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Mango Mini Cheesecakes

By on June 18, 2009 in Desserts, Recipes

We’ve been getting mangoes in our Greenling box for a while now, and I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to pair it with ginger (I love pairing fruit with ginger, as evidenced by my cranberry-ginger sorbet). Plus, given that I have very recently found the inserts to my mini-cheesecake pan, I’ve had a hankering to make mini cheesecakes. Perfect — I’d use mango in the cake batter and ginger in the crust. It was settled.

I found a number of recipes for mini cheesecakes online and most of them didn’t call for a water bath. I had debated on and off about using one, but eventually decided not to. Using a water bath allows you to better regulate the temperature of the cake, thereby preventing cracks, but as I was garnishing the top with chocolate shavings anyway, I didn’t really care. Plus, I always manage to splash the top of my cake batter with the water.

I want to say that this recipe yields 24 mini cheesecakes, but I make pretty thick crusts, so I think for me it would only yield ~18 cheesecakes. I only made 1 batch (12 cheesecakes) and I had a ton left over.

You can adapt this recipe to fit a large springform pan, but if I’ve motivated you to bake minis and you need a mini-cheesecake pan, I purchased mine from Williams Sonoma about 2 years ago. I’m not sure if they still have it, but if they don’t and you’re in the market for one, make sure you get one with a non-stick surface (making for easy clean-up) and with removable inserts in the bottoms of the cups (making it easy to remove the cheesecakes from the pan).

Adapted from Cake on the Brain

Ingredients:
For the crust:

  • Pam spray
  • 8 graham crackers, crushed (yields ~1 c.)
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. butter, melted (The original recipe called for 2 Tbsp. butter, but the crust just didn’t have the right consistency. I’ll probably add another Tbsp. for a total of 4 next time.)
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • Pinch of salt

For the batter:

  • 16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • Puree of 1 large mango, yielding ~3/4 c. (for best results, puree with a food mill)
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • Pinch of salt

For the garnish:

  • I used bittersweet chocolate shavings, but a bit of chopped mango or candied ginger would be nice also.

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the inserts in the mini-cheesecake pan and spray each cup with Pam spray. Set the pan aside.
  • Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Add ~1 tsp. of the mixture (I used ~1.5 tsp. because I like crust) into each cup of the pan. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the cup with the back of a teaspoon or your fingers.
  • Bake the crusts for ~10 minutes (took closer to 12 minutes for me), or until they have browned and baked together.
  • Set aside on a rack to cool.
  • Reduce the heat to 300 degrees.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on low speed for ~2 minutes until it’s smooth.
  • Increase the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time and mango. Blend until the mango and eggs are fully incorporated.
  • Add the heavy cream and mix until fully incorporated.
  • Add the sugar and salt and mix until fully incorporated. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Pour the batter into the cups on top of the crusts. Bake for ~20 minutes (mine actually took 23 minutes) until the batter has set (it may still be a bit jiggly). Set aside on a rack to cool, then keep in the fridge for at least 2 hours before attempting to remove the mini cheesecakes form the pan.
  • When they’re fully cooled, remove the cheesecakes from the pan by pushing them straight up with your fingers. Remove the insert from the bottom of the crust and garnish the top of the cheesecake before serving.

Verdict: These were actually pretty light and fluffy instead of a dense mass of cheesecake, which I was really excited about. The mango worked beautifully in the recipe and turned the batter a beautiful shade of light yellow, while the ginger gave the crust a subtle nuance of heat; together, the mango and ginger gave the cake a bit of an Indian vibe. Some of mine sunk in the center =( probably because I got distracted and let the mixer mix the batter for a bit too long, which aerated it instead of mixed it. Still tasted great though!

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Blackberry Ice Cream

By on June 11, 2009 in Desserts, Gluten-free, Recipes

We’ve been getting blackberries in our Greenling box for a few weeks now, and while they’re perfect just out of the box (literally, when it’s still in the green box), I’ve been trying to think of new ways to use them in recipes.

Since it’s been ice cream season (i.e., 90+ degree weather) here in South Texas for a while now, I thought I might use our blackberries to make my first custard-based ice cream. I’ve previously shied away from custard-based ice creams for a few reasons, namely because they’re so high in fat and because I thought they were tricky to make. Turns out that I was right on only the first count.

I halved the recipe to accommodate 1 pint of blackberries. If you have 2 pints, use the original recipe. What’s weird is that both recipes yield about 1 liter (I stored mine in one of those tall plastic containers that wonton soup comes in, so I’m sure about this). No idea how that happened.

I highly encourage you to check out the original recipe for this one; the pictures on Jen’s site are incredible.

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, via Use Real Butter

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 c. half-and-half
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 3/4 c. heavy cream
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 c. strained blackberry puree (You can use 1 pint of whole blackberries. I highly recommend using a food mill for this, as blackberries have large seeds. It’s much easier than pureeing in a food processor or blender and then removing the seeds with a strainer.)
  • 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  • Heat half-and-half and sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan.
  • While it’s warming, pour the cream into a bowl and place a strainer over the top. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Set both bowls aside.
  • When the sugar has completely dissolved into the half-and-half and the mixture is warmed through, slowly add the warmed half-and-half to the eggs, whisking constantly.
  • Pour the egg/half-and-half mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
  • Pour the egg/half-and-half mixture (now resembling a custard) through the strainer into the cream. Add the blackberry puree and the lemon juice.
  • Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 4 hours. (The mixture needs to be completely chilled before putting it in the ice cream maker to avoid overchurning, which leads to increased ice crystals and thus a less smooth texture [a tip from Alton Brown]. But the mixture should be used in 4 hours to preserve the fresh berry taste [a tip from David Lebovitz].)
  • Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After it’s finished churning, put the ice cream in a tupperware and cover it with saran wrap before sealing the container (a tip from Alton Brown). Freeze for 2 hours before eating.

Verdict:
This was my first attempt at custard-based ice cream, as I had (incorrectly) thought that it required a ton of work. It doesn’t! This ice cream has a beautiful pinkish-purple color and a wonderfully rich and decadent flavor without being overly heavy. This would be perfect with the blackberry-peach crisp I made a few weeks ago, and would be so easy to make a few days ahead of time for company.

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Sweet Crepes with Whipped Cream and Blackberry Confit

By on May 31, 2009 in Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes

My husband has made me crepes for breakfast before, but he basically used thinned-out pancake batter to do so. It was good, but I wanted to try my hand at a DIY crepe recipe, too.

This restaurant we used to go to when we were in college made phenomenal crepe-like pancakes filled with whipped cream, sour cream, and strawberries. They were so good, but so heavy! This is my attempt at recreating them in my cooking style.

Crepe recipe from Alton Brown

Ingredients:
For the crepes:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2-1/2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 Tbsp. liqueur (Because I was using blackberries, I added creme de cassis. I’d try to pair it with whatever filling you’re using.)
  • Pam spray

For the blackberry confit:

  • 1 pint blackberries
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

  • Combine all ingredients for the crepes except for the Pam spray in a blender. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours before making the crepes.
  • When you’re ready to make the crepes, put all of the ingredients for the blackberry confit in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for ~15 minutes, mashing the larger berries, until it’s broken down and the liquid is syrupy. Pour the mixture through a food mill before serving to remove the large seeds and set aside.
  • Put the bowl of a stand mixer and its whisk attachment in the freezer for ~10 minutes. After 10 minutes have elapsed, combine all of the ingredients for the whipped cream in the mixer bowl. Whisk for ~3 minutes until the cream stiffens. Set aside.
  • Spray a non-stick skillet over high heat with Pam. When the skillet is hot, pour ~3 oz. in the skillet (depending on how large your skillet is) and swirl the batter around. In ~1 minute, when the edges start to cook, check the bottom and see if it’s easy to pull off of the pan. If it is, flip the crepe and cook for 30 seconds more; if not, let cook for an additional 30 seconds and check again.
  • When the crepes are finished, spread with whipped cream and blackberry confit and fold in thirds.

Verdict:
The crepes were light and not greasy at all, which was a severe departure from Pamelas’ crepes! But the filling was definitely remiscent of them: the whipped cream was rich and sweet, and the blackberries were tangy and syrupy. I was worried that the liqueur in the crepe batter would be a bit much, but it was quite subtle and a nice compliment to the berries in the filling. A wonderful way to start the day!

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Blackberry-Peach Crisp

By on May 23, 2009 in Desserts, Recipes

You know those nights where company is coming over without much advance notice? That’s what this recipe is perfect for. It’s made of things that are always in my pantry and can be adapted to whatever fresh or frozen fruit you have in the house. I used the peaches and blackberries that came in our Local Box this week.

I originally made this dessert for just 2 people in 6 oz. ramekins. For company last night, I tripled the recipe and baked it in a pie dish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. fruit
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
  • 1 c. oats
  • 3 tsp. flour
  • 1/3 c. brown sugar

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut the fruit into small chunks (~1/2″) and spread it in the bottom of a pie dish.
  • Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl, then spread it on top of the fruit.
  • Bake for ~40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Verdict:
The peaches were so sweet and the blackberries were a bit tart, so it was really a perfect combination of fruit for this crisp. The soft, fresh fruit is also a nice contrast to the crunchy, rich crumble topping. Such a quick, comfort food-like dessert. I’d highly recommend eating this with vanilla ice cream!

Comments { 1 }

Meyer-Lemon Muffins

By on November 23, 2008 in Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Side Dishes

I clipped this recipe from the Houston Chronicle a year and a half ago, and finally tried it out yesterday using some of my Local Box Meyer lemons. The results are very tasty. But my choice to go with paper liners was not the best one; they stick to the papers a bit, though they’re sticking less now that they’re a day old. The well-buttered muffin tins the recipe counsels would have given a crisper outer edge, though, which would have been nice.

Meyer Lemon Muffins

makes around 18 muffins

 
2 c flour
1 c plus 2 T sugar, divided
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 Meyer lemons, divided
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 t cinnamon
 
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, 1 c sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • Cut two lemons into 1-inch pieces. Put them in a blender and pulse until finely chopped. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the milk, butter, and chopped lemon. Stir.
  • Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the lemon mixture. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened.
  • Spoon the batter into well-buttered cups of muffin pans, filling each 3/4 full.
  • Combine the remaining 2 T sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle about 1/4  t over each muffin. Cut remaining lemon into as many paper-thin slices as you have muffins. Top each muffin with half a slice of lemon.
  • Bake about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Run a small spatula or knife around each of the muffins to loosen, remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.
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