Summer!

Yes, I know, it's been weeks, months even since my last post. Life happens. And that's a good thing. 

My gum paste sweet peas

We've been busy doing the Spring yard work, planting the flower and vegetable gardens. I've been carrying on with my Wilton cake decorating classes and about to finish up the last of the 4 courses. Really loving making the gum paste flowers.

Peas are blooming

I love this time of year because the local, berries and veg slowly start appearing at the market. We have enjoyed the asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb.The strawberries in our own small patch have started ripening this week and I've been having lots of salads with the lettuce & herbs from my deck planters. Won't be long now before we are eating peas from our garden.

Strawberries are ripening

When the early strawberries first appeared at the market I had to have a box. And while I enjoy the berries on their own or over ice cream I wanted to use them to put over cheesecake, one of B's favourite desserts. I've made quite a few cheesecakes over the years but find that making them in a 9" pan, well I can't let good cheesecake go to waste so it ends up going to my waist. So I got myself a 6" springform pan and began experimenting with recipes. The two I've tested are below. We get six small pieces from each cake, just enough to satisfy the craving but not so much as you're getting sick of it before it's halfway gone.

The Lemon Cheesecake can be made without the lemon zest of course and topped with whatever your imagination or available ingredients allow. 

B's youngest daughter recently returned from a 4 month teaching stint in Shanghai, China. She's a bit of a Nutella addict, well really, who isn't. Just before she returned, Costco had these huge 5 kg jars of Nutella for sale. I got one.



I made a couple batches of Nutella Brownies from MMMisForMommy's Blog, she got one of the giant jars too.  I decided to do a little experimenting today to see if I could adjust my cheesecake recipe to include Nutella....success.

So here are the two versions of my mini cheesecake experiments...enjoy.




Mini Lemon Cheesecake

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 2 Tbsp melted butter

• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place pan with water on lower grill in oven.
2. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 6-inch springform pan. Cut parchment paper to just cover bottom of pan and place in pan.
3. Mix graham cracker crumbs with 2 Tbsp of sugar and melted butter in a bowl until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of pan and place in fridge to set.
4. Mix flour, sour cream/yogurt, milk and vanilla extract in bowl. Set aside.
5. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
6. Add egg mix well.
7. Add lemon zest and sour cream mixture; mix until just incorporated.
8. Pour mixture into prepared springform pan.
9. Bake in the preheated oven the surface of the cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 35 minutes.
10. When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for 1 – 2 hours, this will help keep the cake from cracking.

Mini Nutella Cheesecake

• 1/2 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 2 Tbsp melted butter

• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place pan with water on lower grill in oven.
2. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 6-inch springform pan. Cut parchment paper to just cover bottom of pan and place in pan.
3. Mix graham cracker crumbs with 2 Tbsp of sugar and melted butter in a bowl until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of pan and place in fridge to set.
4. Mix flour, milk and vanilla extract in bowl. Set aside.
5. Beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended.
6. Add egg mix well.
7. Add Nutella and mix well.
8. Add flour & milk mixture, mix until just incorporated.
9. Pour mixture into prepared springform pan.
10. Bake in the preheated oven the surface of the cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 35 minutes.
11. When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for 1 – 2 hours, this will help keep the cake from cracking.