Sweets for Your Valentine Sweetie

 

Valentine's Day is a day for treating your special valentine, and yourself, to a sweet treat. I think cheesecakes are one of the most special sweet treats. I recently made this cheesecake for a family birthday celebration and it was a favorite we'll have again. The strawberry-rhubarb compote is yummy and also tastes great with oatmeal, rice pudding, and even on raisin bread toast. The cheesecake recipe is one I adapted from a favorite applesauce cheesecake we usually have at Thanksgiving. I wanted a coconut flavor like our other favorite birthday treat - coconut cream pie. This cheese cake is sweet, but not too sweet. With fewer eggs and cream cheese than many recipes it isn't overly rich, but more mild and smooth. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

COCONUT CHEESE CAKE WITH RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

 

Crust: 

1 ¼ cup (20 squares) graham cracker crumbs

½ cup toasted flaked coconut

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup milted butter

 

Filling:

3 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I may try coconut extract next time)

2/3 cup flaked coconut, toasted

 

Directions:

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients; mix well. Press in bottom of 10-inch springform pan. 

2.    In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and flour; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla extract; beat until blended. Stir in coconut. 

3.    Pour into crust-lined pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until center is set. (To minimize cracking, place shallow pan half full of hot water on lower oven rack during baking.) 

4.    Cool. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

 

Compote: (I used frozen fruit)

2 cups of rough chopped rhubarb

2 cups of rough chopped strawberries

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup water or orange juice

 

Combine in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered 7-9 minutes or until thickened. Cool slightly and transfer to a covered container. 

 

To serve, carefully remove sides of springform pan from cheesecake. Slice into 16 slices, running knife under water between slices. Warm compote and drizzle over each piece. 

Strawberry Shortcake is My Favorite too!

Favorite Food Shows have always been one of my favorite 4-H events. So when I was asked to judge in a neighboring county this spring, I agreed! It is always a fun time to see what the young cooks will bring and how they will display it. Of course, the interview with the judge carries the most points. I always ask about preparation, food safety, food groups, nutrition, and family traditions. They tell me why they chose the food as their favorite food display and what they know (or remember) about the preparation.
Usually there is a theme used to showcase the food and table, this can be a party theme, international idea, holiday, or other. This week when I judged, I saw a birthday party, a Mexican dinner, Irish stew, Easter and Christmas meals, and a cookout. The senior age winner used a chicken theme for Father's Day. The table was decorated with chicken decor and the main course was a chicken dish. But the favorite food was strawberry shortcake, the red accented the blue tones of the table well, as the dessert would have been a sweet accent for the meal.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Strawberry ice cream from KSU Call Hall made this
extra, extra good!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to eat heather - sound familiar? That, or a version of it such as lose weight, exercise more, etc, is the most common New Year's Resolution. So, including healthier types of desserts would be included in my plan. Since I have a new supply of frozen fruit from our church order, and strawberry-rhubarb is one of our favorite flavor combinations, this dessert was a popular choice. I like the texture and added fiber (healthier!) of the oats. It makes a large amount, but with more family members around after the holidays it was eaten quickly.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup cold butter, cubed
2 cups quick-cooking oats
6 cups sliced frozen rhubarb and strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin

crumb mixture on bottom

bottom crust topped with fruit

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly (Next time I make this, I'll do this step in the food processor). Stir in oats. Press half into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with fruit.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Stir in gelatin powder.  Pour over fruit. Top with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown.
Serve with ice cream if desired (that negates the 'healthy' dessert!)
Yield: 12 - 15 servings.