'Tis the season for good food and great company. My wonderful cousin and younger sister, traveling from Oregon, paid the BF and I a visit, and we showed them a few of our favorite local spots. Even though I had to work for clients while they were here, we managed to squeeze in much fun.

One day, we visited the Cantor Museum and Rodin Exhibit on the Stanford University campus. On another, we walked up and down Palo Alto's University Avenue and had dinner at a delicious Menlo Park Turkish restaurant.

The last day, we took our choco-lab Marlowe and walked around Bol Park, aka "Donkey Park" (Perry was the model for "Donkey," voiced by Eddie Murphy, in the film Shrek), and ate lunch at Thai Bistro on California Avenue. In the evening we made gingerbread cake topped with eggnog whipped cream along with spiralized celeriac latkes [Ed. note: I don't think we ate it in that order?], and watched a superb documentary called Shanghai Ghetto.

When they left, while cousin and sister went up the long escalator at a local Bart station, Marlowe let out the most woeful cries as they slowly disappeared from view. [Ed. note: We'll forward the therapy bills.]

My cousin is an expert beekeeper and gifted us with the most amazing raw honey, which we can't stop dipping into. She also gave us homemade lemongrass soap and lip balm, as well as some sinfully good Burnside Distillery small-batch bourbon, which kept everybody warm! [Ed. note: Can confirm.]

My sister is very knowledgeable and talented with rocks, stones and gems. She gave us beautiful hand-engraved stones that say "Shalom" and "DZ," which now rest proudly on the kitchen window sill that I work in front of every day. More significantly, she also gave me custody of our mom's engagement ring (we trade off every year), which was was so brilliantly polished and shiny it practically glittered. She is also adept in the landscaping arts, and got to work in the backyard well before unpacking. (She makes up for my black thumb.)

Marlowe is always a happier camper when she has a "pack," and as usual the did the nighttime "rounds," visiting the visitors as they slept.

Life is good when these girls are with us. ​

And it wouldn't be a family gathering without dessert, so for December: peppermint! It just says winter to me.​

This cheesecake is almost too easy. No baking, no sugar, low carb and comes together in about 15 minutes. With a crust that tastes like Oreo cookies, it was the most popular dessert of the visit, even though we had plenty of other desserts with real sugar. There's only a slight change to the original recipe (upped the whipping cream from 2 tablespoons to 4), as I like a fluffier mousse-like cheesecake. Also added a pinch of salt to the crust. Should also note that I used my favorite brand of sugar substitute called Swerve, but you can use whatever you like.

Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food
Number of servings: 16

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 ¼ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill Super Fine was used here)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• Sweetener equivalent to ¼ cup sugar (Swerve brand was used here)
• 4 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Peppermint Cheesecake

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• Sweetener equivalent to ¾  to 1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup)
• ½  cup sour cream, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring to taste (use natural food coloring if possible)

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• Sweetener equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar (powdered or liquid sweetener works best)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, melted (optional)
• 4 sugar-free peppermints, crushed (optional)

Directions
Crust

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, melted butter and salt until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9×9-(or 8×8)-inch square pan.

Peppermint Cheesecake

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until smooth. Beat in sour cream, whipping cream, and extracts until combined.
2. Add red food coloring and beat until desired color is achieved.
3. Carefully spread filling over crust.

Topping

1. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over filling.
2. Chill cheesecake for at least 3 hours, until set.
3. Drizzle with melted chocolate and crushed candies, if desired.
4. Cut into 16 bars. Or cut into smaller bites for a holiday dessert tray.

NOTE: I found it worked best if you placed individual squares of cheesecake on plates and then drizzle with chocolate right before serving. This cheesecake keeps well for three days in the fridge.

The BF and I recently had a wonderful dinner at a neighbor's house. Husband and wife (turns out she and the BF went to the same university and graduated a year apart) and their two adorable children. The wife made a special request for something sugar-free and low carb, something I always try to pull out of the proverbial hat over the holidays.

So besides the normal sugar-full monstrosity that sent the kids (and BF) spinning [Ed. note: GERPH SNORG FLEEGLE NOP], I presented a version of this pumpkin cheesecake to the wife.

"Honey, you have to try this," she gasped at her husband. Soon, everybody was taking a small forkful.

The husband and my BF, bless them, went from sumptuous satisfied grins to quizzical bewilderment. The husband cocked his head, "This is...sugar...free?" No wonder, it really did taste like a decadent cheesecake.

The BF likes to say these are "weapons." [Ed. note: As in, people, including or especially kids, will not question whether or not the dish has a particular ingredient until you tell them.] When time allows, I experiment and make us sugar-free-grain-free-low-carb desserts (or similarly constructed main dishes) and the BF will say, "It's okay, but it tastes healthy." Kiss of death. So when something gets the "weapon" seal of approval, it must be shared. The pumpkin cheesecake will definitely make an appearance on this year's Thanksgiving dessert table.

Many have even asked me to post more sugar-free, low carb desserts, so rest assured, there will be more to come.

A big reason why this cheesecake and other such desserts can now be made: sugar substitutes have come a long way in the last 30 years. Had never found one that I liked for baking, until stumbling on a product called Swerve (swervesweet.com/products), which comes in granulated, powdered-confectioners, or brown form. This is not a sponsored post, simply have made countless desserts with it and the performance screams "real thing." Will bet you can't tell the difference.

You can purchase Swerve online, or I have been lucky enough to find in my local grocery store. Am sure you could try a different brand, but I highly recommend this one and can't vouch for other brands in the final outcome of this particular dessert.

The original recipe for this mini cheesecake says it serves two, but for the aforementioned dinner it was cut into four small pieces and was a perfect ending to the meal. Made a few tweaks to the original recipe from the blog All Day I Dream About Food: upped the cream cheese filling just a bit and doubled the whipped cream topping.

For people who count their Net Carbs, half of this cheesecake is only 3 Net Carbs.

Number of servings: 2 large or 4 small
Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food for Swerve, The Ultimate Sugar Replacement
(swervesweet.com/products)

Ingredients
Crust

• 3 tablespoons almond flour (Bob's Red Mill super fine was used here)
• 1 tablespoon Swerve (granular)
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons melted butter

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ tablespoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• 2 ½ tablespoons pumpkin puree 
• 1 ½ tablespoons beaten egg (reserve remaining egg for another use, like an omelet!) 
• ½-¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• Dash vanilla extract

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 4-inch springform pan. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, Swerve, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until it begins to clump together. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake 8-10 minutes. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.

Filling

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300 °F. 
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined. 
3. Spoon the batter over the crust and smooth the top. Bake 20-30 minutes, until edges are set and the center just jiggles slightly when shaken. Remove and let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least one hour. Run a sharp knife around sides of the pan before releasing the spring.

Topping

1. Whip the cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over the chilled cheesecake.

So, the last few weeks have been challenging. Found out that pain from my neck, down my shoulder, radiating down to my fingers was the result of pinched-nerve and mild-bone-spur issues. Not fun.

So grateful for the BF, who has been heroically helping me with everything, including the many things you can't do with one hand, such as opening jars, schlepping 50-pound food-filled bins in heavy glassware, fastening a bra hook. Good times.

It was a week where a cheesecake must be made. [Ed. note: Or a day ending in "y."] 

The original recipe comes from Stella Parks of Serious Eats, and to be clear, this is not your traditional New York dense cheesecake. This particular cheesecake is creamy, fluffy and has an acutely concentrated blueberry flavor. Bodes well considering the hot summer months that will be here soon. This will be a go-to dessert for my clients.

I realize it's often said, "Hey folks this dish is really easy to make," but consider I made this for Memorial Day with one hand. It was also a hot day and I didn't have to even bake the crust. Can't wait to try the freeze-dried strawberry and mango versions.

As Stella Parks says in her blog, "Unlike fresh fruit purée or jam, freeze-dried fruit has no water or added sugar, so it packs a concentrated flavor that won't throw off the consistency or sweetness of the no-bake cheesecake filling. And thanks to the low-temperature processing method, freeze-dried fruit has the same bright flavor as fresh, not the semi-caramelized profile of a stovetop reduction."

Adapted from: Stella Parks, Serious Eats
​Number of servings: 8-12

Ingredients
Crust

• 8 ¾ ounces graham cracker or Biscoff crumbs, for this recipe chocolate graham crackers were used (about 2 cups; 250g)
• 2 ½ ounces unsalted butter, melted but cool (about 5 tablespoons; 70g)
• Kosher salt, to taste

Filling

• 5 ¼ ounces sugar (about ¾ cup; 150g)
• 2 ½ ounces freeze-dried blueberries, see picture after recipe (about 3 cups; 70g)
• 16 ounces plain, full-fat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia (two 8-ounce packages; 455g)
• 1 ½ ounces fresh juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons; 45g)
• ¼ teaspoon coriander powder
• ⅛ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume
• 14 ounces heavy cream (about 1 ¾ cups; 395g)

To Serve

• 12 ounces fresh fruit (about 2 cups; 340g), washed and dried

Directions
Crust 

1. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl, then stir in a pinch of salt to taste.
2. Sprinkle into a 9-inch tart pan or pie plate, spread into an even layer, then compress firmly with a flat-bottomed drinking glass or measuring cup; this will naturally push the crumbs up the sides of the pan. Keep pressing until the crumbs are in a compact, even layer across the bottom and sides of the pan.
3. Refrigerate until needed (wrapped in plastic, this can be done a day or two in advance).

Filling

1. In the bowl of a food processor, grind sugar and freeze-dried fruit until powdery and fine, about 1 minute.
2. Combine cream cheese, blueberry-sugar, lemon juice, coriander powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
3. Mix at low speed to form a thick paste, then increase to medium speed and beat until soft and smooth. Scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula, then switch to the whisk attachment.
4. Add the cream, mix on low speed to combine, then increase to high and whip until the mixture can hold stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes depending on the horsepower of the mixer.
5. Scrape into the prepared crust and spread into an even layer, using the back of a spoon to sculpt the filling into swoops and swirls. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until filling is firm and cold, about 6 hours, or to an internal temperature of 40 °F.

To Serve

1. Top with fresh fruit and cut into wedges with a hot chef’s knife (rinse it under hot running water between each slice). Carefully slide a pie server under the crust, making sure it reaches all the way to the tip of the wedge (the first slice will the most difficult and messy to remove). Wrapped in plastic, leftovers can be refrigerated keep up to one week.

NOTES:

• Chocolate graham crackers were used here, but what I really wanted was dark chocolate wafers (my store was out).
• This recipe is for a 9-inch tart or pie pan. I cut the recipe in half and used a 7-inch pie pan.
• This recipe works well with an equal weight of any freeze-dried fruit, but their volume will vary by type, and some fruits (such as raspberry) will benefit from sifting before use.
• For strawberry cheesecake, replace the coriander with an equal amount of five-spice powder.
• For cherry cheesecake, replace the coriander with  almond extract.
• For mango cheesecake, replace the coriander with ⅛ teaspoon cardamom.
• For banana cheesecake, replace the coriander with ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.
• For cranberry cheesecake, replace the coriander with ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and use an equal amount of orange juice in place of lemon.
• With any version, an equal weight of Oreo wafers, gingersnaps, or other cookies can be used in place of the grahams.

November, 1995. It was my BF's birthday (he was not the BF at that time), and I remember making this first-ever attempt at baking a cheesecake. [Ed. note: To quote Private Hudson from Aliens, "Game over, man. Game over."]

Yes. This is the one. Try not to stick your fork through the screen–I dare you.

This delicious caramel bomb made repeat appearances that Thanksgiving, Chanukah and Christmas, and at different times every year after that. My mamala begged me to make it every year for the holidays, and this year I'm making it for a client's Halloween party.

The body of the cheesecake is incredibly creamy (not dense), with a touch of orange juice and a good amount of sour cream. There is a perfect crust-to-filling ratio, and the caramel apple topping is to die for (the caramel stays soft and does not stick to your teeth and harden).

Keep in mind, this makes a large cheesecake (10 inches diameter). Perfect for any get together, my favorite is to offer this at Thanksgiving.

Funny story/cautionary tale: two years ago I made this for my BF again and cut the ingredients in half to make a smaller 8-inch cake (was also going to give half to a neighbor). Just as I was presenting the entire cake to him on a platter, I dropped it. The platter broke, little shards of glass flaked all over and into the cheesecake–unsalvageable.

We stared at the floor for the longest time. Curse words seethed through clenched teeth. Tears were shed. I will not lie, this is not a 30-minute dessert. There is  preparation and time involved. (Really, you have to start making this the day before you plan on serving it.) However, the process is very straightforward and the end result is so worth the effort.

Just be careful with those glass platters!

Adapted from: Bon Appetit (September 1995)
Number of servings: 16
​
Ingredients
Crust

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 18 whole graham crackers)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 16-ounce container sour cream
• ½ cup orange or tangerine juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Topping

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 ½ pounds Fuji apples (about 4 medium), peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges
• 1 cup sugar
• ⅓ cup whipping cream

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Wrap outside of 10-inch diameter spring-form pan with 2 ¾-inch high sides with foil. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir to blend. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake crust 10 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.

Filling

1. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and cornstarch in large bowl until smooth. Add sour cream, orange/tangerine juice and vanilla and beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until blended after each.
2. Pour filling into crust. Bake cheesecake until center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. NOTE: do not overbake or bake at too high heat. If your oven runs hot and you don't adjust for that the cheesecake will not be as creamy, and it might crack. 

Topping

1. Melt butter in large skillet over high heat. Add apples, stir until apples are coated with butter, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, stir until sugar dissolves and liquid comes to boil, about 3 minutes. Strain apples, reserving liquid. Return reserved liquid to same skillet. Boil until liquid turns deep amber, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Carefully add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); whisk to blend. Return to heat and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Cool until caramel sauce is lukewarm but can still be poured.
2. Arrange apple wedges in overlapping concentric circles atop cheesecake. Pour caramel sauce over apples, covering top of cheesecake completely. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 45 minutes before serving.)
3. Remove foil from pan. Remove pan sides. Cut cheesecake into wedges.

Sticking with the strawberry theme from the last post, here's a fun single bite of goodness that has worked well for many of my Fourth-of-July catering events. There are many different ways to customize the filling (suggestions below), but the simple vanilla is a good foil for the chocolate and graham-cracker dip.

I have used gluten-free graham crackers for clients who require that; you can substitute with nuts (chopped pecans, walnuts) or even sprinkles. 

Happy Fourth!
​​
Yield: 24 strawberries

Ingredients

• 24 large fresh strawberries
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1  cup heavy whipping cream
• 2-4 Tbls powdered sugar (use a little more if mixture is too loose, adding a little sprinkle at a time.  I like mine less sweet, but it’s up to your taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla (Be creative: In place of vanilla, I have used vodka, Kahlua, Bailey’s, or espresso powder, almond extract, and most recently, I had leftover Lorann cotton candy flavored oil from another project and I used that.)
• 1 package bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• ½ pint Blueberries

 
Directions

1. Rinse and hull strawberries. Using a paring knife cut out the top and scoop part of the middle out to leave room for the filling. Cut the bottom off for a flat edge, so it can stand upright.
2. Place strawberries on a tray lined with parchment or wax paper.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whip (with an electric hand mixer) cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla or other flavoring until stiff peaks form.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture in piping bag with a very large tip (otherwise you’ll have trouble piping it out). Alternatively, you can place mixture in large Ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Refrigerate while you melt the chocolate.
5. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in your microwave for 20-second increments, stirring with a spatula until melted.
6. Place graham cracker crumbs on a plate or shallow bowl.
7. Dip strawberries halfway or on one side (see photo) into melted chocolate, letting extra chocolate drip off. Dredge the melted-chocolate dipped strawberry into graham cracker crumbs and place on to parchment-lined tray. Once you’ve dipped all the strawberries, place in freezer to set (approx. 5 minutes).
8. Time to fill your strawberries. Pipe cheesecake mixture into strawberries and top with blueberries.
9. Refrigerate until time to serve. Best served the same day.