Showing posts with label desserts.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desserts.. Show all posts

Friday, 22 July 2011

Key Lime Cheesecake

Citrus fruits are readily available during any season. A lime dessert is a refreshing change and combines well with chocolate and strawberries to reflect elegance.


Crust:


1 cup / 250 ml graham wafer crumbs


¼ cup / 60 ml melted butter


¼ cup / 60 ml brown sugar



Filling:


1 cup / 250 ml lime juice – 3 or 4 limes


¼ cups / 60 ml water


2 Tbsp / 30 ml unflavored gelatin


1 ½ cups / 375 ml sugar


5 large eggs, beaten


1 Tbsp / 15 ml grated lime rind


½ cup / 125 ml butter


2 – 8oz / 250gm pkg cream cheese


1 cup / 250 ml whipping cream



Garnish:


½ cup / 125 ml whipping cream


½ Tbsp / 7 ml instant vanilla pudding powder


Lime slices and chocolate curls and stawberries to decorate.



Combine crust ingredients and press onto bottom of a 9” / 22cm spring form pan. Set aside.


In a medium saucepan, combine lime juice, water and gelatin. Allow to soften for one minute. Then add sugar, beaten eggs and grated lime rind. Place on stove and heat, stirring constantly until mixture just comes to a boil. Mixture should not boil. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and the cream cheese together until creamy. Gradually beat in the hot lime mixture until blended. Refrigerate until cool. In a small bowl, beat 1cup / 250 ml whipping cream until stiff. Fold into cooled lime mixture and pour into spring form pan which has been lined with strips of parchment paper. Cover and chill overnight.


Before serving remove the cake from the pan.


To decorate: Whip the cream with the pudding. Make rosettes on the cake and use lime slices, chocolate curls or melted chocolate and sliced strawberries as a special touch. Serves 10 – 12.

Monday, 21 March 2011

Pumpkin Ginger Loaves

Pumpkin reminds us of autumn when the pumpkins are mature and plentiful; but since we have access to canned pumpkin, we can enjoy desserts, pies, cheesecakes and pumpkin loaves all year round. Adding orange zest gives these loaves a slight citrus flavor. This recipe is not in the From Oma's Kitchen cookbook.

3 cups/ 750ml all-purpose flour

½ Tbsp/ 7ml baking soda

½ Tbsp/ 7ml baking powder

1 tsp/ 5ml salt

1 tsp/ 5ml cinnamon

1 tsp/ 5ml cloves

1 tsp/ 5ml ginger

¾ cup/ 157ml butter, softened

1 ½ cups/ 375ml sugar

3 eggs

1 ¾ / 400ml canned pumpkin (1can -14oz/398ml)

1 ½ Tbsp/ 22ml orange zest (2 large oranges)

2 tsp/ 10ml vanilla

1 cup/ 250ml orange juice

Candied ginger for decorating (optional)

Icing – 1 ½ cups/ 375ml icing sugar

3 Tbsp/ 45ml milk or cream

Preheat oven to 325F/ 160C. Grease 4 small loaf pans.

In a med. Bowl sift together first seven ingredients. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time; stir in pumpkin puree, orange zest and vanilla. Stir in orange juice. Add dry ingredients gradually, blend just until incorporated. Spoon this batter into loaf pans. Bake @ 325F /160C for 45 to 50 min. until a toothpick inserted into loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 min., remove from pans, ice and decorate with crystallized ginger. Enjoy!