Blueberry Lemon No Bake Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Crumbs (about 12 cookies)
3 Tbsp Butter - Melted
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Pinch of Salt

Filling:
2 - 8 oz Packages of Neufchatel Cheese (can substitute cream cheese) - Room Temp
1 - 5.3 oz Greek Yogurt - Pour out excess liquid
3 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
1/4 Cup Confectioners Sugar

Blueberry Topping:
18 oz. Fresh Blueberries (can be made with frozen)
6 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)
Pinch of Salt
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
1 Tsp Grated Ginger

In a food processor add the sandwich cookies, butter, coconut oil and salt.  Pulse until turned into crumbs, like a wet sand.

Place mini muffin wrappers in the muffin pan. Take a tsp of the cookie crumb mixture and place in each of the wrappers. (this should be enough crumbs for 48 muffins but might need a few more cookies if you come up short).  Press down to firmly pack the crumbs into the bottom of the tray and come slightly up the sides.  Place in refrigerator (or freezer) for at least 1/2 hour.

Using a stand or hand mixer, add in the cream cheese, yogurt, honey, vanilla, salt, lemon zest and confectioners sugar.  Start on low to combine everything then turn it up to whip everything until it's light and airy, about 2-3 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, you may need a bit more sugar or lemon or even salt.

Take a small ice cream scoop (the size used to make cookies, about 1") and scoop the filling into the muffin tins.  Smooth out the filling and carve a slight indentation in the center to form a small well to hold the topping.

Place the muffin tins back in the fridge to set up.

While the filling is setting up, start on the blueberry topping.  Pick through the blueberries to make sure there are no stems or bad berries.  Rinse the blueberries and then place in a pan with lemon juice, salt, lemon zest and ginger.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the blueberries have become thick, almost like a jam.

Pour blueberries into a bowl and stir occasionally, allowing to cool completely.  When cooled, scoop about 1 tsp of the blueberry topping onto each cheesecake bite and place back into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve garnish with lemon zest.

Enjoy!  #Cheftainment

* To make these slightly healthier, I use coconut oil in the crust and neufchatel cheese in the filling. It's essentially cream cheese but sort of healthier, you honestly can't taste the difference. I also use Greek yogurt where other recipes call for cream. Again, slightly healthier but also helps keep the filling firmed up and not as loose. As for the topping, you can use cherries, peaches, whatever you want to make it delicious.

Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

Dough
1 1/2 Cup Flour - I use 50/50 AP & Whole Wheat
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Cold Butter - Cubed
1/4 Cup Cold Milk
1 - 2 tbsp Water (if needed)

Filling
3 Peaches - Peeled & Sliced

3 Nectarines - Peeled & Sliced

1 Cup Blueberries (I used frozen because that's what I had)
1 lb Strawberries - Green tops cut off and sliced
1/4 Cup Flour + 1 tbsp
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Apricot Preserves

In a food processor add the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and pulse a few times to combine.  Add in the butter cubes and pulse until a coarse meal consistency.  Add in the milk and pulse again until combined.  Should be like wet sand.  If needed add in 1 -2 tbsp of water if dough is too dry.

Pour dough out onto the counter and form into a ball.  Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While dough is in the fridge start on the filling.  In a large bowl add the peaches, nectarines, blueberries, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and mix to combine.  In batches add in the 1/4 cup flour and mix between batches to coat the fruit.  You don't want to dump it all in at once and clump up.

While the dough is resting in the fridge occasionally come back to the fruit and stir.  It will start giving off juices and you want to keep mixing to keep coating the fruit. Should be about 30 minutes.

After at least 30 minutes take the dough out and with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch consistency.  It doesn't have to be perfect and if there are holes just patch them.  It will be about 14 inches in diameter.  Place dough in tart pans (my dough made 1 large and 2 small tarts) and gently press sides into mold and make sure there aren't any air pockets on the sides.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp of flour over the dough.  Using a slotted spoon place the fruit in the center of the dough and spread out to the edges.

Place tart in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Keep an eye on it as ovens vary, may take a minute or two more or less.  You're looking for a golden crust.

When tart is out of the oven, heat up 1/4 cup of apricot preserves in the microwave until loose (about 15-30 seconds).  Brush the preserves over the tart.  Let cool for about 15 minutes and then serve.  Can also be served at room temp or topped with basil infused marscarpone cheese or vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Enjoy. #cheftainment

Peach Nectarine Blueberry Crostata

Dough

1 1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Cold Butter - Cubed
1/4 Cold Milk
1 - 2 tbsp Water (if needed)

Filling

3 Peaches - Peeled & Sliced
3 Nectarines - Sliced
1/4 Cup Blueberries (I used frozen because that's what I had)
1/4 Cup Flour + 1 tbsp
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Apricot Preserves

In a food processor add the flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and pulse a few times to combine.  Add in the butter cubes and pulse until a coarse meal consistency.  Add in the milk and pulse again until combined.  Should be like wet sand.  If needed add in 1 -2 tbsp of water if dough is too dry.

Pour dough out onto the counter and form into a ball.  Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While dough is in the fridge start on the filling.  In a large bowl add the peaches, nectarines, blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and mix to combine.  In batches add in the 1/4 cup flour and mix between batches to coat the fruit.  You don't want to dump it all in at once and clump up.

While the dough is resting in the fridge occasionally come back to the fruit and stir.  It will start giving off juices and you want to keep mixing to keep coating the fruit.

After at least 30 minutes take the dough out and with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch consistency.  It doesn't have to be perfect and if there are holes just patch them.  It will be about 14 inches in diameter.

Spray a cooking sheet (with sides) w/ cooking spray and place the dough on the sheet.  Sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp of flour over the dough.  Using a slotted spoon place the fruit in the center of the dough and spread out, leaving about a 2" diameter to the edges.  Fold up the edges over the fruit, crimping the edges along the way, patching any holes to keep the juices in the dough while it cooks.

Place tart in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 35 minutes.  Keep an eye on it as ovens vary, may take a minute or two more or less.  You're looking for a golden crust.

When tart is out of the oven, heat up 1/4 cup of apricot preserves in the microwave until loose (about 15-30 seconds).  Brush the preserves over the tart.  Let cool for about 15 minutes and then serve.  Can also be served at room temp or topped with basil infused marscarpone cheese or vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Enjoy.