Reading Cookbooks

I have a confession to make. I like to read cookbooks. Why is this a confession you say? Because I never make half of the stuff that sounds good. I always find recipes that sound yummy and I either decide not to make it because I am lacking one ingredient or it sounds like it will take too long. Lame, I know, but when I do try a new recipe I find something I love or that my family really enjoys.

I could sit for hours, when I am in the mood, and read cookbooks and decide on all kinds of delicious things to make. I even spend a lot of time browsing recipes on the Internet when I am trying to come up with something different for dinner. Cookbooks are almost as interesting as a good mystery when I am in the mood. Just to emphasize my point, I posted some new recipes I have discovered.

No Bake Cheesecake

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/3 c lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 graham cracker pie shell
favorite cheesecake topping: cherries, blueberries, caramel, etc.

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into pie shell. Refrigerate for up to 5 hours. Remove from fridge and top with favorite topping, or slice and put topping on individual slices.


Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake
by Annabel Karmel, published in "Mom and Me Cookbook"

1 stick butter (8 Tbsp)
8 oz graham crackers
1 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz (2 packages) cream cheese
1 c superfine sugar
2/1/2 c fresh raspberries
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 2/3 c whipping cream

Put the crackers in a bag. Then us a rolling pin to roll and crush them into crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan. Pour the crushed graham crackers into the butter and stir thoroughly. Line an 8--in pan (with removable base) with plastic wrap. Spoon in the cracker mixture, press flat with masher, and refrigerate.

Make raspberry puree (or substitute preserves) - bring the raspberries and powdered sugar to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. cool, then press through a sieve.

Mix together cream cheese, superfine sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip the cream until stiff, then fold it into the cheese mixture.

Spread topping on the cracker base - use about 3/4 of the cheese mixture. Then spoon on 3/4 of the puree and swirl it into the cheesecake mixture. Gently spread on the remaining cheesecake mixture. Drizzle on straight lines of raspberry puree. Pull a skewer across the lines for a feathered effect.

Leave the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.


I have also use the Philidelphia Baked Cheesecake recipe and swirled in some fruit preserves before baking and it was yummy! Today I also found a simple, no bake fudge recipe. I'll have to let you know if it turns out.