Blueberry Cheesecake Single Serve - Low Carb!

We've been a bit of a healthy train at our house and trying to eat a bit more low-carb.  This recipe has been my go-to for when I want something a little sweet.  And did I mention you can make it in the microwave? You can omit the coconut flour if you want - but I like the body it gives the cheesecake.  If you choose to omit it, the cheesecake will be a little bit more soft.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Serves 1 (or 2 if you want to share . . .just sayin')

Ingredients:

2 Ounces Cream Cheese

1/3 Cup Fresh Blueberries

1-2 Packettes of Stevia (depending on your pallet)

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon 1/2 and 1/2 or Milk

1 Tablespoon Coconut Flour

Step 1:  In a large coffee mug, add blueberries and slightly mash with a fork.  Add the cream cheese, stevia, vanilla, butter and milk.  

Step 2:  Microwave for 1 minute.  Stir until well combined.  Add in the coconut flour and stir well.  Microwave another 30 seconds.  

Step 3:  Place in fridge to cool for about 1/2 hour.  Serve cold.  

Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake Mousse

This is pure decadence.  You will be tempted to eat the entire batch.  No doubt on that.  This mousse is made with cream cheese and Oreos and whipped topping and everything that makes life awesome!!!!  Okay, well . . .maybe not everything that makes life awesome.  Just almost everything.  Make this now.  Just do it.

This recipe is an original from here.  This lady is phenomenal.  She has one of my most favorite blogs.  

Cookies 'n Cream Cheesecake Mousse

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 - 8 Ounce Block Cream Cheese, softened

1/3 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Marshmallow Fluff

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

8 Ounces Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed

15 Oreo Cookies

Maraschino Cherries for Garnish

Instructions:

Step 1:  Take 6 Oreos and set them aside - they will be used for garnish.  With the remaining 9 Oreos, break them up into about four pieces each and set aside.  

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar.  Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Step 2:  Add in the marshmallow fluff and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

Step 3:  Add in the broken-up Oreos and mix until combined.  

Step 4:  Add in the whipped topping and beat until creamy and smooth.

Step 5:  Distribute the mousse between 6 dessert dishes.  Garnish with a whole Oreo and a maraschino cherry.  Serve immediately.

If you wish to make ahead, do not garnish until you serve it.  Cover the mousse tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Pistachio Cheescake

Still looking for a fabulous dessert for the upcoming holiday?  This may be it.  It is rich, creamy and absolutely divine.  Original recipe can be found here.  I changed up the crust, but the filling is the same in my version.  Yum.

Pistachio Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1.5 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (approx. 1 sleeve, crushed)

1/3 Cup Sugar

4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

Filling:

20 Oz. Cream Cheese, Softened

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1/4 Teaspoon Almond Extract

4 Eggs

1 (3.4-oz.) Pkg. Instant Pistachio Pudding and Pie Filling Mix

1 (12-oz.) Pkg. (2 cups) White Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup chopped shelled pistachios (optional) - I did not use them

Topping:

Whipped Cream, for serving

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the graham crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar and butter in a bowl.  Once well combined, press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake for 1 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  As well, once removed from the oven - decrease the oven temp to 325 degrees.

Step 2:  For the filling, in the bowl of a mixer - combine the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar.  Beat until well combined.  Next, add the almond extract and sour cream.  Beat until smooth.  Now, add the eggs one at a time.  Continue to mix until the egg is well blended into the batter before adding the next egg.  Once all eggs are added, add the pistachio pudding dry mix and continue to mix until well combined.  Then, add in the white chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Step 3:  Wrap the springform pan in tinfoil (this will prevent leaking as well as help the cake to bake evenly).  Pour the batter into the pan and top with pistachios if using.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes (until sides of cheesecake are set and slightly puffed but center still moves slightly when pan is tapped).  Once removed from the oven, remove discard the tinfoil and cool the cheesecake in pan on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Step 4:  To serve, remove from pan by running a butter knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan.  Removes the sides of pan, slice and serve with whipped cream on top.

Enjoy!!

Pineapple & Cream Cheese Upside Down Cake

First things first:  I love holiday meals desserts.  I always find myself planning out the dessert first . . .and then the meal afterwards.  And truth be told, it was my hubby who found this luscious recipe from Dole. He was perusing the Sunday paper circulars and in the coupon section - there it was.  A coupon, a recipe, and a fabulous picture . . .

And yes, the above picture is from the Dole website.  I would have totally taken a picture of the one I made, but my camera is on the fritz.  I think that it's time to buy a new camera (any recommendations?!?)  BUT - the recipe did truly turn out like the photo above.  I was skeptical at first . . really, are the layers going to look that great?  And yes, they really did.  

Man, now that I am blogging about this, I really could go for a piece of this cake.  Except, it's all gone.  :(  It was that good . . .it disappeared quickly.  

And now for the actual recipe (as printed by Dole):

Pineapple & Cream Cheese Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup (Unsalted) Butter, melted

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 Can (20 oz) of Dole Pineapple Slices, drained

7 or 8 Maraschino Cherries (stems removed)

1 pkg (9 oz) Yellow Cake - plus the ingredients to prepare it

2 pkgs (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg (3 oz) JELL-O Brand Lemon-Flavored Gelatin

2 Eggs

Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray 9-inch cake pan or spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray.  If using a spring form pan, wrap foil around the bottom.

Step 2:  Stir together melted butter and brown sugar in pan.   Place 7 or 8 pineapple slices in sugar mixture.  Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice; cut remaining 2 slices of pineapple in half and place decoratively around slice in center of the pan.

Step 3:  Prepare cake mix according to the package directions (if using cake mix larger than 9 oz., a 10 or 12-inch pan is recommended).  Pour half cake batter evenly over pineapple.  Beat cream cheese, lemon gelatin and eggs in bowl of an electric mixer until smooth.  Spread cream cheese mixture gently over cake mix.  Pour remaining cake mix over cheese cake in pan.

Step 4:  Bake 65 to 75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Step 5:  Cool 5 minutes.  Loosen edges and turn out onto serving platter.

Reflections:  I made this recipe exactly as it states above.  Reflecting back, there are a few things I would suggest doing differently:

* Prepare your cake batters first and then set them aside.  After that, proceed with the brown sugar/butter and pineapple step.In the time it took me to make the yellow cake batter, spread 1/2 in the pan and then prepare the cheesecake batter etc etc - my brown sugar/butter started to leak out of the pan.  I was a little disappointed in losing some of that caramelly goodness!  

* The recipe says to "cut remaining 2 slices of pineapple in half and place decoratively around slice in center of the pan".  With my spring-form pan, there was no extra space - so I didn't do that.  However, in hindsight, I realize that the pineapple shrinks up a bit  when baking.  So, if you can wedge those pieces in there - you won't regret it!

* I know my oven temp is off by about 3-5 degrees.  And my spring-form pan is dark-coated, but it took me almost 90 minutes to bake this cake.  Granted, it was well worth the wait!  Be sure to plan-in that extra time (don't be thinking this will be baked in 65 minutes and then run off to pick up the kiddo from hockey).  Be sure to "toothpick" check the doneness and keep baking as needed.

* Experiments to Try:  as my husband oooooooh'd and awwwwwwww'd eating this wonderful leftover cake on Easter Monday, we had a few thoughts.  That's us - always thinking of the next cake :)  

What if you . . .

- replaced the water in the cake mix ingredients with the pineapple juice

- Somehow added coconut to this recipe.  We are at a controversy here:  hubby says that using coconut extract in the cream cheese batter would be best.  I think that adding unsweetened, shredded coconut into the yellow cake batter would be awesome.   Or, could you somehow use coconut milk in the recipe?  There is definitely room for experimentation here! 

- And then, what if we experimented with different flavors altogether different?  Could this method be used for other cake combinations?  I was pondering the possibilities this week when I wandered over to Jo and Sue's blog - only to find they did a Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting.   I wonder if this method combined with that carrot cake would work?  Oh the possibilities!