Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cake

Well, it is the end of the school year and I decided I wanted to make one last goodie this year to share with my colleagues. As I was looking through my Facebook feed today I came across a recipe from Cooking Panda that caught my eye, Blueberry Cheesecake. But it wasn't actually a cheesecake... instead a pierced cake with blueberry compote and a cream cheese topping. If you have read my recipes before you know that I can't just copy a recipe...I have to bump up the flavor. So here is what I came up with:

When I think of blueberry, the next flavor that comes to mind is lemon. So I decided that I would see if I could lemonize this blueberry cake.

*a sugar-free yellow cake mix
*3 eggs
*1 c. 2% milk
*1/3 c. vegetable oil
*a box of lemon sugar-free gelatin
*1 1/2 c. Fresh or frozen blueberries
*1/2 c. Splenda
*juice of 1/2 lemon
*2 shots of citrus vodka (optional)
*a box of lemon sugar-free pudding mix
*1 1/2 c. 2% milk
*8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
*1/2 c. fat-free half and half
*1/2 c. Splenda

Start by mixing up the cake. Follow the package directions, adding the eggs and oil, substituting the milk for the water and adding in the dry gelatin mix to add the lemon flavor to your cake.

Bake in a sprayed 13 x 9 pan. My directions were to bake it at 325° for 35 minutes. It came out perfect.

While the cake was baking, I worked on the blueberry compote. You know...I am becoming a great fan of compote, especially as a topping. You can make one out of almost any fruit or combinations of fruit. In a small skillet, add your fruit, Splenda and lemon juice. Cook on a medium heat. The time depends on your fruit and how much you want your fruit to break down. It really is a personal preference. But even if you like your fruit really soft, it shouldn't take more than about 15 minutes. Just stir from time to time.

 If you like the flavor, add a little citrus vodka or maybe some lemoncello, just before you take it off the heat.

Remove the skillet from the hear and set aside allowing it to cool.

In a mixer with whisk attachment or in a medium bowl, add your pudding mix and milk and whisk well. Allow pudding to set up while waiting for your cake to come out of the oven. The pudding will be a little thicker than if you had made it according to package directions.

Once the cake is done, allow it to cool for about 5 minutes. Then take something with a small handle and poke holes all over the cake.

Pour/spoon the pudding on top of the cake and spread it around with a spatula. Spread it evenly making sure the pudding seeps down into the holes you made.

Allow the cake to cool even further. Once the cake and your compote have both cooled, spread the compote on top and place the cake in the fridge while you make the final topping.

Add your softened cream cheese and Splenda into your mixer with a whisk attachment. Turn your mixer on and slowly add the half and half.

(Note: the recipe from Cooking Panda called for heavy whipping cream. I think that would be absolutely wonderful, rich, thick and creamy. But, I didn't have any and so I substituted the half and half. Use what you have and experiment.)

You will probably need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure and get the cream cheese and half and half well incorporated.  Once they are mixed, turn the speed up to medium high and mix for a couple of minutes.

If your mixture seems a little thin, you might want to put it into the fridge for a little bit to allow it a chance to thicken.

Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

• This was a super easy dessert to make. At this time of year... what could be better than blueberries!

Also, just take note of this process and then let your imagination combine any number of flavors at different times throughout the year. This could be 20 desserts in one.

Carrot Cake

It's Easter. And if we're talking dessert, we have to be talking Carrot Cake... what other kind of dessert would the Easter Bunny eat!

Now when we are talking carrot cake, there is NO better one than my Great Aunt Ora Brunson's. If you are interested in that fully decadent version, I am going to link it here. However, I thought that I would give it a go and see if I could somehow get close in a guiltless version.

Start with:

• One yellow sugar-free cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. milk (2%)
• 1 small jar of carrot baby food
• 1 1/2 c. finely shredded carrots (5-6 medium)
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, undrained 
• 1 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. vanilla

 *First you need to mix up the cake mix. Mine calls for 3 eggs, 1/3 c. oil, and 1 c. water. I substituted milk (I had 2% in my fridge) for the water.

*I really wanted to replicate, as much as possible, the flavors of my Great Aunt Ora's cake, so next come the add-ins: grated carrots, pineapple, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and vanilla. In order to intensify the carrot flavor and overcome the built-in flavor of the cake mix, I added the baby food... just some pure flavor and it helps to keep the cake moist.

*Spray two round cake pans, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Divide batter between the pans and tap on the counter to help remove any air bubbles. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Be sure to test the center, so that it is not jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean.

*While the cake is baking, mix up the frosting. Use:

• 2- 8 oz packages of reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 canister of sugar-free vanilla frosting

*You may want to lay the cream cheese out to soften while you mix up the cake batter. It will just make it easier to whip. But no worries if you forget, it may just take a few more minutes.

*With the whip attachment, add cream cheese and prepared frosting to your mixing bowl. Mix together on medium speed until cream cheese is completely incorporated into the frosting.

*Cover and place in refrigerator to stiffen.

*Use the remaining time that the cake is baking and chop some pecans. Now this is going to be your preference as far as decorating the cake goes. It just goes from my experience that the sides of a carrot cake are coated with pecans,... but if you aren't a pecan fan, maybe just a few sprinkles on top may be enough. To cover the sides and sprinkle the top, I used about 1 cup of chopped pecans.

 *When the cakes come out of the oven, allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and turn them out onto a cooling rack.

*Be sure to cool the cakes completely, as nothing will make cream cheese frosting thin and runny more quickly than trying to frost a warm cake.

 *About 10 minutes before frosting the cake, set the frosting out of the fridge. Add a dab of frosting to your serving/cake plate, just so that the cake won't slide around. Add a layer of frosting to the first layer. Sprinkle a few pecans here if you would like to.

*Add on the second layer, press lightly, and then frost the entire cake. I like to frost the top first, and then work the frosting over the sides. Note: the frosting recipe makes plenty, so you don't have to be skimpy.

*This part takes a little patience, but just go slowly. Take a small amount of chopped pecans between your fingers and press them into the side frosting of the cake. I think it pays off in the presentation, and hey... you are adding protein to your dessert.

*Sprinkle a few additional pecans on the top.

*And here you go!! One Easter carrot cake... frankly, an anytime carrot cake. Does it taste just like my Great Aunt Ora's?... No. But is it a guiltless and decadent, super yummy carrot cake?...YES! I love the moistness that the pineapple and raisins give the cake. Keep it in the fridge so that it will last several days... oh, that's only if you just made it for yourself. No need to tell anyone that this is a No Sugar Added recipe, and it will be gone in a snap.

No-Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

Have you ever wanted some warm, gooey, sweet bread, but just didn't want to wait... and wait... and wait... for the dough to rise and then to prepare the filling, roll out the dough, and then wait... for it to rise one more time... and then to cook!!!  You get my drift... by the time they are ready you have already eaten something else.

So I got really excited when this recipe came across my Facebook Feed.  Unfortunately, I forgot to write down who initially posted it.  I did do a little search through our magic friend Google, and I found several recipes that were very similar, but couldn't find this exact one.  So, whoever's recipe this is THANK YOU!!  Because I really love the ease of this recipe and the true deliciousness of it, even in my altered  Low-Sugar  version.

This recipe has 3 sets of ingredients:  the dough, the filling, and the glaze.

 The Filling:

• 1/3 c. Splenda Blend brown sugar
• 1/4 c. Splenda granulated
• 3 t. cinnamon
• 1/8 t. salt

Mix these ingredients in a small bowl and set them aside.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Grease/Spray a 9" pan:  round or square.

 The Dough:

• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 3 T. Splenda granulated
• 1 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/4 c. buttermilk  (if you don't have any buttermilk, simply pour the milk just shy of the amount you need, and add a splash of white vinegar to complete the amount--let it set for 5-10 minutes before using to allow to curdle)
• 6 T. butter, divided into 3 parts of 2 T. each, melted

Add the dry ingredients into your mixing bowl.  Use a whisk attachment if you have one.  Slowly add in the buttermilk and the first 2 T. of melted butter. 

 Dough will be quite sticky.  Flour your counter and knead dough 1-2 minutes until smooth.

 Press/Roll dough out to a rectangle of approximately 9 x 12 inches.

 Brush the second 2 T. of melted butter all over the dough.  Then, sprinkle the filling you mixed up all over the rectangle.

(A couple of the recipes I came across when searching for this one also called for raisins.  I love raisins, and think I will add some here in the filling the next time I make them.)

 Starting on the short side, roll the dough tightly.  You may have a little bit of filling squish out towards the end, but it won't be a problem.

Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 even pieces.

 Place the rolls in your prepared pan.  Using your last 2 T. butter, brush the tops of the rolls, allowing the butter to run down the sides and into the layers.

Bake rolls for 20 minutes.

 The Icing/Glaze:

The original icing recipe called for:  2 T. butter, 1 t. vanilla, 1 T. milk... and you guessed it... 1 c. powdered sugar.

So of course I tried to come up with something that would allow me to avoid the powdered sugar.  So here is what I used:

• 4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/4 c. Splenda granulated
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 % milk as needed

Beat the cream cheese until smooth; add Splenda and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add milk a little at a time until icing is thin and pour-able.  Pour/Spread icing over warm rolls.

You will be enjoying these cinnamon rolls before you know it.  None of that wait time involved.

Blueberry Cheese Danish

My sweet tooth does not have boundries and it often finds its way into the morning.  Since I haven't found a donut shop that serves sugar-free donuts  (ha ha)  I will continue to look for some yummy breakfast pastries.

This recipe was shared through my news feed on Facebook from Jan Moore Griggs.

• 1 can crescent rolls (here we go again...)
• 4 oz. cream cheese (half a package)
• 2 T. Splenda
• 1/2 c. blueberries

As you can see, this is a super simple recipe, but don't be deceived...it is very delicious!  I was thinking this might be a completely sugar free recipe, but I double-checked the crescent rolls package and there is a trace of sugars in the dough...so  No Sugar Added  it is.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Divide your crescent roll dough into four rectangles.  Press the perforations back together.

In a small bowl, mix your softened cream cheese and Splenda.  Divide it into 4 portions and spread each portion onto one of the rectangles, staying about 1/2" from the edges.

 Put a handful of blueberries onto each rectangle of dough.  Then bring the four corners together on top and pinch together to seal and make a little pouch.

 Carefully move each danish to a sprayed baking sheet.  Bake for 13-15 minutes.  Enjoy!!



Even my husband commented that these were really good...must be something special.

Chocolate Fudge??...or Gelato??

My daughter came home for the Thanksgiving holidays and as we worked to make our holiday dinner menu and list for the grocery store, I told her that I was really missing some good old-fashioned marshmallow cream fudge.  I have wanted to try and see if I could make some with Splenda, but up until now I have been hesitant.  Being part of the tech generation that she is, by this time she was already on the internet checking out the forums to see what someone might have to say about that.  Her report back was that you can't just replace the sugar because it is more than a sweetener in fudge...it is a structural component.  She looked a little and found 2 or 3 recipes that were posted there to make fudge without the large amount of sugar.

We chose one and decided to see if it would work:

• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 T. liquid sugar substitute (I had some agave nectar in my pantry)
• 1/2 c. sugar-free chocolate chips
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 3 oz. cream cheese (I chose reduced fat)
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla

 Start by adding the first four ingredients to a small saucepan and heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is starting to thicken.
In the meanwhile, put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and whip until light and fluffy.  (It doesn't take that long for the chocolate mixture to melt and thicken, so you might want to whip up the cream cheese beforehand.)

 Pour the melted chocolate and milk into the mixing bowl and mix to combine.  Add the vanilla and mix once more.

Butter a piece of parchment paper and line an 8 x 8 pan.  Pour mixture into pan and put in the fridge to set up.
I found this recipe to be very easy to do.  As I tasted..you know that I was going to taste it, right?...it wasn't really as sweet as I thought it should be and so I added about 3 teaspoons of Splenda and combined well, tasting after each teaspoon.  Once I had a sweet enough taste, I poured it into the pan.
A few hours later I checked on it and it wasn't really set up, so I decided to leave it over night.  The next day, it still wasn't set up and I noticed that there were some small clumps in the surface.  Finally after about 24 hours, I used a spoon and I tasted it.  The taste was good, but the small clumps took away from that taste, and it had the consistency of a thick pudding.
So we put our heads together to brainstorm just exactly what this mixture could become, since it was clear to us that it wasn't going to be fudge.
My daughter came up with the idea of putting it into the ice cream maker.  First she emptied it into the food processor and turned it on for a short time to try and remove those clumps.  Then, she added a small amount of cream to get the consistency of an ice cream mixture.  Once she added it into the ice cream machine it only took a small amount of time (maybe 5-7 minutes) for the mixture to freeze.  It only made a small amount, but it was rich, and smooth, and creamy and tasted like Chocolate Gelato.
I definitely think I will make this again and will make the following changes:  Beat the cream cheese ahead of time and be ready to add the chocolate mixture just as soon as it is melted and starts to get thick; Once the mixture has been combined with the cream cheese, pour it through a strainer, to remove any clumps; Add cream and put in fridge to chill; Once cold go ahead and add it to the ice cream machine.
The moral of this story is to never be afraid to try something new.  Even if it doesn't turn out to be what you thought it would, you might find out that it is something amazing!