Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

ingredients

• 2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 cups Cool Whip
• 10 3/4 ounces frozen pound cake, thawed
• additional strawberry (to garnish)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, toss strawberries with sugar; set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and orange juice until smooth.
3. Fold in Cool Whip. Set aside.
4. Cut pound cake into 1/2 inch cubes.
5. Drain strawberries, reserving juice.
6. Gently toss cake cubes with reserved juice.
7. Place half of the cake cubes in a 4 quart trifle dish or clear serving bowl.
8. Top with a third of the cream cheese mixture and half of the strawberries.
9. Repeat layers.
10. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture.
11. Garnish with strawberries, cut into fans.
12. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours
13. (I've been impatient and served this almost immediately and it's still great!).

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Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus
• 2 -3 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of the berries)
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup blueberries (I like canned or frozen wild blueberries)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease 8-10 muffins tins (I always make mini muffins).
3. In a large bowl combine with a wire whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
4. In a medium-sized bowl beat together the almond extact,vanilla extract, melted butter, ricotta cheese, yogurt, and eggs.
5. Add to flour mixture.
6. Carefully fold in the blueberries.
7. Batter wil be soft and lumpy
8. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full and bake 20 minutes.

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Lime Cheesecake Squares

ingredients

CRUST

• 1/2 cup crushed graham wafers or 1/2 cup crushed graham wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers or 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup ground blanched almond
• 1/4 cup butter

FILLING

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 1/2 cup key lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

CRUST

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine graham wafer crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs and ground almonds.
3. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or a fork until mixture is crumbly.
4. Prepare a 9 inch x 9 inch oven-proof casserole dish by spraying inside with a vegetable spray.
5. Press wafer mixture firmly in bottom of casserole dish.
6. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes.

FILLING

1. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth.
2. Add lime juice, grated lime zest and tapioca starch and beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Spread mixture evenly over baked crust.
4. Return to oven and bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until set.
5. Cool on wire rack.
6. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares to serve.
7. If desired, decorate top of cheesecake with pieces of lime or halved small fresh strawberries or quartered maraschino cherries (red and green).
8. You can also use regular lime juice or use bottled key lime juice.

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Oreo Cheesecake

ingredients

• 18 Oreo cookies, crushed in a blender
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix Oreos and butter.
2. Press them down in a greased 9inch spring form pan.
3. In a large bowl, cream together remaining ingredients until well blended.
4. Pour into spring-form pan.
5. Break up 8 Oreos and drop on top of the batter.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes at 300 Deg F.
7. Don't bake till it cracks.
8. Cool to room temperature and chill in the refrigerator before removing pan.

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Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

ingredients

For The Crust

• 4 1/2 cups crushed Oreo cookies
• 1 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

For The Filling

• 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 Reese's Peanut Butter cups, broken into small pieces

For The Topping

• 3 ounces sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Please Note****Plan ahead--cheesecake needs to chill for at least 4 hours.

To Make The Crust:.

1. Combine crushed Oreo cookies and peanuts that have been ground in a food processor with the melted butter.
2. Pat the crust mixture onto bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

To Make The Filling:.

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla, then fold in peanut butter cup pieces with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.
7. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
8. Bake at 275°F 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.

For The Topping:.

1. Combine the sour cream and sugar and spread on the cheesecake.
2. Return the cake to the oven for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.
4. You may run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

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Gluten Free Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almond meal (or grind raw almonds in a food processor)
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar crystals or 2 tablespoons other raw sugar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil, melted
• 5 strawberries
• 3 (10 ounce) cartons greek-style strawberry coconut yogurt
• 150 ml coconut or 150 ml almond milk
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar crystals or 2/3 cup other raw sugar
• 1/3 cup gluten-free flour or 1/3 cup rice flour
• extra strawberry (to garnish, about 16)
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine almond meal, sugar, and melted coconut oil and mix well. Put the mixture on the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan. Store in the freezer until the cheesecake filling is ready.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C degrees.
3. In a blender, place 5 strawberries, yogurt, almond milk, sugar and flour and blend well. Pour in the springform pan.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes. The cheesecake is still soft when you take it out of the oven, but it will get firm.
5. When the cheesecake has cooled down, cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.
6. Remove the springform pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Garnish with strawberries and powdered sugar.
7. Infuse love into the cheesecake, slice and serve!

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Cheesecake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) packet cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl blend thoroughly butter, brown sugar and flour with a fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Put 1 cup of the mixture aside for topping.
4. Press remaining mixture into an 8x8x2 inch baking dish sprayed lightly with cooking spray; bake for 15 minutes.
5. In another bowl combine sugar and cream cheese, mixing until smooth.
6. Thoroughly beat in egg, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.
7. Spread over the baked crust and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.
9. Let cool, then chill for at least 1 hour.
10. Cut into 16 squares; serve.

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Banana Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 20 vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted

For the filling

• 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup mashed banana
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• shredded coconut, for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Use a blender to finely chop the cookies.
2. Add margarine and blend until they are well combines.
3. Press mixture into the bottom of a 10" springform pan and smooth it out.
4. Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
5. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.
6. Beat in sugar and cornstarch followed by the eggs (one at a time).
7. Beat in bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla.
8. Pour mixture into crust.
9. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake an additional 75 minutes, or until center is almost set, adding coconut for last 20 minutes.
11. Allow to cool completely before removing rim of pan -- Before removing the pan, run warm water over a knife and slide a knife around the edge of the cake to separate the cake from the pan cleanly.
12. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, at least 6 hours.

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Baileys Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, cooled and crushed
• 2 cups chocolate Oreo cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:

• 2 1/4 lbs cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs, at room temp
• 1 cup Baileys Original Irish Cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Coffee Cream Topping:

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• chocolate curls or Skor English toffee bit, for decoration on top

Directions:

Crust:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Press into a 10" spring form pan and up the sides one inch.
3. Bake at 325 for 7-10 minute.

Filling:

1. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth.
2. Beat sugar in gradually, and then add eggs one at a time.
3. Blend in Bailey's and vanilla.
4. Sprinkle half of chocolate chips over crust.
5. Spoon in filling.
6. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
7. Bake at 325 degrees approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes or until puffed, springy in center and golden brown. Place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven while baking to keep it moist.
8. Cool cake completely.

Coffee Cream Topping:

1. Beat all ingredients and spread over cooled cake.
2. Top with chocolate curls or Skor bits.
3. *NOTE: Be sure to make and refrigerate at least one day before serving.

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