Fresh Blueberry Sauce

My roommate introduced me to this delicious sauce. I found that it makes the perfect topping to a cheesecake.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce:

• 1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries
• 4 (1/2-inch-wide) strips lemon peel
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine blueberries, lemon peel, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring berry mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Discard solids and return sauce to a clean saucepan. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, stirring until smooth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the blueberry sauce, stirring until the sauce comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool sauce to room temperature.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Cheesecake

This is Dad's favorite kind of cheesecake. I got this recipe from Nancy Morelock when I was in Young Women.

4 egg whites - beat until stiff

Beat the following together then fold into egg whites

• 3 - 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla (I usually double the vanilla)

Pour cream cheese mixture into graham cracker crust. Bake 30 min at 350 degrees. Always make the day before and refrigerate when cool.

Milk Chocolate Cheesecake

My friends, Taylor and Dustin, gave me Mary Crownover's I Love Cheesecake recipe book for my birthday. This is the first recipe that I've tried from the collection of decadent and creative cheesecakes. I'm thinking of trying Lime Yogurt Cheesecake or Peachy Orange Cheesecake next.

I hesitate to add this recipe to our collection as I have found the resulting cheesecake to have a mind of its own. Be sure to make this for a large crowd and to send the leftovers home with others, or you may find that you've managed to eat half a cheesecake all by yourself in less than 5 days: not recommended for anyone's waistline.

Chocolate cookie crust
18 Oreos
5 Tb butter or margarine, melted

Crush cookies to make crumbs. Place crumbs in a mixing bowl and add butter, mix well. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of greased 9-inch cheesecake pan. Set aside.

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Milk chocolate filling
32 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 Tb cornstarch
3/4 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz milk chocolate chips, melted

Ina large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and sour cream with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and melted chocolate, mix well. Pour filling onto crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

REDUCE HEAT TO 200 DEGREES and bake for 2 hours, or until center is firm and no longer looks wet or shiny. Remove cake from oven and carefully run a knife around inside edge of pan. Turn oven off and return cake to it for an additional 2 hours. Chill overnight.

Chocolate glaze
5 oz milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tb chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts

In a small heavy saucepan, combine chocolate and sour cream. Stir constantly while melting chocolate over low heat. Spread warm topping on the cake. Sprinkle nuts over top. Keep chilled.