The Diva Says Cheesecake!

• Always bake it the day before serving. Cheesecake needs time to set up properly.

• Some cheesecakes will crack. They still taste great. If necessary, hide the crack with whipped cream or berries.

• The water bath will be very hot when you remove it from the oven. Make sure no children or pets are underfoot in case you spill some.

• When using a water bath, do not skimp on aluminum foil. Wrap it very tight so water cannot seep in.

Egg Muffins

Oil for greasing the cupcake pan
8 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
½ cup red pepper, cut fine

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease the cupcake wells generously with oil.

Break the eggs into a bowl.* Add the salt, garlic powder, and pepper and whisk well. Stir in the cheese and red pepper. Divide between the 12 cupcake wells. Bake 8–10 minutes or until the centers begin to set. They should not brown. They will inflate in the oven and collapse as they cool.

*Krista’s hint: Use a bowl with a spout (like a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup) instead of a plain bowl. Then you can pour the egg mixture into the cupcake wells. Use a spoon to distribute any remaining cheese or red pepper.

Baked Potatoes on the Grill

These are the easiest thing in the world.

Russet potatoes
Unsalted Butter
Salt

Wash and dry russet potatoes. Rub generously with unsalted butter. Sprinkle with salt. Wrap in aluminum foil. Grill 55–60 minutes. Remove with a potholder or tongs and allow to rest for a few minutes. They’re hot! Unwrap and serve with your favorite baked potato toppings.

Veggie Kabobs

2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard (not powder)
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 small or average size yellow summer squash
1 red pepper
1 cup cremini mushrooms
6 stalks of asparagus

If using wood skewers, soak them.

Crush and peel the garlic. In a bowl large enough to accommodate your vegetables, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Whisk together and add the garlic. Try to cut the vegetables the same size. Slice rounds of the squash. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and discard. Slice the remaining pieces about 1½ inches long. Cut the red pepper into 1½-inch squares, and snap the stems off the mushrooms. Lay squash, red pepper, mushrooms, and asparagus in bowl of marinade and toss. Marinate for a minimum of half an hour. Thread soaked skewers with pieces of squash, red pepper, mushrooms, and asparagus. Grill until tender, roughly 15 minutes depending on the heat and placement.

Alternatively, you can roast them in the oven. Preheat to 400° F. Place the skewers in a pan and slide into the oven. You can also skip the skewers and spread the vegetables in a single layer on a pan. Roast about 25–30 minutes or until tender.

Very Berry Coolers

4 cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
4 ounces vodka
4 ounces peach schnapps
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries

Place water, sugar and lemon juice in a pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Allow to cool. Place eight blueberries and eight blackberries (note that you can swap berries depending on what is available) in a bowl and crush. (If you want, you can put them through a sieve.) Then place them in a pitcher and add the sugar water, vodka, and peach schnapps. Add a few more berries to each glass and pour the lemonade over them. Garnish with a split strawberry on the rim of each glass.

Mushroom & Havarti Cheese Omelet

(Ingredients are for one omelet.)

Canola oil
3 large eggs
⅓ cup shredded Havarti cheese
1 cooked mushroom, sliced

Use an immersion blender to whisk the eggs (or whisk very vigorously in a bowl).

Pour oil into a 9-inch skillet. Heat on medium-high until the oil shimmers. Pour the eggs into the pan and rotate the pan in a circle. Keep rotating the pan to spread the eggs. When the edges set, flip the omelet and cook for 30 seconds. Flip again and fill with the Havarti and mushrooms. Fold one side of the omelet over and serve.

Chocolate Cheesecake with Mousse

Make this a day before you plan to serve it.

You will need:
1 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
1 roasting/baking pan in which the springform pan fits.
Aluminum foil.

Chocolate Crust

8 honey graham crackers
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter the bottom and sides of the springform pan.

Melt the butter. Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine. Add cocoa powder and sugar and blend. While running, add the butter. Remove and press into the bottom of the springform pan. Bake 10–12 minutes.

Chocolate Cheesecake Filling

1¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 8-ounce packs of cream cheese (full fat), room temperature
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream

Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. If you have any lumps, then put the mixture through a sieve.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy, then on low, add the sugar mixture and beat, scraping the bowl as necessary.

On medium speed, beat in the egg, the vanilla, and the cream until nicely blended. But do not overmix.

Tightly wrap the bottom and side of the springform pan in aluminum foil so no water will leak into the cheesecake. Pour the mixture into the springform pan. Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in the roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water halfway up the side of the springform pan. Slide into the oven and bake about 70 minutes. The center should barely jiggle. Take it out of the oven and remove from the water bath. It’s okay if it cracked. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Mousse Layer

2 large egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together the egg yolks. Heat ½ cup of the cream to a simmer. Spoon a tablespoon of the hot cream into the egg yolks while whisking, to temper them. Add another spoon of the hot cream and continue to whisk. Add the yolks to the remainder of the hot cream and, whisking constantly, bring the mixture to 160 degrees. It should have thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they are melted. Cool completely.

When the chocolate mixture is completely cool, beat the remaining ½ cup of heavy cream until it begins to take shape. Add the vanilla and beat. Fold into the chocolate mixture and spread on the cheesecake.

Refrigerate cheesecake overnight.

Optional:

Nuts

Sweetened whipped cream

Decorate by sprinkling chopped nuts around the edge of the top. If you like, you can pipe 12 whipped cream rosettes evenly spaced on top of the nuts.

Blackberry No-Bake Cheesecake

This is a lovely, creamy, not overly sweet cheesecake for hot days.

9 graham crackers (one pack)
½ cup butter, melted + 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan
2 cups (around 12 ounces) blackberries, plus some for decorating
⅔ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 8-ounce packs) cream cheese
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. You can use parchment paper around the sides if you like.

Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until fine. While it’s running, pour in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and set aside. Wipe the bowl and blade of the food processor clean.

Cut cream cheese into 8 chunks and place in food processor.

Place sugar and cornstarch in a heavy bottomed pot and stir with a whisk to blend and get rid of chunks. Do not heat yet. Add 2 tablespoons of water and whisk to combine.

Wash the blackberries and pour them onto double paper towels so they won’t be soggy. Add to the pot with the sugar mixture. Cook on medium high, stirring constantly, until they bubble. Turn the heat down and simmer, stirring, for 1½ minutes. Pour through a sieve into the food processor on top of the cream cheese. Pulse four or five times, then push on and mix together until no white spots show.

Whip the cream until it begins to take shape. Beat to a soft peak.

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese ⅓ at a time until mixed. Pour into prepared springform pan and refrigerate overnight. To serve, loosen the sides with a slim knife if necessary, and remove from the pan. Decorate with blackberries.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Sauce

Use 9.5 or 10-inch pie pan.

I bake this once a year at Thanksgiving. The top will crack, but that’s okay. You will hide it with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9–10 sheets)
⅓ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers, sugar, and cinnamon until fine. Add the butter and pulse. Pat into the pie pan. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie Filling

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature or softened
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

teaspoon cloves
2 cups pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 275° F. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Add the sugar. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl and stir with a fork to mix and eliminate any lumps. Mix into the filling. Add the pumpkin and the vanilla. Beat. Scrape down the sides and beat one more time. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake one and one-half hours until the middle doesn’t wobble.

Caramel Sauce

½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

Place ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. (I use a Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup.) Microwave in short bursts from 20–50 seconds, stirring each time until it bubbles up and is hot. Set aside to cool.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the cream. When it begins to take shape, add the sugar and the vanilla. Beat until it holds a soft peak.

Assembly:

Slice the pie. Place a dollop of whipped cream on each piece. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Strawberry Butter

Use this on pancakes, French toast, biscuits, or plain toast for a morning treat.

½ cup large strawberries
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened

Using a food processor or an immersion blender, crush the strawberries. Add the sugar and mix. Add the butter and mix.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one week in a jar. It can also be frozen.

Japanese Cheesecake

Makes one 8-inch cheesecake.

Japanese Cheesecake is quite different from American cheesecakes. It is more like a very light cake with a cream cheese flavor. It is not difficult to make, however, as you will notice, it requires several reductions of heat so make sure you carve out enough time to baby it.

You will need:
8-inch springform pan
Parchment paper
A roasting/baking pan in which the springform pan fits
Aluminum foil

For the cheesecake:

8 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, plus enough to grease the springform pan
½ cup whole or 2% milk
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 egg yolks

For meringue:

4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅓ cup sugar
Powdered sugar or whipped cream and fruit to decorate
(optional)

Grease the springform pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil so water will not leak into it. Have a large baking pan ready for the water bath. Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Pour water in the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a boil. Cut the cream cheese into 8 pieces and melt in the top of the double boiler, whisking until it is creamy. Add the butter and whisk it into the cream cheese while it melts. Remove the pan from the heat.

Adding one ingredient at a time, whisk in the milk, ⅓ cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and four egg yolks. Set aside.

Whip the egg whites slowly at first. When they foam, add the cream of tartar. Continue whipping at a higher speed. When they begin to take shape, add the ⅓ cup sugar a little at a time. Whip until you get soft peaks. Do not overbeat.

Gently fold ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture into the egg whites. When they are combined, fold in the next ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture. When they are combined, fold in the final third.

Pour into the prepared springform pan. Rap the pan on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Place the springform pan in the baking pan and add hot water to ½ the height of the springform pan.

Bake at 325° F. for 20 minutes.

Lower the heat to 285° F. and bake for 40 minutes.

Turn the oven off. Leave door closed for 30 minutes.

Using a cake tester, test near the center. If the tester comes out clean—yay! If not, then bake 15 minutes longer at 285° F.

Take the cake pan out of the water bath and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan to cool down. Refrigerate overnight and serve the following day. Serve plain, with whipped cream and fruit, or dust with powdered sugar.

Pear Helene

Makes four servings.

Using the right pears is one of the difficult parts of this recipe. They have to be soft, but still firm enough to cut out the core. Hard pears simply will not work. Leave the stems intact and if you are lucky enough to have a leaf, leave it on the stem and treat it well.

The other difficult part is carving the core out of the bottom of the pear. The softer the pear, the easier this task will be. I found it useful to use a poultry knife and a very slender grapefruit spoon.

Select a pot in which your pears just fit standing up. If your pot is too large you will have to use more simmering liquid.

Originally, I planned this as an authentic French Pear Helene in which the pear is simmered in lemon water and served with a dark chocolate sauce. But my taster hated it! So this is my version of a Pear Helene, and it’s quite tasty. If this is too much work but you want some of the flavor and concept, you can create a mock Pear Helene by using canned pear halves and store-bought chocolate sauce.

For the pears:

4 Bosc or red pears
2 cups Triple Sec
water

For chocolate sauce:

½ cup heavy cream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ tablespoon butter

For serving:

Vanilla ice cream

Pears:

Peel the pears but do not remove the stem. They are meant to stand up. Cut off the very bottom so they can stand on their own. Then, using a small spoon and a thin knife, remove the seeds and the core through the bottom.

Place the pears in the pan (I used one with a 6–7 inch diameter). Add the triple sec and a bit of water as needed to cover them to just below the stem. Simmer until they can be pierced easily with a fork or a thin knife. Do not overcook! They need to remain intact.

They should be refrigerated in the poaching liquid until you are ready to serve them. They can easily stay overnight in the liquid and be served the next day.

Chocolate sauce:

Place cream, chocolate chips, and pinch of salt in a small pan but do not bring to a boil! Stirring constantly, melt the chocolate chips over medium heat. Add the vanilla and butter. Stir until the butter has melted and all is combined.

Assembly:

To serve, place a pear on the dessert plate. Next to it, place a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Ladle the chocolate sauce over the pear.