Lemon Cheesecake

When I made the Almond Joy Cheesecake I couldnt wait to make one in lemon! Lemony things have been a craving staple these days and wow.. pucker up cause these is soo good! 

Crust:

2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs

2 tbsp Honey

1/4 cup Butter Melted

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
• In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs and salt. Stir in melted butter  and honey until dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Press mixture into bottom of  9 x 13 pan.
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• Cream Cheese Middle:
• 3 packages of cream cheese
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and add in sugar until well combined and light. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again. Beat in lemon zest and juice and salt. Pour filling onto crust.  Bake for 30 mins until done.
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• Lemon Topping:
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp Salt
• 2 large Lemons (zest and juice)
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice (i like extra lemony taste)
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 1/2 cup Boiling Hot Water
• 3 tbsp Chilled Butter
• In a medium pot, whisk up the sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juices with the yolks until well blended. Place on stove, on med heat; whisk in the boiling hot water and whisk until it thickens, remove from heat and add in chilled butter! Top on the cream cheese cake and chill for hours. Best the next day! :♥)

Eating Bird Food!

http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/myrecipes/

This place has a few pretty awesome recipes for healthy eating... i`m dying to try these! Click on the picture if you like to try them yourself! :♥)

Pumpkin Spiced Nutty Granola

Cinnamon Raisin Almond Butter

Spiced Banana Bread

No Sugar Added Apple Butter

Butternut Squash & Red Lentil Soup

Quinoa Leek Corn Chowder

The Green Elvis

Southwestern Quinoa

"Almond Joy" Cheesecake

mm mm What has chocolate, coconut and almonds with cream cheese? Like the candy bar "Almond Joy" and cheesecake? With the toasted coconut, crunchy almonds and a creamy center, You'll L♥VE this recipe of  "Almond Joy" Cheesecake!!  :♥)

• Crust:
• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Filling:
• 3 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar 
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned cream of coconut
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup canned cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• Toasted coconut
• Sliced almonds
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• Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
• CRUST: In a bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, coconut, almonds and salt. Stir in melted butter until dry ingredients are lightly moistened. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes then set aside for filling!
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• FILLING: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well combined and light. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat again until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again. Beat in vanilla, cream of coconut and salt. Pour filling onto crust. 
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• Bake for 1 hour, until filling is set but still a bit jiggly in center (it will firm up as it cools). cool on a wire rack for 1 hour
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• TOPPING: Pour cream of coconut and heavy cream into a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until mixture is just simmering. In a bowl, pour mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted and mixture is smooth. Let it cool. Pour 1/2 cup to 1 cup topping over cheesecake, spreading. 
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• Garnish with toasted coconut and sliced almonds. Chill until chocolate mixture has set, about 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around inside of pan; release sides. Slice and serve.
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Ciabatta Bread

This is a rustic rectangle like bread with big, airy holes in it and a crisp crust surrounding its soft interior. It requires a preparation of a starter which has to rise overnight. The remaining ingredients are then mixed with the starter and then rise for several more hours. This is my first time making it! Here is where I found the recipe! :♥)

For Starter (Biga)

1/4 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 cup water, at body temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

~For starter, mix yeast and water to dissolve. Mix in flour by hand and stir just until blended (no lumps). Mixture will be very wet and sticky. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. One cup of this mixture will be needed for the bread.

over 12 hours later

For Bread
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
3 tablespoons 2% milk, at room temperature
2/3 cup water, at body temperature
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt cornmeal, for baking 

~Stir yeast and milk and mix in the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add yeast, water, oil, starter and mix with the paddle until blended (or dough can be mixed by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon).

~Switch to the dough hook and add flour and salt in, kneading on low speed for 2 minutes, then increasing to next speed up, kneading for 3 minutes. Slap the dough with your hand in the bowl, until it feels stretchy and springs back. Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover bowl with plastic and set in a draft-free, warm area to rise for about 60 minutes. The dough should have lots of big air bubbles visible when ready. 

not alot of airy bubbles but there are some there!

~Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll up into a cylinder (like you would for a loaf or bread), but then stretch and pull the flexible dough into a rectangle about 20 inches by 8 inches. Cut dough in half (so that each piece is about 10-x-4-inches) and place each on 2 parchment-lined baking trays sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover loaves gently with a slightly damp tea towel and let rise another 90 minutes.

I made buns from mine :)

Raising again, I was too impatient and only did 45mins

~Preheat oven to 425 F and place a baking tray upside down in oven to heat. Remove hot tray from oven, and slide parchment with bread onto hot tray and return to oven quickly. Spray tops of loaves with a little water, close oven quickly and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, spraying again with water after 10 minutes.

These were used for hamburgers! I didnt know how big they would get, so I could have made 8-10 buns instead of 6! Not bad for my first time but I think I'll follow the rising times of the recipe and not be so impatient. This recipe is sooo good, a keeper for sure! :♥)