour chicken broth into large sauce pan and reduce by half over medium/high heat. Add 1/2 & 1/2 and reduce again over medium/low heat. Whisk in butter a tbsp at a time. Then whisk in flour and cheese until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let thicken to desired consistency.

To assemble, use a pastry bag or spoon to fill the shells. Place them in a single layer in a 9x13 pan. Pour the sauce over the top, making sure the noodles are fully covered. Top with crumbled bacon and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and they're hot all the way through.

Cinnamon Rolls

INGREDIENTS-
Dough:
5 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp (rounded) saf-instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
2 cups hot water

Filling:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins, optional

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
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For the dough-
1. Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil and water.  Mix for 1 minute and then check the consistency of the dough.  The dough should be very sticky.  If it is too dry, add more water.

2. Mix for 5 minutes.  (Do not add any more flour after the dough has finished mixing.)

3. Spray kneading surface with cooking spray and turn dough out onto surface.  Knead dough briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish).

For the filling-
4. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture and raisins. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6. Bake rolls for 25 minutes, or until they are golden brown and internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.

For the frosting-
7. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

I experimented by adapting 2 recipes and putting them together and I have never had cinnamon rolls turn out so well before. This recipe is a keeper!

Original recipes found here: http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/09/simple-one-hour-homemade-bread/
And here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/clone-of-a-cinnabon/detail.aspx

Honey Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds of potatoes (I use a mix of 4 sweet potatoes, 2 red potatoes, 2 gold potatoes and 2 purple potatoes)
2 TBSP olive oil or coconut oil
2 TBSP honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Tony's seasoning
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Preheat oven to 350

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and put in a 9X13 baking dish. In a small bowl wisk together oil, honey and lemon juice. Pour mixture over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and Tony's seasoning and bake uncovered for about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes until potatoes are soft.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Shortbread Crust:
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cheesecake:
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TBSP)
1 pint of fresh blueberries

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Preheat oven to 350

Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil, lightly grease foil. Mix butter, flour and powdered sugar together until crumbly. Press in the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool.

Reduce oven to 325

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add in the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla, salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Fold in the blueberries gently with a spatula until evenly incorporated. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and gently spread into an even layer. Bake for 35 minutes or until just set and the center no longer jiggles when the pan is tapped. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.

I made these for the first time yesterday and, OH MY GOODNESS, they're DELICIOUS! I was looking for a recipe to use up a lemon and some blueberries I had and this was a definite winner. The original recipe (found here on Annie's Eats) called for a graham cracker crust but when I went to make it I discovered that I had no graham crackers and no graham cracker crumbs in the house. That's when I went to plan B and substituted a shortbread crust. It was so good I'll never make these any other way. I'm planning on making them again twice this week, for 2 different potlucks.

Peach Pie

 Prepared pie crust
1 egg, beaten
5 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
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Preheat oven to 450

Line a 9 inch pie plate with half of the pie crust. Brush with some of the beaten egg to keep the crust from becoming soggy later.
Place sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches and mix gently. Pour peaches into pie crust and dot with butter. Cover with the remaining pie crust and fold the edges under. Flute edges. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut several slits in the top crust.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown too fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil halfway through baking time. Cool before serving. This pie tastes better warm than hot.

Grasshopper Fantasy Fudge

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
5 oz evaporated milk
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla
15-20 mint Oreos, crushed
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Line a 9x13 pan with foil.

Bring sugar butter and milk to a full rolling boil in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Stir until melted. Stir in crushed Oreos. Pour into prepared pan and allow to cool.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Streusel Topping:
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp vegetable oil

Muffins:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1-2 cups blueberries
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Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tin or line with paper liners.

Prepare streusel topping by whisking sugar and flour together in a small bowl. Add oil and mix until fully incorporated and you have a sandy texture. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and milk. Add flour, baking powder and salt and stir just until combined. Stir in blueberries.

Divide batter between 12 muffin cups and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

I have been looking for a good blueberry muffin recipe and this is it! They were quite a hit in our house. Thanks again to Barabra Bakes for posting another yummy recipe!

Microwave Chocolate Almond Fudge

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
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Line an 8x8 pan with foil, butter the foil. Combine butter, milk and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until butter and chocolate chips are melted (1-3 minutes). Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until smooth (2-3 minutes). Spread in prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours)

My New Favorite Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In an electric mixer, cream butter and powdered sugar together. Add almond extract, vanilla and egg and mix well. Slowly add in baking powder and flour. When the dough is ready most of it should be sticking to the beater. If the dough is too sticky add up to 1/4 cup more flour.
Roll out on parchment paper or on a surface that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick (or a little thicker if you like really thick, soft cookies, like we do) Cut in desired shapes then bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees half way through baking time.

I tried out 2 new sugar cookie recipes this past weekend. This one was delicious and the other one was just ok. I found this recipe on this fun cookie decorating blog She has some really great cookie decorating ideas and tips. The original recipe calls for 2 tsp baking powder, but I found that my cookies got too puffy and didn't keep their shape very well when I used that much, so I cut it down to 1 tsp. Also she uses unsalted butter, which I never buy, so I used regular butter and just cut the salt out of the recipe. This dough is awesome, though. You don't need to refrigerate it prior to rolling it out and it's really easy to work with. These cookies taste so good, even without frosting, but I can imagine that they would be absolutely amazing with some cream cheese frosting piled on top of 'em.

Peppermint Patties

32oz powdered sugar
4 TBS butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup evaporated milk
24 oz chocolate chips
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Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper and set aside.
Put butter, vanilla, peppermint extract and evaporated milk in an electric stand mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar until the mixture is the consistency of play-doh. (You don't want the mixture to be dry and crumbly, if it is add a little more milk) Roll into 1-2 inch balls and flatten into patties. Place the patties on the lined cookie sheets and freeze for at least 30 minutes. While they're in the freezer, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When the chocolate is all smooth, remove one tray of patties from the freezer and begin dipping them in the chocolate one by one. (I used a fork to lower them into the chocolate, a spoon to cover them with chocolate, then lifted them back out with the fork, scraped off the excess chocolate with the spoon and I used a butter knife to slide the patties off the fork and back onto the cookie sheet.) When one whole tray is done, place it in the refrigerator to set the chocolate. Then remove the second tray from the freezer and repeat the process. When they're all set up, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.

I love, Love, LOVE York peppermint patties! So, when I found this blog, I got excited and knew I had to give this recipe a try. They were pretty easy to make and definitely worth the effort!

Crescent Rolls

2 TBS active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, softened (to spread on the dough before baking)
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Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees). Set aside and allow yeast to activate.
Heat butter and milk until butter is melted. Allow to cool.
Add sugar, salt, eggs and yeast mixture to the milk and butter.
In a stand mixer, combine the flour and the milk mixture. Mix until smooth and dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If mixture is too sticky, add up to 1 more cup of flour. The dough should be slightly sticky but workable.
Cover the mixing bowl and allow to rise until double in size. About 1 hour.
Divide dough into 2 equal pieces and form into balls.
On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into about a 16" disk.
Using the back of a spoon, spread 1/2 cube of very soft butter all over each of the disks.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough like a pizza into 16 equal pieces from each disk. (You should have 32 triangles) Grab hold of both ends of the bottom of the triangle and gently stretch the dough and roll up to the point. Place each roll onto a cookie sheet, curving it into a crescent shape. (Make sure to tuck the point under the roll so it doesn't pop up and burn)
Allow to rise for about another hour.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes then brush the tops of the hot rolls with melted butter.

These crescent rolls have quickly become a favorite in our house. I attribute it to the fact that they contain butter, butter and more butter. Boy are they delicious! Skyler loves them so much that he'll try to grab them off the pan and eat them before they're even baked. He's done it twice now. And IF there are any left over that's what he wants for breakfast the next day. They are so soft and delicious! This recipe is easily halved, that's what I usually do unless we're having a big dinner party. On an average night16 rolls is plenty. Enjoy!!

Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 TBS milk
powdered sugar for rolling out cookies
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Preheat oven to 375

In an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light in color. Add egg and milk. On a low speed, gradually add flour, baking powder and salt and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide dough in half, wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

for cut out cookies:
Sprinkle counter (where you will roll out the dough) with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time. Sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar and roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shape and place at least 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet.

for sliced cookies:
before refrigerating, roll dough into a log (similar to the cookie dough you buy in the refrigerator section of the grocery store) then slice dough with a sharp knife into1/4 inch slices and place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet.

Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet half way through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after baking before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve as is or try them with this cream cheese frosting....

1 cube cream cheese
1/2 pound of powdered sugar
2 tbs milk

combine all ingredients with an electric mixer, adding more milk or powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency.

.....Or you can try spreading some Nutella on them. Super Yummy!!!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar pasta sauce
2 cups bread crumbs
3 eggs
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8-10 basil leaves, chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
salt
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Preheat the oven to 350. Cut the eggplant crosswise in 1/4 inch slices. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them sit for about 15 minutes, then rinse off the salt and pat dry with a paper towel. This will remove excess water and bitterness.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Dip the eggplant slices in the egg mixture, wetting both sides. Dip the eggplant in the bread crumbs, thoroughly coating the surface. Lay the breaded slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side or until the bread crumbs are beginning to brown.
Saute the garlic and mushrooms in olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes and pasta sauce and heat to boiling. Reduce heat and add the chopped basil leaves.
Remove the eggplant from the oven and assemble the casserole. Place a layer of eggplant in the bottom of a medium size baking dish. Cover the slices with a layer of sauce then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers until the baking dish is full, ending with a layer of sauce and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Not too long ago, Rich kept asking me to buy eggplant whenever we would go to the store. I had never eaten eggplant that I could recall and I certainly had never cooked it before. I had no idea what to do with it and I was a bit intimidated by it. I went ahead and bought one and when I came home I began searching for recipes using eggplant. Somewhere online (I don't remember where) I stumbled across this one. Typically eggplant parmesan is fried and I liked that this was a healthier baked option. The first time I made it, it was a huge hit even with my picky 2 year old who doesn't like to eat his veggies. He cleaned his plate and had seconds, crazy. I thought it must have been a fluke but when we had it for left overs a few nights later he scarfed it down again. I did tweak the recipe a little bit to fit our tastes. We love mushrooms in everything so I added those and the fresh basil, both of which are absolutely delicious in this dish. I am now an eggplant lover! This is a really yummy recipe that tastes just as good left over as it does fresh.

No Bake Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake

Lemon Cheesecake Filling:
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2/3 cup whipping cream

Raspberry Mousse:
3 TBS cold water
1 cup raspberry puree
3 TBS sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup whipping cream, soft peaks

Raspberry Gelee:
3 TBS cold water
1 1/2 cups raspberry puree
6 TBS sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
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I adapted this recipe from the one I found on the Barbara Bakes Blog
Her's looked so unbelievably delicious I just had to give it a try! I'm always up for a delicious new cheesecake recipe and the fact that this was a no bake recipe, which required no eggs, was a double bonus for me. I have a nephew with an egg allergy and the poor kid always gets left out when we have cheesecake. I've been looking for a recipe that he can eat for quite some time now. The crust in the original recipe looked a bit more difficult and time consuming than I was willing to do, and it called for eggs, so I substituted a coconut crust and it was really good! I think an Oreo crust or a Nilla Wafer crust would also work well with this recipe.

Lemon cheesecake filling:
Put the lemon juice in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let it stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture until it is bubbling around the edges and the gelatin dissolves, about 20 seconds. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the whipping cream and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the gelatin mixture. Beat until the mixture is smooth and airy, about 3 minutes.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate the cheesecake until set, about 1 hour.

Raspberry Mousse:
Put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let it stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture until it is bubbling around the edges and the gelatin dissolves, about 20 seconds. Add the gelatin to the raspberry puree.
Fold the whipped cream into the puree. Pour the mousse on top of the cheesecake layer and let it set in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Raspberry Gelee:
Put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let it stand until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Microwave the mixture until it is bubbling around the edges and the gelatin dissolves, about 20 seconds. Add the gelatin to the raspberry puree. Pour the gelee on top of the raspberry mousse and let it set several hours in the refrigerator before serving. If you're feeling really fancy you can melt some white chocolate and drizzle it on top once the gelee is set.

I think this dessert turned out really well. If I was really craving cheesecake it would not satisfy my desire but I think it's the perfect summertime dessert. It's very light and delicious!

Coconut Crust

7 oz shredded coconut
1/2 cube melted butter
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Combine butter and coconut and press in the bottom of pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

This coconut crust is super easy and very delicious! There are many ways to use it. Today I made this as the crust for a lemon raspberry cheesecake instead of the normal graham cracker crust. You could also make up a box of instant coconut pudding and you have a very quick and easy coconut cream pie.