Decadent Raspberry Cheesecake

 

Oh, the decadence of this gorgeous cheesecake was just overwhelming ! It was birthday week here at the Grey Cottage. Our lovely daughter-in-law had a birthday on Monday and Silent Bob had his birthday on Saturday. Bookend celebrations ! We opted to choose Friday evening to celebrate over a dinner here, so I was tasked with creating a super duper cake. Since traditional birthday cake is not Brianne's fave, I opted for this special cheesecake. Super rich filling that has Grand Marnier added to it, a crust that is graham cracker and ground pecans, and perfect fresh raspberries over top a thick raspberry jelly smear. It was picture perfect with a final dusting of confectioner's sugar ! 

IHCC - Hello There, Donna Hay!

This week, the I Heart Cooking Club welcomes a new chef to the rolls! Hello there, Donna Hay! 

But first ...

This is a chai-spiced cheesecake. It will be served with a warm sauce of cooked apple bits, apple cider and allspice.  I got the apples when we went to Norway Hill Orchards in Hancock, New Hampshire this morning ... the trees were loaded and the picking was so easy. We picked Cortlands ... and knoshed a couple Macouns that were 'drops' from a neighboring row of trees.

Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Swirls

Mmmmm! Summertime cheesecakes with berry syrups are here! I made this cheesecake for our weekend blueberry picking party and it was so well-received that I never got a chance to have a piece ... so today, I made another one!

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake

Every once in a while, I take a trip down memory lane. I have a huge bag of clippings, recipe cards, notes from friends, and magazine articles that all have foods that I've made and loved. The collection goes back over the thirty-plus years of my married life and come to think of it, even farther. It goes back to the college years when I first got an apartment with a bunch of wild young women. In those days, we would have parties on Friday nights that always began with pans of lasagna or big pots of chicken soup or dueling crockpots of stews and chilis. Then there would be some easy dessert left on the counter or pulled from the fridge. The first time I made this easy cheesecake was for one of those Friday night debauchery scenes.

An Easter Cheesecake ... with Blueberry Sauce

I'm making cheesecake today!

Cranberry Almond Cheesecake

It's almost Valentine's Day and I've been casting around for a yummy dessert that is a bit different, but has the obligatory red/pink theme going on in honor of Cupid. I think I might have hit on something. This is a nice twist on the cheesecake that I have always used - a cream cheese-based cake that is lemon-y and smooth. This cake, though, has almonds folded into the cheesecake batter to add a bit of a crunch, which I think is very cool. Since I'm making it for a friend who needs gluten-free foods, I'll be using GF gingersnap cookies for the lower crust. The beauty of this dessert is that I'll be able to make it way ahead of time, leaving time to concentrate on the dinner's main course. I still haven't decided on that... stay tuned. It's shaping up to be a nice little Valentine's Day dinner party, though!

Here's hoping that you have a fun day too! I'm casting around for a 'romantic' flick to add to the evening's entertainment... kind of  a 'dinner and a movie' theme. Any ideas?