Happy National Cheesecake Day!

In honor of National Cheesecake Day and probably one of my all time favorite cakes ever, I'm sharing an old family recipe for Raspberry Cheesecake. Originally from my great grandmother and passed down through the generations. The recipe is super easy to make! It's a no bake and Gluten-Free! Even better right??!! 

What do you need to get started:

Ingredients:

Cheesecake

• 2 packages (6 ounces each) Driscoll's Raspberries
• 8 ounces white chocolate chips or white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 package unflavored gelatin
• 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 
  
• 1 bar white chocolate, for garnish
• 
  
• Crust

• 1 3/4 cups almond flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Making the Crust:

You can also use a store bought crust in the package that has already been cooked. 

Crust

1. Combine almond flour, sugar, cocoa, and melted butter in a bowl until evenly blended. Press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and refrigerate.

Cheesecake

1. Place white chocolate in a metal bowl and set over a saucepot of simmering water to melt chocolate. Stir constantly and be careful not to let any water or steam get into a bowl with chocolate. Set aside and let cool somewhat.
   Combine cold water and gelatin in a small saucepan and heat over low, stirring just until gelatin is dissolved.
   In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and gelatin mixture on medium until evenly blended. Check to be sure cream cheese mixture and chocolate are the same temperature. Mix a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the melted white chocolate until it looks shiny and smooth. Gradually add white chocolate mixture to the remaining cream cheese mixture. Mix until blended. Divide mixture evenly into 2 separate bowls.
   In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into 1 of the bowls of cream cheese mixture.
   In a blender or food processor, puree 1 package raspberries. Strain and discard seeds (you should have about 1/2 cup puree). Stir raspberry puree into remaining bowl of cream cheese mixture until evenly blended.
   Pour whipped cream mixture into the pan and spread evenly. Spoon raspberry mixture on top of whipped cream mixture and gently spread evenly. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
   Briefly wrap a warm, wet kitchen towel around the pan for a short before opening it. This prevents the cake from sticking to the sides. A hairdryer also works for this.
   Use a vegetable peeler to make white chocolate curls from a chocolate bar. Place on top of cheesecake with remaining raspberries.

All this cheesecake talk reminds me of another one of my favorite products and it goes hand in hand with today's holiday! 

This looks so good I want to eat it! It has a warm vanilla fragrance and is one of the best lip balms I've ever used. Not waxy or weird feeling on your lips, which really bothers me with most other chapsticks on the market. 

The color is light but gives you a soft pale lip tint. 

All of them have yummy names starting left to right:

Vanilla Milkshake, Raspberry Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake, Cherry Cobler, and Chocolate Truffle.....Nom Nom!! 

Here's a better look of them on the lips! 

Kiss Kiss!! 

Sea Foam Frosting Old Grandma Recipes!

Here're another one of my Grandma Marion's recipes, she loved her sweets! 

Sea Foam Frosting is light, airy, and delicious! Easy and quite quick to make! 

So to begin, you'll need a double boiler, 2 unbeaten egg whites, 1 1/2 Cups packed brown sugar, a dash of salt, 1/3 Cup of water. 

Beat over boiling water at high speed about 7 minutes or until it will stand in stiff peaks. Remove from water, add 1teaspoon vanilla and beat another minute. 

Great on cakes, cupcakes, dipping with fruits, and cookies! 

Sea Foam Frosted Cupcakes 

Crazy Cake Recipe (No Eggs, Milk, or Butter) Say!!, What???

What in the world? No eggs, milk, or butter?? How can that be?? 

Crazy Cake, also known as Wacky Cake and Depression Cake. No eggs, milk, butter, and no bowls or mixers! 

Super moist and delicious. Great activity to do with the kids. The recipe dates back to the Great Depression and was one of my Grandma's recipes. 

I didn't believe it either until I read the directions and made it myself. What surprised me the most was how good it was. I expected it to be dry and boring but it was very good. One of the easiest cakes to make, so let's get started. 

Chocolate Crazy Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups flour (all-purpose)
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 Cup sugar All purpose sugar 
•  Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp.  salt

• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil 
• 1 Cup water 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix first 5 dry ingredients in a greased 8" square baking pan.  Make 3 depressions in dry ingredients - two small, one larger. Pour vinegar in one depression, vanilla in the other and the vegetable oil in third larger depression. Pour water over all. Mix well until smooth.

Bake on the middle rack of oven for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. Cool. Top with your favorite frosting. Enjoy!

Note: Oven baking times may vary, be sure to check your cake to make sure you do not overbake.

Chocolate Crazy Cake

Vanilla Crazy Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a greased 8″ square (or round…I prefer the round, but I’ve made this in both) baking pan.

Make 3 depressions in the dry ingredients – two small and one large. Pour the vinegar and vanilla in each of the two smaller depressions, and the vegetable oil in the large one.

Pour water over the entire thing and mix until smooth.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it cool, then top with your favorite frosting and enjoy!

Vanilla Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 3 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in vanilla and 2 Tbsp. milk, adding additional milk, if necessary, for desired consistency.

White Chocolate-Amaretto Frosting

Ingredients

2 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bars

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar, divided

1/4 cup almond liqueur

Preparation:

Break white chocolate baking bars into pieces

 Melt white chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. (Do not overheat.)

 Let cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. 

Add 5 cups powdered sugar alternately with almond liqueur, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. 

Add white chocolate mixture; beat at medium speed until spreading consistency.

Spread or pipe and enjoy! 

Gluten Free Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour 2 cups Sugar 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 2 tsp Baking Soda 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Xanthan Gum 3/4 cup Oil 2 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 cups Water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda, salt, and xanthan gum together into a 9" x 13" ungreased cake pan. Make three wells; pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour cold water over all, and stir well with a fork.
3. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Let cool then frost with your favorite Gluten-Free icing!

I hope you enjoyed these old recipes! Thanks for stopping in! 

Love, Jen