Sometimes the hustle and bustle of concocting delicious dessert dishes for hungry sugar-starved guests make us never want to turn on the oven again. But thanks to this handy little recipe presented on CanadianLiving.com,the pressure’s off…and so is the oven.

Lime Cheesecake Squares already sound delightful, but add the term ‘no-bake’ to their name and suddenly they are one of the greatest desserts ever to hit the mixing bowls. Whip up a batch of these in a matter of minutes and let the entertaining begin!

Courtesy of hirotomo

The Things You Need:

3 packages of plain cream cheese

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs

½ cup whipping cream

1/3 cup melted butter & 1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp slivered lime and lemon rind & 2 tsp grated lime rind

¼ cup lime juice

Method:

1. Put lime and lemon slivers in a bowl of iced water and place in the refrigerator.
2. Line a 9 inch dish (preferably square) with parchment paper.
3. Combine butter and chocolate cookie crumbs in a bowl. Once thoroughly mixed, press into the pan. Refrigerate for about half an hour until firm.
4. In a fresh bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in ¼ cup of the cream, condensed milk, lime rind, juice
   

   Courtesy of star5112

   and sugar – beat until also smooth.

5. Bring back the chilled base and smooth the cream cheese mixture over top. Return to the refrigerator for about 4 hours, until all is set.
6. When set, cut into squares, or fashion into circles and place large dollops of whipped cream on-top of each. Drain the lemon and lime slivers, dry and arrange upon whipped cream; although of course, strawberries or any other kind of fruit can be used as a garnish.

Refreshingly light, yet devilishly decadent, no-bake lime cheesecake squares, circles, tiny cakes (whatever shape you wish!) are perfect for any occasion, and thanks to their easy to make recipe can be ready for any occasion at the drop of a hat!

As you know, a few days ago we published Valentine’s Day Cupcake Guide – Part 1. Now, it’s time for Part 2! Hope you like our choices!

Tart Bakery

Tart Bakery, located in Dallas, Texas was founded in November, 2004 by Executive Pastry Chef Kristen Massad, who trained at the French Culinary Institute of New York.

Kristen felt that Dallas could use a vintage bakery (everything is made completely from scratch with all-natural ingredients) with a modern touch.

Kristen’s business has grown significantly and Tart now ships goodies across the country.

Website: tartbakerydallas.com

Kara’s Cupcakes

Kara’s Cupcakes is the vision of executive pastry chef, Kara Lind.

For Valentine’s Day, Kara’s Cupcakes is offering the “Sweet Package”: a selection of four “lovely” cupcakes that will make you swoon. Presented in a custom white box adorned with Kara’s Cupcakes signature wrapping. The perfect gift for your sweetie!

Price: $15 per box

Location: Kara’s Cupcakes has five locations around the San Francisco Bay Area. More info on their website at karascupcakes.com

Dean & DeLuca

 Dean & DeLuca will be featuring the following cupcake treats for Valentine’s Day:

Melt My Heart Cupcakes: These cupcakes are filled with chewy chocolate caramel, which is sublime when gently warmed. The cupcakes are made from scratch in small batches. Made exclusively for Dean & DeLuca by Two Hearts Bakery in San Francisco. Nine cupcakes $55

Valentine Mini Cupcake Chocolates (in the image): Knipschildt Chocolatier in New York City created these chocolate confections to look just like miniature cupcakes. Three different ganache fillings: Champagne, strawberry, and passion fruit. Set of 9 $45

Website: www.deandeluca.com.

Cupcakes by Carousel

Cupcakes by Carousel is a new shop in Ridgewood, NJ.

Their Red Velvet is Oprah’s favorite in a cupcake form. They donate $1.00 per cupcake and red velvet cake with heart to the american heart association in the month of February.

Their Red Velvet cupcakes have cream cheese icing and sugar heart; their Chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes are decorated with rich buttercream topped with valentine picks or sugar hearts.

Price: $29.00 per dozen

Website: www.cupcakesbycarousel.com

Cakes for Occasions

Cakes for Occasions specializes in creating the finest gourmet cakes, cupcakes and sinfully delicious pastries. Owner Kelly Delaney and her creations have been featured in a wide range of media, including NBC’s Today Show and FOX25 Morning News in Boston.

Cakes for Occasions just came out with a heart-shaped box filled with a bakers dozen (13) mini cupcakes. The assortment of chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet cupcakes are all coated with chocolate. The delectable treats are packaged in a heart-shaped box and sell for $17.

Location: Danvers, Massachusetts. Website: www.cakes4occasions.com

– Makes eight (8) large rolls –

Ingredients:
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 pkg. active dry yeast or 2 cakes fresh yeast
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp softened butter or margarine
- ½ cup milk, scalded and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, unsifted

Filling:
- ¾ cup melted butter or margarine
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp Makara Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place warm water in large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Let stand five (5) minutes.

2. Add butter to cooling milk to allow it to soften. When cool, add milk mixture to yeast and stir well. Add eggs and stir well with wire whisk.

3. Begin adding two (2) cups all-purpose flour, mixing well with wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick cake batter. Add the two (2) cups of whole-wheat pastry flour. Mix well again until dough is quite sticky and begins to leave sides of bowl. Place the remaining all-purpose flour onto board, turn dough out and knead about ten (10) minutes until smooth and satiny, slowly adding more flour if needed. Dough should be somewhat soft and resilient, almost sticky.

4. Shape dough into ball and place in a large greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with damp towel. Let rise in warm place about 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

5. Turn dough onto large floured board. Roll out to 14×16 inch rectangle. Dough will be quite thin.

6. Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon filling ingredients. Spread entire rectangle with this mixture; it should be very glossy to produce syrup.

7. Roll rectangle tightly from long side (filling will be slightly runny and dough will be soft). Make sure seam side is on bottom. Shape with hands to make roll uniform from end to end. With a very sharp knife, cut roll into eight (8) equal portions. Place side by side, cut side down, in one well-greased or parchment paper lined, 9×13 inch metal baking pan. (Glass pans can caramelize syrup too quickly.)

8. Cover with warm, damp towel and let rise in warm place 30-40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

9. Bake preheated 350º oven about 35 minutes or until nicely browned and all the filling is bubbly. Immediately invert onto platter or cookie sheet, allowing syrup to drip from the pan onto the rolls.

About: This recipe is courtesy of Cinnabon. The recipe for Cinnabon’s World Famous Classic Cinnamon Roll is proprietary and top-secret! However, they are happy to provide you an alternative recipe for delicious, high-quality rolls, created by CinnaMom Jerilyn Brusseau herself! For more info or recipes, please visit cinnabon.com

Everything is ready. The table is set, the candles are lit, the wine is chilled, a delicious main course is warming in the oven and wafting delicious scents throughout your home. You’re dressed, primped, lip-sticked and ready to hostess what will surely be a night to remember, when all of a sudden you realized you’ve forgotten one crucial element – dessert!

Courtesy of Thea Leworthy Catering

You look frantically at the kitchen clock and suddenly dread the imminent arrival of guests and beloved friends, especially dear George who has the annoyingly polite habit of showing up at least ten minutes early to any function.

But do you throw down the oven mitts and admit defeat? Never! Instead a single word forms in your mind – meringues.

An easy, melt in your mouth dessert, these globs of heaven not only taste divine, but they look elegant on any table as well.

In short, meringues are the salvation to any dinner party dessert faux pas.

All you need to do is this:

1. Gather your ingredients.  2 egg whites, 1 cup of white sugar, and 150 mls of whipped cream.  Seriously, that’s it.

2. Place egg whites into a large bowl and whisk with an electric beater until stiff.

3. Add in sugar slowly — 1 teaspoon at a time is recommended — and continue to whisk at a high speed until all the sugar has been added.

Courtesy of shok

4. Use a large spoon to place ‘blobs’ of the mixture evenly across a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper and shape the ‘blobs’  into ovals.

5. Bake at 250 F for approximately 1 hour, or bake until the ovals can be lifted easily from the waxed paper without sticking.

(Meringues are often called the ‘Forgotten Cookies,’ because they can be left in an oven for several hours after the baking is done, without any harm.  In fact, the dryer they are, the better, so if you get engrossed in a story at the dinner table and don’t hear the calling ‘DING!’ of the oven timer, not to worry.)

6. Once the meringues have cooled, spread whipped cream on one side of an oval and sandwich together with another.

7. Arrange on a serving platter and tra-la!!! You’re done! Dessert is served! Disaster averted!  Congratulations!

Courtesy of Cake Lover

And if you have the time, as always, creativity can be added to your baking!

Place mixture into an icing tube, squiggle onto the cookie sheet and then bake.  Drizzle chocolate sauce, top with sprinkles, garnish with fruit, add nuts, COLOUR, vanilla, hazelnut or caramel extracts!

Experiment with shape; swirl, flatten, stack or cupcake!  Do whatever you wish to make these light fluffy treats a hit!

Either way, whether classically presented or creatively infused, meringues have it all, looks, taste and easy assembly.

Looking for some old-fashioned comfort food to fill your tummy as you sit by a fire with a good book? Search no further. Yams or other winter squash make this aromatic and delicious cold-weather dish more nutritious.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
· 3½ cups whole milk, divided
· ½ cup short-grain brown rice
· ¼ teaspoon sea salt
· 1½ cups peeled and diced yams
· 3 large eggs
· ¼ cup honey
· 1 tablespoon vanilla
· ½ teaspoon cinnamon
· ¹/³ cup dried cranberries

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups of the milk, brown rice, and salt. Heat to almost boiling then reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. Stir in the yams and continue to cook, also covered, until yams are tender and rice is creamy and thick, about another 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup milk, eggs, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Stir in cranberries. Gradually stir this mixture into the hot rice mixture and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

About: Chef Patty James is the co-author of  the new book More Vegetables, Please!  Throughout the book the authors, doctor and nutrition specialist Elson Haas and natural chef Patty James, offer suggestions for changing the way the vegetables are prepared, how to make healthy dishes more appealing to picky eaters, and point out which recipes are especially fun for kids who want to help in the kitchen. The book contains delicious, vegetable rich desserts that are perfect for the winter holidays.

This recipe is courtesy of The Oaks at Ojai.

Servings: 24 Serving size: ¼ cup + ½ c. raspberries Calories: 60

photo courtesy of The Oaks at Ojai

Ingredients:
16 oz. silken tofu
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 c. decaffeinated coffee
¼ c. agave

Directions:
In a food processor or blender, puree the tofu until smooth. Place the chopped chocolate cocoa powder, and coffee in a saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and mix in the agave. Stir until smooth. Add chocolate mixture to tofu and puree until well blended. Put in bowl and chill at least two hours. To serve, scoop 1/4 cup of mousse into serving dish and surround with fresh berries.

About the Source:
The Oaks at Ojai is an affordable fitness destination spa that includes overnight accommodations, three delicious and low-calorie meals a day, choice of 16 fitness classes per day and evening entertainment and seminars. The Oaks offers 46 guest rooms, including private rooms and suites, double lodge rooms and double cottage rooms. A charming 1920s hotel-turned-spa in the peaceful town of Ojai, The Oaks offers a variety of activities that allows guests to choose how to work out and take off excess pounds. Activities range from hiking, power walks and in-line skating, belly dancing, hula hoping, yoga, qi gong, water aerobics and other work out classes. A full menu of relaxing and therapeutic spa services is available as well as private consultations with a variety of health experts. The Oaks at Ojai is located at 122 East Ojai Avenue. For more information, visit The Oaks at Ojai online at www.oaksspa.com or call (800) 753-OAKS (6257).

This recipe is courtesy of Chad Carns, the author of “The Gourmet Bachelor, Global Flavor, Local Ingredients” cookbook — thegourmetbachelor.com. Thank you, Chad!

Ingredients:
– Bread Pudding
3 c milk
3 c unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 c sweetened coconut flakes
1 loaf French bread, 1-inch cubes
3 eggs
3/4 c sugar
2 T vanilla extract
1 T butter

– Mango Sauce
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
1 vanilla bean, cut open

Directions:
Bread Pudding: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk, coconut milk, coconut flakes and bread in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a small mixing bowl and then add to bread mixture. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Spoon the bread mixture into the pan. Bake on the upper rack of oven until the bread pudding has set and is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Mango sauce: Simmer ingredients for 10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Blend in a food processor until smooth. Serve pudding on a bed of mango sauce.

Pairing: Sauternes, France

Makes: 30 triangles
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1 pkg. (6.5 oz.) Alouette Berries & Cream Spreadable Cheese
18 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
12 oz. unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. confectioner’s sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F.

Lay out 3 sheets of phyllo dough. Brush 1 sheet with ½ tbsp. melted butter. Place second sheet on top. Brush top of second sheet with ½ tbsp. melted butter. Repeat with third sheet.

Cut stacked dough into 5 equal strips (approx. 2.25 inches wide).

Place ½ tbsp. Alouette Berries & Cream in center of each strip at the end closest to you. Begin folding in a triangle (in the style we fold our flag). Fold triangle over until the end of the strip. Place triangle on sheet tray end side down. Brush with melted butter.

Repeat preceding steps with remaining sheets of phyllo dough.

Place the 30 bundles on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until golden, about 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, place chocolate in a small bowl and microwave on HIGH, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer bundles to waxed paper and drizzle with melted chocolate.

Let rest for 5 minutes.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm.

About: this recipe is courtesy of Alouette Cheese. For more great Alouette recipes visit www.alouettecheese.com or follow them on Twitter @alouettecheese.

Doesn’t this sound delicious? Check it out:

Ingredients:
2 cups whipping cream, chilled
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
One 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese
One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon Amaretto or Frangelico (optional)
8 ounces soft ladyfingers (about 2 1/2 packages)
6 ounces gingersnap cookies, crushed

Directions:
Make Pumpkin Mixture: In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream and sugar until peaks form. Set aside. In another medium bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and salt. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the sweetened whipped cream. Do not over mix.

Prepare Pan: Combine the orange juice and liqueur in a shallow dish. Cut the ladyfingers in half lengthwise (some packages come pre-split). Lightly dip each piece in the orange juice and start to line the bottom of a 13”x9”rectangular baking dish, overlapping and crowding to fit. Spread half of filling over ladyfingers. Sprinkle with half of the crushed gingersnaps. Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers and filling. Save the remaining gingersnaps for garnish. Cover with plastic and chill for at least 1/2 hour.

Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle the rest of the gingersnaps on top of the tiramisu and serve.

About: Recipe adapted by Parties That Cook® from Bon Appétit magazine.

Thank you all for participating to our Kookie Stationery Giveaway. As always, it’s been fun reading your comments! Now it’s time to choose some winners! We used random.org to choose 3 random numbers. Here we go:

The winners are… comments no:

28
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Timestamp: 2009-11-14 08:08:44 UTC

Congratulations, Tonya, Nancy S. and Jessica Rogers!! To claim your Turkey cookie, please respond to our e-mail. If we don’t hear back from you within 2 days, other name(s) will be chosen.

Thanks again, my dear readers!