Strawberry Cheesecake

This strawberry cheesecake is WONDERFUL!! It's so rich and creamy and freaking easy (for a cheesecake that is!). The crust is really wonderful it's crispy rather than soggy and the finished cake looks professional with the strawberry swirls :) Remember to slice it with plain dental floss and not a knife!!

Strawberry Cheesecake

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed (I used fresh)
  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and cornstarch; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup strawberry sauce***; cool. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for serving.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Add lemon juice; mix well. Add eggs, beat on low just until combined. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over crust.

Drop half of the reserved strawberry mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese layer. Carefully spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over sauce. Drop remaining strawberry sauce by 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top.

With a knife, cut through top layer only to swirl strawberry sauce.
Bake at 300 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan. Thin chilled strawberry sauce with water if desired; serve with cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.

***I used a lot more than 1/3 cup of strawberries in it. Just use your eyes and guess!!

Yeast Rolls

These rolls are WONDERFUL!!! Light, yeasty, sweet, and fluffy!! I could eat almost the whole batch by myself!! They are really easy too, practically no kneading time and for the most part it's all passive work, waiting for it to rise. They are also good for making the night before and leaving in in a bowl in the fridge and letting it rise overnight. This is the main roll recipe I made when anyone comes over.

Yeast Rolls

3 cups warm water
2 packages yeast
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
1 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 cups bread flour

butter
honey

Mix ingredients with hand until well blended. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let set in refrigerator at least 2 or 3 hours before cutting out. (Can divide and use as much as you want, the remainder will keep 3 or 4 days.) Slightly knead dough and cut out on floured surface. Let rise 3 or 4 hours. ( You can rush this along by placing near an open overn for a while.) Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. Take out; brush with melted butter and honey.

It's been a while!!

Finally a new post!!! I had some leftover lemons and decided to make some lemon poppy seed bread. Tastes great!!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
from allrecipes.com

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 cups white sugar
1 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 8x4 inch bread pans.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, poppy seeds and 2 1/2 cups white sugar. Add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and lemon; mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean. Cool loaves in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.