Little Lemon Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes

My brother in laws Mum made these over the Christmas break. Made in mini size they are just a lovely wee treat. Keep them in the freezer and defrost quickly for when guests pop in.

Ingredients:

1 cup of finely ground gingernuts (i put a whole packet through the kitchen whizz)

40gm butter (melted)

1/2 cup frozen raspberries (thawed)

2 tbspn icing sugar (it says sifted but i don't bother with that part)

375gm traditional cream cheese (blocks not tubs preferrably.)

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs 

finely grated rind of 1 lemon (doesn't matter if this is omitted)

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line a 12 mini muffin plan with foil cases.

2. Mix the finely ground gingernuts with the melted butter in a bowl. Use a teaspoon to put the mix in the cases then use the bottom of a shot glass to compress it down. Add more if needed and repeat the pressing. Make sure it is firm and unlikely to crumble.

3. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from the oven and reduce the oven heat to 125 degrees.

4. Mash the raspberries to a pulp in a sieve to catch the juice below. Stir the icing sugr into the juice.

5. Put the cream cheese and caster sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until the mixture is light, smooth and fluffy.

6. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined before adding the next. You may prefer to do this with a hand beater to avoid over beating.

7. Add lemon rind and vanilla.

8. Spoon the mixture over the gingernut bases.

9. Put half a teaspoon of the raspberries over the cheesecake and use a kebab skewer to swirl it around.

10. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until just set and no longer wobbly. Open the oven door and allow the cakes to cool completely in the switched off oven. They do shrink as they cool but that is expected.

11. When the cheesecakes are completely cooled place them in their tray in the freezer. Just loosen each one first to avoid it sticking to the muffin pan.

12. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or container. If stacking place a layer of baking paper between them to avoid sticking.

13. Use the cheesecakes within six weeks of freezing.

You can use any plain biscuits for the base (jaffa thins etc)

Any fruit can be used for the topping - cherries, berries etc depending on your taste.

Enjoy!!!

Chocolate Cake - More!

I love chocolate cake and here is another goodie (easy to make) but so rich. Would be yummy warm with berries, cream, ice cream, yoghurt - you name it, it will be good!!!

 

Ingredients:

185gm bitter sweet chocolate (the more cocoa the better - I use Whitakers dark cacao - 72%)

185gm butter

a few drops of almond essence

2 Tbspn strong coffee

4 eggs separated

1 cup caster sugar

1 and 3/4 cups ground almonds

 

Glaze Ingredients:

125gm chocolate (same as for the cake)

2 Tbspn caster sugar

1 Tbspn corn syrup (I used glucose syrup - don't even know if there is a difference, but it worked perfecly well and was yummy!)

20gm butter

 

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 160 degrees C, grease and line a spring form pan (23cmish)

2. Break the chocolate up into small pieces and melt over a low heat with the butter, almond essence and coffee.

3. Put mixture into a bowl and let cool.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form then add half the sugar just a little at a time continually whisking until the mixture is thick and glossy.

4. Whisk the remaining sugar with the egg yolks until thick and then fold this into the chocolate mixture. Add the ground almonds and mix until well combined.

5. Whisk in a  little of the egg whites to lighten the mix and then fold in the remaining egg whites gently.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Keep checking your cake reguarly after 30  minutes. It should be dry on the outside (sort of brownie looking) but gooey in the middle.

7. Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 20 minutes then leave it on the base only to cool further

 

To make the glaze

1. Break chocolate into small pieces

2. Bring a quarter of a cup of water, sugar and corn syrup to the boil in a saucepan then remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and swirl it around in the pan then let it stand for 3 minutes.

3. Whisk the butter into the chocolate mixture then pour over the cake using a spatula to ease the icing out to the edges thn leave to 'set' before slicing.

 

It is a glaze so it won't go hard at all, just deliciously sticky!



Beetroot Salad

I love beetroot and I reminded myself of this as a nice wee 'salad' in time for Christmas. Nice for barbecues too.

Ingredients:

Beetroot - enough to cover as many people as you need it for. People won't eat a huge amount of this so roughly one beetroot per person if they are small or two - three people per beetroot if they are big.

Balsamic vinegar

Brown sugar

Oil

Method:

This is very like the black potatoes on the blog.

1. Peel, wash and chop up your beetroot into the sized pieces you need. Larger pieces will take longer to cook. Wearing rubber gloves can be an idea to avoid getting purple hands.

2. Line your baking pan with cooking paper and spread the beetroot over it.

3. Sprinkle over a small tablespoon of brown sugar.

4. Drizzle over a little oil

5. Pour a few glugs (depending how strong you want it) of balsamic vinegar over everything then stir everything to mix in the pan.

6. Cook in the oven 180 / 200 degrees until the beetroot is soft. If the balsamic vinegar cannot be tasted or is not strong enough during cooking just add more and mix it in.

7. Serve the beetroot either hot or cool - still yummy. 

You could add some citrus peel to this or some very fine carrot shavings to add some colour before serving or alternatively crumble over some feta cheese. 

This is great at barbecues, in burgers or with roasted or even cold meats.

Stroganoff

Stroganoff was always a mystery to me but this recipe is so simple and quick to make - only takes about 20 minutes so nice and easy after a fully busy day at work.

Ingredients:

600gm beef (I just use schnitzel)

30grams butter

1 chopped onion

Mushrooms - I like lots in mine so just use as many or as few as you want

3/4 cup of beef stock

2 tablespoon tomato paste

250ml sour cream

1 teaspoon cornflour

Spaghetti pasta or fettucine

Method:

1. Cut / slice up the meat coat with a little oil and add salt and pepper to season. Cook in a few batches (too much for one pan intially)

2. After the meat is cooked and set aside put the butter in the pan then the onion. Cook until the onion is softened then add the mushrooms. Once they are tender add the beef stock and tomato paste.

3. Put the cornflour into the sour cream and add to the onions and mushrooms. Stir to mix and then simmer for a minute.

4. Add the meat to the pan and keep simmering for another couple of minutes or until the meat is heated through.

5. Serve over spaghetti pasta or fettucine ribbons.

When I use schnitzel it does not come to 600grams but this recipe still works fine and is delicious - just extra sauce for the meat. I don't use exact measures when I make this and it is still fine for cooking and eating.

Lemon Lime Tart

One of my husband's work mates gave me this recipe and I agree with her- it is delicious!!

Base Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups plain flour

1/4 cup of self raising flour

pinch salt

1/2 cup icing sugar

100grams butter

1 egg

Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice (125mls or approx juice of two lemons)

1/4 cup lime juice (60mls or approx juice of two limes)

1 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup of thickened cream

5 eggs lightly beaten

Method:

1. To make the base put the flours, salt, sugar and butter in the food processor and pulse until it is like breadcrumbs. 

2. Add the egg and process again until it comes together in a ball.

3. If the dough seems very dry add a teaspoon of water and knead it in briefly. 

(I just used the food processor and it made a nice dough after a couple of minutes)

4. Wrap the dough in gladwrap and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.

5. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and grease a 25cm fluted loose based flan tin. If it has hole in the base the tart base will be crispy however it doesn't matter if the base of the tin is solid - still is beautiful!

6. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to about 5mm thickness.  It can be difficult to move the pastry in one piece so just rip of pieces and press it into the tin and up the sides until it is well covered and even. Makes sure there are no gaps and the edges or pastry joins are well pressed together.

7. Bake blind with weights or rice. (put a piece of baking paper over the pastry and put cooking weights or rice over it). Cook for 10 minutes and then remove paper, weights / rice and then cook for a further 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.

8. Combine the juices, sugar and cream in a bowl. Whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time until they are thoroughly mixed in. 

9. Pour the mixture in the pastry and bake until set. (The recipe says 25 minutes but in my oven at 180 degrees it took about an hour)

10. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Delicious with cream, ice cream or yoghurt.

Biscuit Fudge

Nice big thick slabs of biscuit fudge - well depending as to how you cut it!

Ingredients:

1 packet round wine biscuits

1 packet malt biscuits

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

250grams butter

2 eggs

2 cups of icing sugar

Method:

In a pot melt the butter with the cocoa powder.

Mix in the icing sugar and then the eggs.

When the butter and cocoa are melting crush your biscuits. Not too fine, this is nice with chunks of biscuit in it as the different biscuits give it a mottled effect when cut.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the crushed biscuits (easier to do this when it is hot - you do not have to wait for this to cool) and then mix until everything is coated.

Press into a container (I use a square cake tin as it makes the fudge deeper) and refirgerate until set.

Ice with chocolate icing if you like.

This recipe can also be made with just plain wine biscuits as opposed to using malt biscuits.

Fettucine Alfredo

Such an easy recipe and so delicious - only 4 ingredients!!!

Ingredients:

50gm butter

1 cup double cream

2/3 cup grated parmesan (I usually use a whole cup but I like cheese - also original recipe calls for fresh parmesan but I sometimes used the pre grated stuff in bags from the supermarket and it is just as good, 50gms is a nice amount from those bags)

350gm fettucine

Method:

Melt the butter, add the cream and bring to the boil.

Simmer for about five minutes whilst stirring continuously.

Add the grated parmesan cheese and some salt and pepper (if you want).

Turn off the heat.

Cook your pasta and drain it well.

Turn the heat back on under your cream to low and add the pasta, mixing carefully until it is all coated.

(I usually put the pasta in a bowl and pour the sauce all over then mix).

Serve straight away with extra cheese for people to add.

Additional hints:

I have cooked chicken to go in this (just chop and stirfry then add in when mixing in the sauce to the pasta) with mushrooms and also bacon with mushrooms. Add the mushrooms if you use them at the very end as they will taint the cream colour and make it brown / black.

This is also delicious with Salmon.

It can be quite heavy as a main (pasta with cream sauces can sit for a while in the belly) but it always seems lighter with a bit of green salad on the side.