Gluten Free Cheesecake Parfait Recipe

It's National Cheesecake Day this weekend and, though I’ve made many cheesecakes in the past, my goal was to put a new twist on the special dessert. Since we were invited to our friend Carol's home (she’s gluten intolerant), I decided to make my cheesecake gluten-free.

I made the mousse egg-free and flavored it with both raspberries and strawberries. For a contrast in texture, I added a layer of crunchy, diced yellow nectarines. And to make it look more fun, I topped the dessert cups with pistachio-flavored whipped cream and crushed pistachios. I don’t think anyone missed the crust. For those who could eat gluten, I slipped a ladyfinger cookie into the verrine. How amazing does that sound?

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe (Egg Free Dessert)

If you're searching for a no bake cheesecake recipe, look no more. It looks fancy but it's ultra easy to assemble. As a bonus, it's an egg-free dessert. So what's not to love? Give this mascarpone cheese dessert a try.

I flavored the cheesecake filling with strawberries and added bananas for a thicker texture. Instead of placing the cheesecake in a spring-form pan, I decided this time to shape the dessert in a long triangular mold I usually use for making terrines (French jellied meatloaf). I first covered the molds with store-bought Italian-style lady finger puffs and completed it with the strawberry-and-banana-flavored cheesecake filling. The presentation turned out pretty spectacular. You know the saying: you eat with your eyes first! 

Blueberry Mousse: Easy Dessert Recipe

Blueberries are finally in season, so I went to the farmers’ market and grabbed a few containers of the sweet, flavorful fruit. It was difficult, but I managed to save enough of these tiny treats to make a dessert. With fruit this fresh and flavorful, the dessert should be a showcase rather than cover up the ingredients. I think I accomplished that goal with this blueberry pomegranate mousse, and on top of that, it's so easy a little kid could do it.

To start, I blended blueberries with cream cheese. I cut the sweetness with a little pomegranate juice and pomegranate molasses and incorporated whipped cream for a light, fluffy mousse. Once the dessert cups rested long enough in the refrigerator, I garnished them with Italian pastry puffs and a few fresh blueberries. Voilà!

Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

As I mentioned yesterday, the girls are planning to prepare a scrumptious meal for Mother's Day. My mother-in-law has a sweet tooth, so we decided to surprise her with a homemade strawberry cheesecake. Well, it will be a surprise as long as she doesn’t read this!

This is not your average cheesecake. The crust is made with macaroons and the filling is flavored with both coconut extract and fresh strawberries. My cousin Tri just brought a giant case of strawberries he hand-picked himself with his wife at a “you pick’em” farm in Brentwood. The strawberries were rich in color and flavor. If the strawberries you have aren't very flavorful, you could add a few teaspoons of strawberry extract to reinforce the flavor. We taste-tested the cheesecakes this afternoon and it was a big thumbs-up. Even my little sis-in-law who's allergic to egg yolks could have some, which was quite a treat for her.

In addition to the heart-shaped cheesecake, the girls had the idea to finish the decoration by cutting the fresh strawberry halves into a heart. Isn’t it adorable?

Thousand Island Salad Dressing

For quite some time I’ve been wanting to make an egg-free version of thousand island dressing for my sister-in-law who is allergic to eggs. The dressing is usually a blend of mayonnaise, ketchup and relish, so the challenge was to find a suitable replacement for the eggs in the mayonnaise. I’ve accomplished this task in the past when making cheesecake or ranch dressing by using a combination of lecithin and xanthan gum. Lecithin is the same emulsifier that's found in eggs. I used a liquid, soy-based lecithin because it incorporates into the mixture quite easily. Xanthan gum is a great stabilizer; just mix in a little oil and you can thicken just about any dish.

So there you have it: a flavorful, egg-free, thousand island dressing. If you have anyone with egg allergies in your home, give it a try. They’ll thank you!