Hollywood Cheesecake

I love this cheesecake recipe.  The hint of lemon makes it taste so fresh and the thin top sour cream layer is so creamy.  I topped mine with whipped cream and drizzled some of the homemade hot fudge I made for a previous recipe and it was amazing.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
3 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp butter (melted)

Cheesecake:
2 8 oz packages Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Peel (grated)
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs Separated

Top Layer:
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Almond

Directions:
Crust:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press onto the bottom of 9" springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Cheesecake:
Combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla.  Mix at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended.  Add eggs yolks, one at a time mixing well after each addition.  Beat egg whites until stiff and then add to the cream cheese mixture.  Mix well and pour over the crust.  Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.

Top Layer:
Combine sour cream, sugar and almond.  Carefully spread over cheesecake.  Continue baking for another 10 minutes.   Let cool for at least 20 minutes and loosen cake from the rim of the pan.  Chill.  Garnish with whipped topping or fruit of choice. 

Combine crust ingredients

Press into the bottom of springform pan

Add cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla to blender

Mix together and add egg yolks

Mix one at a time

Add in egg whites

Finish mixing

Remove crust from the oven

Pour cheesecake over the crust

Remove from the oven

Combine top layer ingredients

Mix thoroughly

Gently spread over the cheesecake

Cook 10 minutes and remove from oven

Serve & Enjoy!

In case you are interested in my homemade hot fudge recipe you can find it here:

Mint Fudge Brownie Parfait 

Chicken Avocado Enchiladas

I was inspired to make these from a recipe I saw on facebook, but of course I had to put my own twist on it and make it even more delicious!

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce:

2Tbsp Butter

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Chicken Stock

2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Alpine Touch (Salt & Pepper)

1 Red Pepper Chopped

1 Cup Mild Salsa

1 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

 Enchilada:

6 Chicken Tenderloins (1 Tbsp Oil)

2 Cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

2 Large Avocados (3 small)

6 Large flour tortillas (8 small)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop the chicken into small pieces.  Pour 1 Tbsp of oil into a skillet, add the chopped chicken and thoroughly brown.  Set aside.

To make the enchilada sauce: in a medium sauce pan saute' the garlic and the butter for about 1 minute on med-high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Turn heat down to medium and add the chicken stock, red pepper and seasonings, stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and mix in the sour cream and salsa.  

Prepare a 9x13 or similar size pan by spraying dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan.

To make the enchiladas lay out a tortilla and add some of the chicken, cheese and avocodo to fill the inside, roll and place the seam side down in the pan.  Repeat until the pan is full.  

Pour the remaining sauce over top of the enchiladas and add 1 Cup cheese.  Cook for 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles then turn the oven off.  Leave the pan for another 10 minutes.  Remove and serve with dollops of sour cream on top. Enjoy!

 

6 Chicken tenderloins about to be chopped

Thoroughly cook the chopped chicken

Saute' the garlic in butter in a sauce pan

Once smooth, add the sour cream and salsa to the sauce

Pour 1 1/2 Cups of the sauce into the bottom of the pan

Place the rolled up ingredient filled enchiladas in the pan over the sauce

Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and cover with a cup of cheese

Cook until the cheese starts bubbling

Serve with dollops of sour cream and enjoy!