The Charmed Kitchen

Berry Cheesecakes and Shortbread Stars

I am in charge of dessert for the 4th of July and this is what we will be having. I already knew I would make the mini cheesecakes- they were requested, after all. It made sense to top them with the blue and red berry mixture to fit into the theme for the day. I originally planned to make tiny stars to put on top of the cheesecakes. Several frustrating hours later, I was unable to find my mini star cookie cutter. I ended up going with the larger star cutter instead. I have to say, I was  happy with the way they came out. These desserts can be served together, or on their own.

Berry Mini Cheesecakes

12 vanilla wafers

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

½ c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

Topping

1 c. fresh strawberries, stemmed and chopped

1 c. blueberries, rinsed and drained

½ c. sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with paper or foil liners and place a vanilla wafer in each one. Prepare the filling. Beat the cream cheese with the sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla, then eggs. Remove muffin pans from the oven. Spoon the cheese mixture into the muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until set. They will be pretty full and will puff up while baking. They will also settle when cooling.  Combine strawberries and blueberries with the sugar. You might need less sugar if the berries are sweet. Chill until ready to use.  Once cooled, arrange berries on the top of each little cheesecake. Chill before serving.  Serve with cookies on the side- or on top of the cheesecakes. Makes 12.

Shortbread Stars

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 c. flour

star shaped sprinkles and blue sugar

In small bowl combine, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour. Chill dough 30 minutes.  On floured surface, roll dough about 1/8 inch thick and cut into star shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet and decorate with sugar and star shapes sprinkles. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Edges should be golden. Cool on a rack. Makes a couple dozen stars.

Fresh Berry Crumble

When I need a last minute dessert I will often make a  fruit-based crumble or a cobbler. I normally have some sort of fresh fruit around. If not, I have frozen fruit or homemade pie filling.  This time I started with fresh berries- a mix of blueberries and raspberries.  I topped it with an oatmeal crumble mixture and popped it in the oven to get all toasted and bubbly. Great for dessert as is, or topped with ice cream. Not too sweet, it could easily work for a brunch, too.

 

Fresh Berry Crumble

3-4 c. fresh berries – use any combination you like. I used blueberries and raspberries*

¾ c. sugar

¼ c. lemon juice

Zest of a lemon

2 T. cornstarch

3-4 T. water

1 c. rolled oats

2/3 c. flour

½ c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

½ t. salt

¼ c. butter

3 T. half and half – you could also use milk or whipping cream

In medium saucepan combine berries with ¾ cup of sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice and the zest of a lemon. Bring to a boil and add cornstarch  mixed with 3 or 4 tablespoons of cold water. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Mixture should be nicely thickened. Depending on the berries I sometimes use a little more cornstarch. Place fruit  filling in a deep dish 9-inch pie pan. In mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the butter. Drizzle the milk over the oat mixture and stir to blend. Place oat mixture over the berry filling. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30-35 minutes- or until bubbly and the crumble topping has become golden. Serve warm or cold. Tastes great plain but also good topped with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 4-6.

*Note:  You can also make the filling using frozen berries.

Chocolate “Shell”

I used to love getting a chocolate dipped ice cream cone when I was a kid. The ice cream shop near my house had them. I watched as the soft serve was swirled onto the cone, then dipped into a vat of melted chocolate goodness. Like magic, the chocolate hardened, and made this lovely crisp shell. Then they came out with the squeeze bottles of the stuff. Just a drizzle onto your ice cream and the chocolate hardened like, well, magic. There are a lot of recipes out there, and I tried a few. All tasted fine, but some just worked better than others. I played around and found the mix that worked best for me. It is very easy to make- just three ingredients.

Homemade Chocolate Shell

1 c. chocolate chips- I used dark chocolate chips

3/4 c. coconut oil- I used the unrefined

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Heat all together until melted. I melted mine in a microwave for 1 minute, but you could also melt over a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Store at room temp. To use, drizzle over ice cream, wait about 10-20 seconds- and it will harden.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

This dessert came about by accident. A very happy accident, indeed.  I had been canning blueberry pie filling, and had some left over. It wasn’t quite enough for another jar or a whole pie. A carton of ricotta cheese I had in the fridge, inspired me to combine two of my favorite desserts into one, fruit pie and cheesecake! I used the ricotta to make a cheesecake-like layer and then used the pie filling as a topper. It worked out great. This would also be a nice dessert for the 4th of July. Just serve with sliced strawberries and some whipped cream.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Pastry for 2 crust pie- recipe- The crust recipe I used is at the bottom of the page

Cheesecake filling:
1 (15 oz.) carton ricotta cheese, full fat preferred
½ c. sugar
2 eggs
Zest of half an orange
Combine cheese and sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in eggs and zest and set aside.

Blueberry filling:
1½c. blueberry pie filling- I used homemade
Roll out half of the crust and place in 8 or 9-inch pie pan. You can roll out the top crust ahead of time, or even cut into strips for a lattice top. Cover remaining crust to keep it from drying out. Spoon cheese mixture into prepared crust. Spoon the blueberry pie filling over the cheese mixture. Top with the second crust or place strips on in a lattice design. If using a whole crust cut in decorative slits for ventilation. Moisten then crimp edges and shape decoratively or use a fork to seal. Place pie in lower half of hot oven. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown and juices begin to bubble through the slits. It edges start to brown too quickly, cover them with foil. Cool, then chill,  before serving.

Flaky Pie Crust

2 c. flour
1 t. salt
3/4 c. shortening, chilled – I used chilled coconut oil-  you can also use butter or lard
1 T. cider vinegar
4-5 T. cold water

Combine flour and salt and cut in shortening. Toss in vinegar and water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough holds together. Use a fork to toss the ingredients together and as soon as the mixture holds together stop adding water. Makes 2. Chill well before using.

Barley and Corn Salad with Basil

I think most people think of soup, when they think of barley. This versatile grain can also be a nice ingredient in a salad.  This salad  can be served as a side dish, but I often enjoy it for lunch or dinner all on it’s own. The combination of corn and barley makes it pretty hearty, but still not heavy. Nice on a hot day, when you want a lighter meal. I had grilled some corn and had some leftover, so that is what I used. I think the smokiness of the grilled corn added a nice touch. I had some fresh basil so I used that, too.

Barley and Corn Salad with Basil

½ c. pearl barley
salt
3 T. cider or white wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
fresh ground pepper
3 T. olive oil
3 T. fresh basil, cut into thin strips
3 c. cooked corn, from six ears
1 c. diced sweet onion
1 c. diced sweet pepper, any color
¼ c. sliced green onions

Combine barley, 2 cups water and ½ t. salt in saucepan and simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with barley in large bowl. Makes 6 servings.

Picnic Quiches

I had such a fun time on New Day Cleveland this past Thursday. Natalie is always so much fun to work with. The entire staff are so helpful. Here is my appearance, with plenty of recipes and tips for a safer picnic.

http://fox8.com/2016/06/23/how-to-create-the-perfect-picnic/

Caramel Crepes with Honey Ice Cream

I had made dessert crepes last week and still had some in the freezer. It has been hot around here so I wanted something cold to serve for dessert. I had recently made honey ice cream, so that part was covered. I made a simple caramel sauce to top the crepes and finished them with a little whipped cream. It really was an easy dessert, but looked special. Tasted pretty good, too. When I make crepes, I often have extra and freeze them for later use. I was happy that I did. Of course, use any ice cream flavor you have. I just spooned some ice cream along one edge of the crepes, and rolled them up. I kept them in the freezer until ready to serve. Then I drizzled with the caramel sauce. Much easier than you might think.

Dessert Crepes

1 c. flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 T. sugar
2-T. orange-flavored liqueur or orange juice concentrate
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

Mix all ingredients in blender (except butter) until smooth, scraping sides often. Add butter and blend well. Let stand for 30 minutes before using, or can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Beat again, just before using.
Heat 6 or 7 inch skillet. Brush with butter or oil and pour in about 2 teaspoons of batter, tipping pan to cover bottom of pan completely with batter. Cook until edges start to brown, turn over and cook until lightly browned (about 2 minutes per side.)
Crepes can be made day ahead or even frozen between sheets of waxed paper and frozen.  Makes 20.

Here is another variation that would be great with chocolate or strawberry ice cream.

Chocolate Crepes

Add 2-3 T. cocoa to flour and mix well before blending. You will probably need to add 1-2 T. extra milk, but mix first.

Honey Ice Cream

1 ½ c. whipping cream

1 ½ c. half and half

2/3 c. honey

6 large egg yolks

Heat together cream and half-and-half to simmer . Whisk honey and yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and heat until mixture thickens (about 170 degrees) but do not boil. Strain into large bowl. Chill until cold. Process in ice cream maker. Makes 4 ½ c.

Easy Caramel Sauce

1 packed cup brown sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half
4 tablespoons butter
Pinch salt
4 t. vanilla extract

Mix the brown sugar, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat, cool slightly and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until ready to use. You can serve it cold, or warm a little before using.

Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes

These miniature cheesecakes, topped with fresh raspberries, are the perfect summer dessert.  The creamy filling works so well with the tart/sweet berries. I brushed a little raspberry jam over the top, but you could also sprinkle the berries with a little sugar, if you prefer. You can also use a mix of berries and seasonal fruit. Raspberries and blueberries would make a great dessert for the 4th.  They bake quickly and can be frozen. I would freeze them plain and then top with berries when ready to serve.

Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes

Crust

1c. graham cracker crumbs

2 T. sugar

2 T. melted butter

Filling

2 (8 oz.) pkgs. Cream cheese, softened

½ c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

Topping

2 c. fresh raspberries, about

½ c. raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with paper or foil liners and set aside. In medium bowl, combine crumbs with sugar and butter and mix with a fork. Divide crust among the muffin tins, tamping each one down a little. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla, then eggs. Remove muffin pans from the oven. Spoon the cheese mixture into the muffin tins and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until set. They will be pretty full and will puff up while baking. They will also settle when cooling. Once cooled, arrange berries on the top of each little cheesecake. Warm the raspberry jam and brush it gently over the tops. Chill before serving. Makes 12.