Cheesecake with Huckleberry Sauce

Oct 23, 2013

Not bad looking  for my first attempt at making cheesecake, right?  (Yes, I’m pretty proud of myself.)  I’m not sure why I’ve never tried making cheesecake before, but it wasn’t that hard, so I’ll definitely be making it again.  In fact, I might be making it again for Thanksgiving – my mom has already requested it!
This version, with the huckleberries, was really fun for my party because most of my guests had never tried them before. Huckleberries don’t grow in West Texas, but Jan (my mom’s friend who lives in Montana) had shipped some to me… So this was a real treat (and delicious)!

Cheesecake

(Recipe only slightly adapted from this one from Tyler Florence – I just thought it’d be easier to keep it all together here.)

2 c. finely ground graham crackers (approximately 30 squares)

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 ( 8 oz.) blocks of cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

1 pint sour cream

zest from one lemon

3 T. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the graham crackers, cinnamon and melted butter until evenly combined.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour the crumbs into the pan, and using the bottom of a glass, press the crumbs into the base and up the sides of the pan (about an inch).  Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on low for 2 minutes until smooth and free of lumps.  Continue to beat slowly and add the eggs, one at a time, until combined.  Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters to keep the mixture even and smooth.  Once well mixed, pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and flatten the top with a spatula.

Set the springform pan on top of a large piece of aluminum foil and tightly fold up the sides around it.  Make sure the foil is tightly wrapped to the cake pan sides so no water seeps into the cheesecake.  Place the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan and pour warm water about halfway up the cheesecake pan.  Bake for 5o minutes.  The cheesecake should still jiggle, but it should firm up after chilling.  Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator, loosely covered with foil, for at least 4 hours.  Loosen the cheesecake from the pan with a thin metal spatula inside the rim.  Unmold and transfer to a cake plate (preferably a pretty one, of course!).  Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water, wiping after each cut.

When serving, top each slice with warm huckleberry topping, recipe below.

Huckleberry Sauce

1 c. water

1 c. sugar

3 T. corn syrup

2 T. cornstarch

2 c. huckleberries

In a saucepan over med-high, heat the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.  Reduce heat to medium and add the corn syrup.  Add huckleberries and cornstarch, stirring until combined.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce thickens.  Spoon over each slice of cheesecake and serve while sauce is warm.

Holy Crepe!

Oct 22, 2013

Several years ago, my friends David and Tony turned me onto making crepes…  Yes, I know they’re easy, but they require FLIPPING, which I’m not very good at.  After many years of practice, I’m not scared of trying to flip them anymore… whew!

In the past, I’ve only had crepes as a dessert (with berries or something), but lately I’ve loved exploring how they can become more savory- a hearty meal by adding chicken and a delicious cream sauce.   Here’s the recipe I”ve been following ( try it for yourself and let me know how it goes):

Crepes (makes about 24 crepes)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

1 cup water

1 T. butter, melted

4 large eggs

cooking spray

10 inch non-stick skillet

Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.  Place milk, water, butter, and eggs in a blender; process until combined.  Add flour mixture to blender, process until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat a 10 inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over med-high heat.  Coat pan lightly with cooking spray.  Remove from heat.  Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the pan; quickly tilt pan in all directions so batter covers the pan with a thin film.  Cook about 1 minute.

Carefully lift edge of crepe with a spatula to test for doneness.  The crepe is ready to turn when it can be shaken loose from the pan and the underside is lightly browned.  Flip crepe over; cook 30 seconds on the other side.

Place on a paper towel to cool completely; repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining batter.

Creamy Chicken Sauce

3 bacon slice, diced

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (sometimes I use a Rotesserie chicken)

1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2)

2 t. chopped fresh thyme

3 c. fat-free or skim milk

3 T. all-purpose flour

1 c. shredded Gruyere cheese

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 t. drippings in the pan; set bacon aside.  Add shallots and thyme to the pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender.

In a small bowl, combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended.  Gradually stir milk mixture into the pan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer until thick (2-5 minutes).  Remove from heat; stir in cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and chicken.  Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each crepe; roll up.  Smear a spoonful of sauce over the crepe and sprinkle crumbled bacon on top.

{Btw, this recipe can be modified to have almost anything inside- chicken and mushrooms, chicken and broccoli, etc.  Any way you make it, it’s bound to be good- and good for you!  These crepes aren’t too high-calorie -thankfully!}