Birthday Cheesecake with a Twist

Celebrations, Congratulations, Champagne wishes galore
Finally that special day, you’ve been waiting for
Birthday wishes, hugs and kisses, gifts especially for you
Just once a year this day we cheer and raise a glass to you.
21 again. How do you do it?
You certainly have a secret
I wish I knew it
Then I could (look as young) as you
Have (energy and vitality) too
Let’s raise a glass to you dear Judy
Bottoms up! Here’s to a Birthday Cheer!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDY AND WISH YOU MANY MORE!

Now, how better to celebrate your birthday with this show-stopping cheesecake, each slice dazzled with fun, festive chocolate and jelly bean toppings.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Cracker Crumbs
1/3 cup butter (at room temperature)
3 pkg. (200 gms each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

For the White Chocolate Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chopped white chocolate
2 tsps. Brandy

Coloured Jelly Beans for decoration/toppings

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix cracker crumbs and butter and press onto bottom of 13×9-inch spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with a hand beater. Add eggs one by one and mix until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 30 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours.
To make White Chocolate Brandy Sauce:
Place 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it doesn’t boil over. Pour hot cream over 2 cups of finely chopped white chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Add brandy and continue stirring until incorporated. Pour over chilled cheesecake.
Decorate with coloured Jelly Beans to make a colourful cake apt for the festive season.

Baked Cheesecake with Blueberries Sauce

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (unsalted) butter or margarine, melted
Filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (preferably Philadelphia Cheese)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
Dash of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Sauce:
2 cups frozen blueberries
2-4 Tbsp sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries (I used 2)
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp water

Method:
1. For the Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter, press into buttered 8 inch springform cake tin to form crust on bottom and sides.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add in lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, salt and vanilla.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake at 160 C for 35 minutes or until set.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature, and chill for 5 hours or more before serving.
6. For the Sauce: Place blueberries and sugar in a pan and heat until the blueberries release their juices. Combine cornstarch, juice, and water in a small bowl. Stir together until smooth.
Add the mixture to the pan and stir to mix completely. Bring mixture to boil for a few minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
7.When the cake is set, carefully remove the cake and slide onto a plate. Spoon the syrupy berries on top.

Cheese & Oregano Pull-Apart Bread

After a packed Thursday and Friday,  I woke up on a early Saturday morning and found that I had nothing much to do.  The boys were fast asleep,  so I decided to surprise them with this Parmesan and Oregano Pull-Apart Bread when they woke up.  “Is there a Pizza in the Oven” ? said Devon as soon as he was up… as there was a lovely aroma of freshly baked bread coming out from the kitchen.

I made a simple lunch of fish curry and rice…that’s up next folks; so watch this space.

So here you are…. Parmesan & Oregano Pull-Apart Bread……

Recipe :
Cheese               -              ½ cup grated
Oregano              -              2 teaspoons
Garlic               -              5 cloves-very finely minced/grated
Chillie flakes       -              1 teaspoon
Butter (Melted)  -              ¼ cup
Flour (Plain)         -              3-1/2 cups
1-1/4 cup             -              Milk  (room temperature)
Sugar                 -              2 teaspoons
Yeast                 -              2 teaspoons
Olive Oil             -              4 tablespoons
Garlic powder      -              2 teaspoons
Salt                   -              1-1/2 teaspoon

Take a small bowl add milk sugar and yeast.  Stir and keep it for 10 minutes till it is frothy.  (This is important, if no froth or bubbles form, your yeast is faulty/expired – so either start again or change the yeast).  Mix in olive oil after the yeast froths..stir and keep aside.

In another bowl, add the flour and the milk/yeast mixture.  Stir in garlic powder and salt and knead till a soft dough is formed.  If the dough is not soft…just wet your hands with a little water and knead till the dough is soft and elastic.  (The texture is like chappati dough).  Cover the kneaded dough with cling wrap and keep aside for 1-1-1/2 hour to rise.

In the meanwhile mix melted butter, herbs, chillie flakes and minced garlic and keep aside.  Grate the cheese and keep aside.

When the dough has risen, punch it back and knead again.  Then form lemon sized balls.  Take a bundt pan (or if you don’t have one, take a normal round cake pan and keep an aluminium mug in the center) and grease it lightly with olive oil.

Dunk the balls one by one in the butter/herb mixture,  lift with a fork, drain excess butter, and layer them in the bundt pan… don’t pack them too tightly – let there be some space in between.  Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese. Then put the second layer of dunked balls.  When it is completed just flatten them so that the level is more/less same.  Cover with a foil and keep aside for 10-15 minutes to rise just a bit.

Preheat oven to 175 deg. C /350 def. F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or till it is golden.  When done, remove from oven and brush all over with remaining butter/herb mixture.

When done, you can pull each bread separately.  Serve warm with tomato sauce or dip of your choice.

Macaroni and Cheese Bake

This is a Macaroni and Cheese Bake which is loved by my family.   I love the one with white sauce;  but they prefer the one with tomatoes and some spice.   Its easy and quick and thats something which everyone is game for.  So here it is….Macaroni and Cheese,  with tomatoes and chicken and……. now, now,  dont be lazy…………..go check the recipe out.

1 Packet (400 grams)  Elbow Macaroni, uncooked,  2 onions chopped,  1 each red, yellow and green capsicum,  250 grams boneless chicken,  1 cup tomato paste,  1 cup (or more)  pasta sauce,   1 can red kidney beans,   ½ cup mushrooms,  1 tablespoon red chilly powder (or bafat powder),   2 tomatoes chopped,   1 tin Kraft cheddar cheese grated (equal to 1 cup),  ½ cup mozzarella cheese,   spring onion, coriander leaves, few blobs of butter,  little oregano, salt and pepper powder,  few tablespoons of  bread crumbs.

Boil water in a large pan, add salt and when the water bubbles add Macaroni and cook till done.  Drain the water and add a blob of butter and toss with fork to ensure that Macaroni does not stick and are separate.    In a pan add either oil./butter and fry the onion, then add red, yellow and green capsicum and sauté for a few minutes.  Add just a pinch of salt, some oregano and pepper powder.  Then add to the Macaroni pan.  In the same pan, add chicken (which has been cut to tiny bits),  sauté the chicken till the water evaporates, then add chilly powder, salt and tomato paste.  Cook till chicken is done and transfer to Macaroni pan.   If required add more oil or butter to pan, then sauté chopped tomatoes,  spring onion and mushrooms and add to Macaroni pan.  Drain the kidney beans and rinse it of brine, if any.  Add to the Macaroni pan.  Add pasta sauce, grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese, coriander leaves.   Taste and add more seasoning if required.

Transfer to a  baking dish,   garnish with some shredded cheese, spring onions and bread crumbs and bake for 10-15 minutes till the cheese melts.

 Serve hot.   This quantity easily serves 6-8 people.

Chilled Strawberry Cheesecake

Shaly,  this  Strawberry Cheesecake is made specially for you on your birthday from the team of  “Bring On The Chef In You”.    It is unfortunate that you don’t get to taste it but only feast your eyes on it,   but worry not sweety,    some day, some place…we will make sure you have at least a bite .  Till then we taste it and add inches to our ever expanding waistlines ;). 

Shaly,  wishing you a day as special as you are,  with beautiful moments and happy surprises to cherish all through the year.    Lots of love and hugs from  us,   Sylvia, Joyce and Judy.  

Recipe :

10-12 ladyfinger biscuits – spread on a spring-form pan (for the base).   For the cheesecake – 4 /5 cups of yogurt,  ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons gelatin,  2 cups cream, 1 teaspoon strawberry essence.

Hang yogurt  in a muslin cloth for a few hours or overnight.  Discard the whey.   Beat the yogurt with powdered sugar till smooth and light.  Keep aside.  Sprinkle the gelatin over 4 tablespoons water and melt on low heat stirring continuously.  Do not let it boil; remover from fire and cool for 4-5 minutes to room temperature.   Add the melted gelatin to the yogurt mixture and stir till well mixed.   Beat cream till light peaks form.   Fold to the yogurt mixture.  Add strawberry essence and chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.  Pour over the biscuit base and allow to set in the refrigerator, covered with a foil. 

For the Strawberry Glaze :   1 cup strawberries,  1 cup water, ½ cup sugar,  ½ teaspoon strawberry essence,  1 teaspoon gelatin (mix with 1 tablespoon warm water).    Put the strawberries, water and sugar in a small vessel and heat till the sugar is melted and the strawberries are mushy.  Add ½ teaspoon of strawberry essence and the gelatin mixture.   Mix and heat till you get a shiny glaze.

Unmould the Cheesecake from the Spring-form pan after it is set and spoon the glaze over it.  Cut into neat wedges and serve chilled.