Individual peach and amaretti cheesecakes

Individual peach and amaretti cheesecakes. Fresh peaches placed on a layer of decadent cheesecake filling and a distinctive almond-flavoured crust offer that wow-factor every host is looking for. The ramekin-sized portions make it easy for guests to enjoy while standing at a backyard party or elegant enough for a sit-down dinner. Photo Courtesy/GEOFF GEORGE

Filling
1/2 lb cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 lb mascarpone at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and crushed

Garnish
2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced for decorating
sugar

Heat the oven to 350 F and place oven rack in centre position.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix cookie crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar and flour. Divide crumb mixture evenly among eight ramekins, about 2 tbsp each, pressing into bottoms. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for eight minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 F.

With a mixer or a wooden spoon, combine the cream cheese and mascarpone.

Add sugar, beat in eggs one at a time and mix until smooth. Add the crushed peaches to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Divide mixture evenly among each ramekin spooning cream cheese filling on top of cooled crusts.

Place the cheesecakes in a bain Marie (see note below) filled with about one-inch of hot water. Bake for 50 minutes then turn off oven, leaving the cheesecakes inside with the door slightly ajar for one hour. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight before serving.

For serving, decorate with thin slices of peeled peaches, sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a torch, as per preparing a creme brulee.

Tip
This recipe also adapts to an eight-inch springform pan. Be sure to wrap the pan with a double layer of tin foil to avoid any liquid entering the cheesecake. Bake the cheesecake for one hour then turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside the oven with the door slightly ajar for one hour. Refrigerate at least two hours, or overnight before serving.

Note
A bain Marie is the French term for water bath. It means to place a container of food in a large, shallow pan of warm water, which surrounds the food with gentle heat.

 The food may be cooked in this manner either in an oven or on top of a range. This technique is designed to cook delicate dishes such as custards, sauces and savory mousses without breaking or curdling them. It can also be used to keep cooked foods warm.

~ Recipe courtesy of www.ontariotenderfruit.com

Strawberry yogurt cream pie
1 cup cream cheese (light)
1 cup strawberry yogurt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp unsweetened gelatin
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups strawberries, thinly sliced
3/4 cup graham cracker pie crust

In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the yogurt, honey and vanilla.

In a saucepan, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of water and leave to soften for one minute. Then stir over low heat to dissolve the gelatin.

Stir the gelatin and the remaining water into the cheese mixture.

Carefully blend in half the sliced strawberries and pour into the pie crust. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Top the pie with the remaining strawberries just before serving.

~ Recipe courtesy of Yoplait Yoptimal immuni+ Strawberry yogurt

Very berry cake

4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
750 g container vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
2 cups fresh or frozen, not thawed, raspberries
1/4 cup flaked almonds

In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar at maximum speed for five minutes.

Using a whisk, gently stir in yogurt and vanilla. Sift flour over mixture little by little, whisking to avoid lumps. Delicately fold in berries. Pour into nine-inch greased, floured springform pan.

Sprinkle almonds over top.

Bake at 350 F until it is evenly golden brown, about 75 to 90 minutes.

Chill, remove from pan and serve.

~ Recipe courtesy of News Canada

Mixed berry almond crisp

This is so delicious and so easy. Cook it on the barbecue if you don't want to put the oven on. Amaretti cookies are an Italian almond-flavoured hard cookie available in some grocery or bulk food and Italian stores. This is great for dessert, breakfast or brunch. Serve over ice cream or frozen yogurt if desired.

2 cups each of blueberries and raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp grated orange rind
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled amaretti cookies or almond crunch cookies
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a nine-inch square cake pan or eight-cup shallow casserole dish, combine blueberries and raspberries.

Mix sugar with orange rind; toss with berries.

In small bowl, mix cookie crumbs, almonds, butter and cinnamon; sprinkle over berries.

Bake in 400 F oven for eight minutes or until fruit is just warmed through and topping starts to brown. Serve warm.

Tips

To coarsely crush cookies, place in a paper or plastic bag and crush with rolling pin.

Recipe can be easily halved, but cook for the same time.

To cook on the barbecue, use a foil pan or line outside of metal pan with foil; bake, covered, on high just until fruit is warmed throughout, eight to 10 minutes.

Ever-bearing strawberries can be substituted for raspberries.

Variation
Substitute granola for cookie crumbs. Add 1/2 tsp almond extract to butter mixture.

Nutritional information: one serving
Protein: 5 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Carbohydrates: 14 grams
Calories: 280
High source of fibre

Strawberry colada cheesecake
Cool and refreshing and perfect for a summer day. What's cheesecake without sweet strawberries?

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp water

Cheesecake
2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping
2 tbsp each sugar, lime juice, rum and shredded coconut
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Crust
Stir crumbs with butter and water until evenly moistened. Press onto bottom of nine-inch springform pan, creating a slight upward slope at the side. In 350 F oven, bake for 10 minutes; set aside to cool.

Cheesecake
In a large bowl using electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar until well-blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon juice, almond extract and vanilla. Pour over crust.

Bake in 350 F oven just until set and golden brown around edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Topping
Combine sugar, lime juice, rum and coconut. Stir in sliced strawberries; allow to stand at room temperature for one hour to blend flavours. Spoon over wedges of plain cheesecake.

~ Recipes courtesy of Foodland Ontario