Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

In the Spring 2010 Food and Drink from the LCBO has so many great recipes in it. It was hard to choose which one to make first. Finally, I choose the Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes. I did not use the lemon tea biscuits, used graham cracker crumbs. These cupcakes are so good. The tart of the lemon curd with the cheesecake is a perfect match.

Lemon-Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 package Dare Simple Pleasures Lemon Social Tea Biscuits (make graham cracker crust)
3 tbsp. butter, melted
2 pkgs. cream cheese
1/2 cup extra fruit strawberry jam
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup lemon curd (recipe to follow)
6 perfect fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat over 375º

Line muffin tins with papers.

Place eggs in a small bowl; cover with hot tap water to temper. Set aside.

To prepare the tea biscuits; place in food processor and whirl until fine crumbs, makes about 1 cup.

Add melted butter until evenly coated.

Dividing equally into muffin tin, firmly press crumbs into bottoms of cups.
(Prepare graham cracker crust)

Wipe out food processor bowl.

Add cream cheese, eggs, jam, sugar and vanilla; whirl until combined.

Spoon batter into cups, fill to top.

Bake 20 minutes or until just set.

Cool on a rack.

Cover and store in frig until chilled.

To serve, top each with a dollop of lemon curd.

Slice a berry and place onto of lemon curd.

Makes 18 cupcakes

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

4 lemons
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter

Directions:

Squeeze 4 lemons to 3/4 cup juice.

Stir eggs with 1 cup sugar in small sauce pan.

whisk in juice

Add softened butter.

Whisk constantly over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until mixture darkens and thickens.

Do not boil.!

Remove from heat; place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd.

Cool until barely warm.

cover and refrigerate for a week or more, can be frozen for months.

Makes 2 cups.

Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter

Dan wanted apple pancakes. So, instead of just slicing the apples and putting them into the batter I sauteed the apples in butter, and made a cinnamon butter. This will be on the morning breakfast menu again.... :)

Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Butter

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Butter;

1/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/8 tsp. grated oranges
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and set aside.

Apple saute;

Peel and slice the apples of your choice, I used Macintosh
1tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 to 2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Melt butter in fry pan.
When bubbles form add apples.
When apples are golden turn over.
Add brown sugar and let this caramelize.
Remove from pan onto plate add cinnamon.
Mix lightly, let cool.

The pancake batter I used in my standby. The Best Buttermilk Pancakes.

Make the pancake batter of your choice or the one I use.
Add sauteed apples to batter and cook as described.
When ready to plate add a dollop of cinnamon butter onto the top.
Serve with maple syrup.
Enjoy!!!

Giant Honey and Oat Cookies

I have picked another cookie from Betty Crocker's Ultimate Cookie Book. This is a soft cookie with a lovely hint of honey in it. Would definitely make them again. I used the honey we bought from Hergott's Cider Mill.

Giant Honey and Oat Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup honey
3 egg whites
4 cups large flake oatmeal
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Grease cookie sheets
Mix sugar, butter, honey and egg whites in mixer bowl until combined.
Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by level 1/4 cupfuls about 3" apart onto cookie sheets.
Bake 11 to 14 minutes. Until edges are light brown.
Centers will be soft.
Cool on sheet for 3 minutes.
Remove sheet and place on cooling rack.
Store in air tight container.
Makes about 2 Dozen cookies.

Annie's Beautiful Buns and Bread

Dan has made this bread recipe a few times and it is the best bread recipe, ever. He has made it into a loaf of bread and buns. This recipe comes from Annie's Kitchen Garden. Annie makes this in a bread machine, which we do not have. If you want to use the bread machine Annie explains how to do it.

Home Style White Bread
Makes one loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup water (70 - 80 degrees)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine -- softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:
First proof the yeast in warm water.
In Kitchen-Aid mixer combine all dry ingredients with dough hook.
Add the yeast and butter to flour mixture.
Mix until it pulls away from bowl and forms a ball.
Knead for 5 to 10 minutes while kneading you may need to add more water or flour until it forms a ball.
Then let it rise in a warm spot, until doubled in size.
Then you punch it down and divide into buns.
Take smooth side down of buns in your hand, pull the sides into the center and pinch it.
Place in baking pan 9"X 9" and let rise.
Use egg wash on top and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Preheat oven to 400º, when you put the buns into oven turn down oven to 350º and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Blueberry cheesecake Shortbread Bars

Once again I have picked a recipe from 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes & More. This cookbook by Esther Brody is great, every time you look through it you find another recipe you would like to try. These bars were very good. We made the preserves with fresh (well frozen from last year) blueberries. They were cooked down to a jam like consistency .

Blueberry Cheesecake Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:

Base:

2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter

Topping:

2 pkg. (8oz./250g) cream cheese, softened
3/4 sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup blueberry preserves

Crumble Topping

Reserve about 1/4 cup of base.

Directions:

Preheat oven 350º
Grease 9 X 13" baking pan

Prepare base:

Reserve about 1/4 cup for crumble topping.

In a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar and salt.
Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.

Press this mixture into prepared baking pan, evenly.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Prepare topping:

In your mixer bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs one at a time until light and creamy.
Stir in vanilla.

Spread blueberry preserves over hot base.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the blueberry preserves.
Add reserved crumble base to top of blueberry preserves.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Place on rack to cool completely.
Cut into bars.
Cover and keep in frig.

Makes 36 bars.