Fresh Lemon Cheesecake

It's now officially summer as of Friday. How'd that happen? My blog is stuck in winter still!

So, whatcha think? Fresh lemon cheesecake sound good?

One of my sisters has been asking for some kind of lime pie or cheesecake. We were out of limes, but she said lemon would do ;). With lemons on the counter and homemade goat cream cheese in the fridge, I was set to get creating!

Normally when I make cheesecake I don't really follow the rules - in other words, basically just throw everything together and bake it. It turns out good that way, but it's way better if you take a some extra steps.

1. Bring your ingredients to room temperature.
2. Beat very well (I used an electric mixture) so that it's nice smooth. I beat the cream cheese first, then add the other ingredients and beat more.
3. Bake it in a water bath. This ensures slow, even cooking.
4. Do not over-bake. When it is mostly set but still jiggly in the middle, it is done.
5. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour after it is done baking. I was unable to do this this time because there were other things in the oven, but I did leave it in the water bath so that it cooled slower.
6. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to prevent cracking.
7. Chill WELL before serving, overnight is recommended.
8. To slice, dip your knife in warm water and wipe dry before cutting each slice.

I was told by my friends and family that this was the best cheesecake I've ever made. So ya, it was a hit :).

Fresh Lemon Cheesecake
Recipe created by Hanunyah Fish
gluten-free, cow dairy-free, corn-free

3 cups (24 oz) homemade goat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons GF flour (I used rice)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
rind of 2 lemons, grated
your favorite pie crust, baked

Beat the cream cheese. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake for 20-30 minutes, until mostly set but jiggly in the middle. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to prevent cracking. Turn off the oven and leave to cool for 1 hour. Remove from oven to refrigerator to cool completely. Dip a knife in warm water and wipe dry before slicing.

~ Hanunyah

Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays by The Gluten-Free Homemaker

31 for 21: Cheesecake

In the summer when the goats were in high production (We have milk goats so little O can have milk), my sister Suriyah made (goat) cream cheese everyday for a little while. I made a cheesecake a day, different variations, for about a week.

Here's the base recipe I made, a simple cheesecake.

Cheesecake (Gluten-free, Cow Dairy-free)
Hanunyah Creation

2 cups goat cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons rice flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
gluten-free pie crust of your choice, baked and cooled

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Mix all ingredients (besides crust) together well, but do no over mix. Pour into the pie shell.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool well. Overnight in the refrigerator works best.


~ Hanunyah

31 for 21 is a blog challenge to raise Down Syndrome awareness 1 blog at a time. The challenge is to blog everyday the whole month of October (31 days) to raise awareness for Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21). This is the 6th Annual 31 for 21 Challenge.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dessert Pizza

I've made up 3 dessert pizzas (fruit, chip [posting later] and this one), and they said this was the best one, and definitely a keeper. They also said it tasted like cheesecake, thus the name.

Topped with cocoa and chopped white almond bark

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Dessert Pizza
Hanunyah Creation


Crust:
1/4 cup lard
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (or 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, if not corn-free)
1 1/4 cups flour


Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lard
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 to 1/3 cup cream cheese*
cocoa (optional)
chopped white almond bark (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all of the crust ingredients. Spread in a greased round baking pan (I use a 11 inch stoneware baking pan). You may need to add a teaspoon or two of water (before spreading in the pan) for easier spreading. Bake in preheated oven for about 9 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.

2. For the sauce, combine the brown sugar and milk. Stir until dissolved, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the lard. Beat until thick, and set aside. Spread 1/2 cup of peanut butter over the crust, then cream cheese, then the brown sugar sauce, and swirl around a bit with a knife.


Notes:
*Cream cheese - I used 1/4 cup over the peanut butter, then a little more on the top. They said it had a good cream cheese flavor, and my sister was suprised when I told her I only used about 1/4 cup.




~ Hanunyah