Abundance of Berries - Fresh Berry Fruit Tart

WOW, the supermarkets are loaded with berries. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, I love them all.  Put them in desserts, cereal, smoothies, on ice cream, make some jam or put them in salads (yes that's right, I do it all the time and they are fantastic!) They're all "good for you" foods too, so take advantage, because after summer they will disappear or the prices will skyrocket.

  I have to go to the big box stores at least twice a week for berries, because e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y in my house eats them.  I bought some extra and made a Fresh Berry Fruit Tart yesterday for dessert.  Warm weather equals cool desserts for me and this ones fits the bill.

Recipe below. To print, click on the recipe, highlight it and print.

Can you believe these few simple ingredients make a delicious dessert?  Well they do!  Use whatever fruit flavored cream cheese and fruit that you like, it doesn't have to be berries.

 Cookie baking and almost done.

 Mixed up the cream cheese and sugar.

Cookie baked and cooling.

 Berries washed and drying on a towel.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on the cooled cookie. 

 Slice up the strawberries and decorate using your own creativity!  Come on, it's easy.

 Lookin' Good!

 Can't wait to cut it up and eat it.

Up close and personal with the fruit tart, it's almost too pretty to cut and eat, naaaaaa.....

Fresh Berry Fruit Tart

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

1 - 16.5 oz. roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

2 - 8 oz. containers of strawberry cream cheese, softened (do not use whipped)

1 cup of confectioner's sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup red raspberries

lemon zest and fresh mint sprigs for garnish (omit if you don't like it)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a round pizza pan with cooking spray.  Break the dough into 5 pieces and drop four of the pieces around the sides of the pan and one in the middle of the pan.  Press the dough evenly into the pan with your hands (but not to the edge of the pan), until all of it is flattened and it looks like a big cookie.  Bake until lightly browned.

While the cookie is baking, mix the cream cheese and the sugar with an electric mixer until all is combined. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it (take it out about 15 minutes before spreading on the cookie, so it will be spreadable).  Wash all the berries and lay them to dry on a clean dish towel.  Hull and slice the strawberries, then zest the lemon and set them aside.

When the cookie is baked, take out of the oven and let it cool completely.  When it is cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cookie.  Decorate the top with a pattern of all the berries, sprinkle with lemon zest and garnish with mint sprigs. Makes 8 - 10 servings.

Sweet And Creamy Cheese Pie

Need a quick dessert PRONTO, this one is a hit with just a few ingredients.  Whip it up, pour into the pre-made graham cracker crust, top with whatever you like, or leave it plain and serve, it's delicious.
  Recipe below.

5 ingredients - graham cracker crust, cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, whipped topping and lemon juice, that is all it takes for this light and fluffy pie.

Save that plastic lid from the graham cracker crust, that is your cover for the pie.

 Whip the cream cheese, sugar and juice together then fold in the whipped topping.

 All folded in and pour it into the crust.

Smooth it all out, cover it with the lid and put into the refrigerator to set up, about 3-4 hours.

 Cream Cheese Pie

Ingredients

1 pre-made Graham Cracker Crust

2 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese

1 cup confectioner's sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 - 8 oz. container of frozen whipped topping

Directions

Open the graham cracker crust package and wash and dry the lid, set aside.  With a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl.  When it is light and fluffy, gently fold in the whipped topping with a spatula.  Pour into the crust, smooth it out and cover with the lid.  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set. Makes 6 - 8 servings

NOTE:  Suggestions for decorating - flaked, sweetened or toasted coconut and a drizzle of chocolate for Easter, crushed peppermint candy for Christmas, M&M's for a Birthday, Blueberries and Strawberries for July 4th, candy hearts for Valentine's Day.  Mix Oreo crumbs in with the cheese filling for a cookie crumb pie. 

The Making of the Cheesecake

Sometimes making a cheesecake can be tricky.  I think what's tricky about it is the quality of the ingredients that you use.  I made one a few weeks ago and had to throw the whole cheesecake in the trash, because I didn't use a good quality cream cheese.  For this recipe you will need a 9" springform pan.  Here is my redo on my cheesecake (recipe below).  Follow all the instructions and yours will be light, creamy and full of flavor.  Cheesecakes always taste better on the second day when everything settles and the flavors all marry.  So....

Get out your ingredients

Crush the graham crackers. Low fat, gotta save some calories somewhere and does not affect the taste at all

Crushed grahams, melted butter and sugar for the crust

Press those crumbs in a 9" springform pan

Beating the cream cheese

All mixed up and someplace to go....

Right into the pan!

All baked...

And served up with some fresh strawberries

EASY CHEESECAKE

The Crust

1 1/2 packages of Honey Maid Low Fat Plain Graham Crackers

3 Tbsp sugar

1 stick butter, melted

Put graham crackers into a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs.  Pour into a medium size bowl.  Add the sugar and the melted butter and mix until all is combined.  Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Set aside.

The Cheesecake

4 - 8 oz. packages of regular Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup of sugar

1 tsp vanilla or 1/4 tsp of vanilla bean paste

1 Tbsp lemon juice

4 eggs

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth and combined. Mixing on low speed, add eggs, beat after each one.  Pour over the crust.  Put springform pan on a cookie sheet that will accommodate its size.  Bake for 1 hour (depending on your oven) until the center is set.  Shut oven off and open the door.  Let the cheesecake rest  for 10 minutes inside the oven.  Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack.  When cheesecake is cool run a flat knife between rim and cheesecake to loosen, then open the spring on the rim to remove cheesecake from pan. After cheesecake is cooled, cover and place in the refrigerator.  Any leftovers should also be kept in the refrigerator.

Lightweight Breakfast and The Lemon Cookie

I am always battling the waist and having Hashimoto's Thyroiditis doesn't help. So, to help combat some of my cravings and to eat a little healthier I am always surfing the grocery store for low fat and low carb choices.  I am not much of a breakfast eater, if I do eat any kind of breakfast food it is usually more towards lunchtime.  All I have early in the AM is a cup of strong coffee and that will hold me over to late afternoon.  I know, I know, that's not good - you should eat like a queen at breakfast, a princess at lunch and a peasant at dinner, but hey I'm Italian we eat all day long! I love food and was brought up on the best so I will never turn it down, unfortunately.  Here are a couple of my breakfast choices

 (you know, that I eat near lunchtime). 

Thomas' 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins - 110 calories (whole)

2 Tbsp Philadelphia Cream Cheese - 80 calories

1 Yoplait Greek Style Yogurt - 100 Calories

1/4 cup of Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Crunch Granola - 120 Calories

All this for 410 Calories, and it's good for you!

Pop that bagel thin in the toaster oven, smear with the cream cheese and mix the granola into the yogurt, EASY! 

 Here is another choice

2 Eggo Nutri-Grain Low Fat Waffles - 140 Calories

1/4 Cup Carey's Sugar Free Syrup - 30 Calories

2 Thin Slices Bacon - 75 Calories (I buy pre-cooked and heat in microwave)

1 Cup of Skim Milk - 90

Toast up the waffles, heat the bacon and breakfast is ready in about 7 minutes

Only 335 Calories! And it tastes good, even the syrup, and I am NOT a sugar free girl.

My sister asked me to come up with a Lemon Cookie recipe so here it is: Line up flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, butter, eggs and lemons.  Directions are below.

I am kind of a grater hoarder, my family makes fun of me, I have every grater imaginable.  This one here is my micro plane.  I love kitchen gadgets, some do make the cooking process easier (and some don't).  The white thing is a lemon, lime, orange juicer.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt 

Zest the lemons and juice them

Cream the butter

This is what it should look like when mixed

Roll into a log and refrigerate

Slice

Bake

MMM... MMM... Good! Light and butter inside slightly crispy outside and full of lemon flavor.

  

Lemon Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sifted unbleached flour or all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp grated lemon peel

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 whole egg

1 egg white

DIRECTIONS

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  Cream butter in a bowl.  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add lemon peel, lemon juice and the whole egg.  Beat well.  Gradually, add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.  Shape into a 1 ½ inch round log.  Wrap tightly in waxed paper and chill 8 hours or overnight.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut chilled dough into 1/4 inch slices and place about 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle with decorative coarse sugar, or nuts if you like (omit this step if you are going to frost them) .  Bake 10 -12 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Cool on wire racks.  Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

NOTE: You will have lemon juice leftover.  You can frost these cookies if you like and the lemon juice mixed with 10X sugar makes a tasty glaze for them.  Combine until desired consistency.