No Bake Raspberry, Cheesecake...and Hungarian Game Plan

I've been blogging for ten months now, and I came a long way, just like all the other food bloggers did. I made a lot of friends along the way, and I truly value everyone's friendship. The best part about blogging is, that every blog is unique, every post, food, desserts, are different...but we all contribute and have something beautiful and interesting to offer. As for me, I have never done a guest post...nor did I have someone guest posting for me.

As a matter of fact, it has not even crossed my mind, probably because...I never offered, although I was asked from a couple bloggers, but since I have not guest posted, it seemed awkward to start. I have not asked either for someone to guest post for me. So, how do you even get started on guest posting for someone?...and what is the purpose of it?

Is it to promote their blog?...or are you promoting yours! As for certain bloggers, it seems to work fine. When you guest post for a popular blogger, it benefits you, to get you on your "feet" if you just started blogging, to get more followers... but then...have all these bloggers been asked?...or do they ask the popular blogger if they can guest post for them?...Well, that gets me off the "hook" because I have never asked if I could guest post...and if I did...I could not say: "I've been asked, when that's not the case!

I'm linking this to: Bianca-Foodie Friday@ Little Brick Ranch

I made this cheesecake, and originally posted it on August, 25, 2010

I decided to cut this recipe out from the back of the Nabisco Grahams, but did not use the 8x8 square pan, instead I used my  8x8 removable sides Wilton cheesecake pan. Used less raspberries and my own marshmallow creme, from scratch.


No Bake Raspberry Marshmallow Cream Cheesecake

1 pkg. (6oz.) raspberries

8 Graham crackers (1/2 box) crushed in food processor

2 teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 pkg. (8oz). light Philadelphia creme cheese at room temp.
1 jar  (7 oz) JET PUFFED Marshmallow cream, or

1 cup of home made marshmallow frosting/cream

grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of the same lemon, after grating

2 Tablespoons of seedless organic raspberry spread

Mix graham crackers sugar and melted butter. Press firmly with a back of a large spoon onto the bottom and up the sides, 1 inches in an 8x8 spring form pan. Chill, in refrigerator, until cream is assembled. In a large bowl, make marshmallow frosting, according to recipe. Take out 1 cup to use, and save the rest for frosting cup cakes, or cake, or divide recipe in half to use. Beat creme cheese and marshmallow frosting, adding zest of lemon, and juice. Beat until light and fluffy. Fold in half the raspberries, and gently swirl in the raspberry spread, Spread evenly over crust, and decorate with the remaining raspberries. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Makes about 8 servings.

I must say, something wonderful happened...because I received and invitation from a sweet Hungarian blogger friend, Kati @Makacska Konyhája who passed this invitation on to me. It just came at the right time, because of my ankle injury, I'm off the "hook" cooking for Easter...LOL

Thank you Kati...Köszönöm hogy gondoltál rám!


I have still yet to figure out why they call it a JÁTÉK=GAME...which is literally translated, as such. I think it's  more like  a TAG or a GAME PLAN... interesting, and fun, that would involve for each person that is tagged, to come up with 5-10 suggested MENU for EASTER. You have to upload these entrees, appetizers, desserts, from your previous posts with the photos, and link them back for the recipe.

After you did that, link it to 10 bloggers for the invitation to do the same! So here's the original game plan in Hungarian, from Kati. You can click on the TRANSLATE for it in English, but this is what the game is about, the way I explained it!

This is the original invitation from Kati... in Hungarian, but you could turn on the Translator on my blog, below the Template, to view it in English!

Húsvéti ajánlat

A következő játékra való felkérést kaptam...

A játék lényege:

Írj egy bejegyzést Húsvéti ajánlat címmel! Az ünnepre való tekintettel javasolj 5-10 ételt bármilyen kategóriában, egy feltétel van, hogy a korábban már közzétett receptjeid közül válogass!

Ha megkapod a játékot, akkor kérlek küldd tovább 10 bloggernek! De a játékot szabadon is "elviheted" nem kell megvárni, hogy hozzád is eljusson!:)

Játékra fel!!!

Én titeket hívlak játékra:

I am inviting you to play the TAG GAME: 

Barbara-Cucina di Barbara
Brenda-Brenda's Canadian Kitchen
Citra- Indonesian in Turkey
Katerina-Culinary Flavors
Lizzy-That skinny chick can bake!!!
Ping-Ping's Pickings
Roxana-A Little bit of Everything
Sandra-Sandra's Easy Cooking
Susi-Susi's Kochen und Backen
Wendy-The Weekend Gourmet




My Suggested Easter Menu, as follows:

Unfortunately I'm not a bread or rolls baker, although "every now and then " I do bake some yeast rolls, and even attempt to bake a simple bread in the bread machine. I've been pondering about not having a nice bread or rolls on my Easter Menu...
 and when I visited my dear friend Swathi's Zesty South Indian Kitchen blog, to comment,  I simply fell in love with her Real Garlic bread. She mentioned about the national Garlic Day, which was on April 19th...knowing I missed the Garlic Festival here locally, which is such a fun event, she went on to tell the story about her sweet grandmother, and the amazing mythical story in India about the garlic. 
I asked her if I can add her delicious, and perfect bread to my 
Easter Menu, and she was so gracious to oblige.  I really do not want to wait till next year to bake this beautiful loaf of bread,  since she has the step-by-step recipe with photos, right on her blog.

Now, I said I've never done a guest post, and I never asked any blogger to guest post for me..."never say never"...to me, this is better than a guest post, any time. I am featuring someone, who is talented, and a lovely hostess @Hearth and Soul Hop, which I also participate in...so this is an honor for me to feature this gorgeous bread, and sink my teeth into...well, not just yet...maybe I can get Lora's mother in-law- to bake this before she goes back to Italy!

HAPPY EASTER to all my blogger friends...enjoy my Easter Menu...and break bread with your loved ones, and friends!!!

From appetizers, to  main course, and desserts:
Goat Cheese with Pistachios and Cranberries:

Moroccan Whole Chickpea Hummus:

 Greek Cucumber Salad: Tzatziki

 Bake Crab Cakes:

Hungarian Steaks, Smothered with Onions:...pickled beets, and mashed potatoes: Yumm! Real comfort food:D

Israeli Chopped Salad

Moroccan Spicy Shrimp:

Angel Food Cake with Fresh Strawberries, and below ...Cross-Country Oatmeal Cookies with chocolate chunks

Fresh Strawberry Tart, and Birthdays to Celebrate!

I decided to feature this photo of my lovely fresh Strawberry Tart, before slicing it, just when it finally set... with my homemade Strawberry "thick" glaze, or coulis, or sauce, but it really is a glaze, ... not your ordinary clear glaze, because instead of a cream filling, or maybe even a curd type of filling, I chose the thick glaze, which is so easy to make. I willing to bet no one has heard of this kind of tart with a light "Nilla" Vanilla Tart Shell, instead of a Shortbread type, or a Graham Cracker type tart. I'm not really a an avid baker, but I do get enthusiastic about easy things to make that does not require a lot of work...and I don't even want to get involved in "yeast dough" unless I have to. I leave all that to my daughter. She is always making yeast all kinds of things with yeast...especially, since I gave her the brand new Bread Machine, even with the instruction from my thrift find, at Goodwill, for $9.99. Now, I'm trying to find one for myself, which is difficult, and think people are getting more interest in "dough" making...and why not? You can't beat fresh homemade bread, rolls, and pizza dough!

Enough said...had a busy week with my daughter's lovely in-law's from Italy staying here for their vacation, and loving every minute of it. They are so sweet, down to earth, and are so adventurous trying out new foods, and desserts, so this is one of the desserts that anyone who loves fresh strawberries would love. Light, not too sweet and the vanilla cookie crust is a treat, just by itself!
I've always loved fresh strawberry pie, when strawberry is in season, and just simple, with a nice crust, glaze, and served with fresh whipped cream, and of course, Strawberry Shortcakes...another yummy fresh strawberry dessert.

The way I started to make this, is not having enough time to make a fresh pie dough, and not wanting to buy frozen...I didn't have graham crackers or crumbs in my cupboard for the crust, but I just bought a huge box of Nilla Vanilla wafers from Costco's that I wanted to make a nice Banana Cream Pie with it, and ended up making this quick dessert instead. I realize the glaze takes up a pint of strawberries, just like the whole strawberry pieces, but at
$1.75 a pint, not too expensive for two.

Fresh Strawberry Tart
 my own recipe

3 - 6 cups of fresh strawberries (for topping)
2 cups fresh strawberries (for filling)
(depending how much you want to use)
3/4 cup water
grated fresh orange

juice of 1 fresh orange, (after grating)
grated fresh lemon
juice of 1 fresh lemon, (after grating)
2 Tablespoon cornstarch, or potato starch (not gelatin)
Fresh whipped cream for garnish, or to serve with

For Filling:
Mash the 2 cups of strawberries, with a potato masher, in a medium bowl. Combined the mashed strawberries, and water, in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and add the cornstarch, the juices of the lemon, and the orange, and the grated rinds. Cook until it gets to a sauce, and strawberries are cooked down, stirring constantly. This will take only a few minutes. You can add about another 1/4 cup of water if it gets too thick.

Remove from saucepan, and add the hot sauce to a blender container. Carefully blend the sauce, holding the lid down so it doesn't "fly off" and splatter.
Remove from blender. In the meantime, line the tart with the nicest whole strawberries, stems removed, in around a circle, you can overlap them if you like, (I just added single rows.)

Drizzle all the strawberry sauce over the fresh strawberries, to fill the tart, or if you like just a small amount, but in that case you will have to totally fill the crust with lots of strawberries. Let it cool down in the fridge, or if you need it fast, you can place it in the freezer for 30 minutes for the glaze to set.
You can serve this with fresh whipped cream, or decorate it with the whipped cream, piping nice rosettes on it, (which I did not have the time). It is absolutely "out of this world" light, and delicious, so perfect after a heavy meal, or just for a light dessert!

For the Crust:
2 cups of vanilla wafers ground
1/4 cup butter (1 stick) melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grind the wafers in a food processor to make 2 cups. Add sugar, and grated orange, stir in the melted butter, just to moisten evenly, and press into a large non-stick tart pan, with a removable bottom.
Use a large soup spoon to press down, and not with your fingers, or hand, (so butter does not get too pressed into the crust) Also, do the same on the sides of the tart pan. Bake crust for no longer than 15 minutes, and follow the topping, and filling process.

Now, you know why you need a light dessert?...A gorgeous beef ragu (an Italian Beef Stew) cooked by Teresa, for a fabulous get-together dinner with next door BFF...of Lora's. This was our contribution, plus my dessert.

Marisa's beautiful fresh home garden kale and beans soup...our first course.

Eric... (Dr. Schnirman's) baked fish on the grill, was my choice to eat, with mixed salad. The Fish was to "die for" delicate, spicy, with freshly ground pepper, paprika, and lime juice. baked in buttery, and extra virgin olive oil, and aluminum foil lined, right on the grill. (don't remember what kind, a red fish, of some kind...lol) Amazing!

OMG...(by the way, OMG, and LOL, has just been added to the Webster's Dictionary, as official words...how about that?!)
Grilled lamb steaks...or is it chops?...at any rate, so goooood!

As you can see, the lamb is so nice and rare (sorry vegetarians, next post will be all vegan treats)...grandson Luca just working on his soup, and ate pasta...

I was not even going to try to take photo of the slice of tart, but just to show you how gorgeous the fresh sauce/glaze combo on top of the crunchy vanilla wafer/cookie crust, with the fresh whole strawberries, and the hint of the lemon/orange flavor from the grated rinds, and juice. (photo is dark, whipped cream looks sloppy)...not prepared to pose or "stage this shot"...also, not inspiring to get into Top 9 for Foodbuzz, or Foodgawker, or Stumbleupon which I will be figuring out. Just having a nice time with family, loving, and caring friends, and appreciate togetherness.
That's what life is about, caring about, each other,
 sharing, and loving FOOD!


...and enjoying a fabulous Cappucino!

New York Style Cheesecake

I decided to re post my New York Style Cheesecake from this summer, just about when I started my blog. The actual reason I'm posting it is, because I lent my digital camera to my daughter, so she could upload her photos that she took with my camera. Yesterday, I made my good old fashioned meat loaf, and a yummy apple SALSA...

 
Recipe...adapted from the JOY OF BAKING

New York Cheesecake:
Grease, or spray with Pam, a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan.  Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.
For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.  Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan.  Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For Filling: 
In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour.  Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.  Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling.  Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan

to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).
Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating.  This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day.
Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.
Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake.
To freeze: 
Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm.  Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag.  Seal and return to freezer.  Can be frozen for several months.  Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
Adapted from Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary Crownover.

Crust:

2 cups (200 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
32 ounces (1 kg) (4 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons (35 grams) all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Tips:  Sometimes the surface of the cheesecake cracks.  To help prevent this from happening do not over beat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and sugar. 
Another reason for cracking is overbaking the cheesecake.  Your cheesecake is done when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet. 
Also, make sure the springform pan is well greased as cracking can occur if the cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools. 

No Bake Raspberry Marshmallow Cream Cheesecake

I've always wanted to adapt a nice no bake cheese cake, but I hesitated, until now. Forget the Jello no bake cheese cake. This version is fresh, light, and easy to make. If you don't want to use my marshmallow frosting/creme recipe with it, you could use jar of Marshmallow creme, but it won't be the same.

Showing off my milk glass plate which I mentioned before on my blog. What a lucky find...a real treasure. The raspberries are so refreshing in this cheese cake.You couldn't possibly fold in fresh raspberries into the baked version. This is why it's so light.

The whole pieces of  raspberries are folded into it...you can see the swirl of the organic raspberry spread folded in...Yumm!

I decided to cut this recipe out from the back of the Nabisco Grahams, but did not use the 8x8 square pan, instead I used my  8x8 removable sides Wilton cheesecake pan. Used less raspberries and my own marshmallow creme, from scratch.

Who would want to get ride of their Wilton cheesecake pan? I got lucky with this. I just love it, such good quality, can't complain about the price, either. Goodwill find $1.99

No sooner than cutting out the recipe from the back of the Graham cracker box, I stopped by at my other favorite thrift store...World Thrift, and came across this great book which has recipes from labels on jars, cans, boxes and I can actually recognize some of these recipes, from a hundred years ago..(just kidding)...from 1979. Wow, 31 years ago. It has some real good ones, but obviously I will be adapting them to a lighter, and healthier version. My daughter didn't like this book because it has no pictures of the foods in them. You don't need to have pictures, you can pretty much imagine what it's going to look like when you make it your own. I can hardly wait to reminisce with the "oldies" and make it up to date.By the way, how could you lose for $.95?

 No Bake Raspberry Marshmallow Cream Cheesecake

1 pkg. (6oz.) raspberries

8 Graham crackers (1/2 box) crushed in food processor

2 teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 pkg. (8oz). light Philadelphia creme cheese at room temp.

1 cup of home made marshmallow frosting/creme

grated zest of 1 lemon

juice of the same lemon, after grating

2 Tablespoons of seedless organic raspberry spread

Mix graham crackers sugar and melted butter. Press firmly with a back of a large spoon onto the bottom and up the sides, 1 inches in an 8x8 spring form pan. Chill, in refrigerator, until cream is assembled. In a large bowl, make marshmallow frosting, according to recipe. Take out 1 cup to use, and save the rest for frosting cup cakes, or cake, or divide recipe in half to use. Beat creme cheese and marshmallow frosting, adding zest of lemon, and juice. Beat until light and fluffy. Fold in half the raspberries, and gently swirl in the raspberry spread, Spread evenly over crust, and decorate with the remaining raspberries. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Makes about 8 servings.

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New York Style Cheesecake

 I have made so many different kinds of cheesecakes in the past, but this particular recipe is the best by far. No need to change a thing , or adapting it your way, other than perhaps adding a fruit topping, such as berries. I prefer to have the berries on the side. I have made this exact recipe over the last 3 years and have not change a thing. If you follow exactly, it will turn out perfect for you. It is not a difficult process. I have memorized the recipe by heart, and made it in Italy when I was visiting my son-in-law's family. You can actually get Philadelphia creme cheese there also, but nothing beats he American brand, solid and creamy. The egg yolks in Italy are like pure gold, therefore the cheesecake turns out a bit of yellowish shade, but the texture and flavor are the same. Also, you cannot find graham crackers there, so I had to use vanilla cookies to crush, but the recipe, and the method of baking was exactly the same. I copied and pasted the recipe, it was way too long for me to type, and besides, this is NOT my original recipe. Courtesy, of "Joys of Baking."

New York Cheesecake:
Grease, or spray with Pam, a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan.  Place the springform pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.
For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.  Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan.  Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For Filling: 
In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour.  Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.  Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling.  Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 1 1/2 hours or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract.  Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake for 15 more minutes.  Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan

to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools).
Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating.  This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated for at least a day.
Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.
Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake.

To freeze:
Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm.  Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag.  Seal and return to freezer.  Can be frozen for several months.  Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
Adapted from Cheesecake Extraordinaire by Mary Crownover.

 

Crust:
2 cups (200 grams) of graham wafer crumbs or finely crushed vanilla wafers or gingersnaps (process whole cookies in a food processor until they are crumbs)
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
32 ounces (1 kg) (4 - 8 ounces packages) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons (35 grams) all purpose flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Tips:  Sometimes the surface of the cheesecake cracks.  To help prevent this from happening do not over beat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and sugar. 
Another reason for cracking is overbaking the cheesecake.  Your cheesecake is done when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet. 
Also, make sure the springform pan is well greased as cracking can occur if the cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools.
Read more: http://joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html#ixzz0utDeKZWI

Another satisfied customer. Megan, the "all American girl, from Rimini, Italy. Ciao Bella!