Summer is Alive Again, Yey!

By: Sarah

 

Beach days, sandals/flipflops, capri/shorts, tanks, ice creams, vacation… the very summer things (when livin’ is easy) we look forward to. It’s finally happening, we’ve been hurrying the days June shows up in our calendar, hello Summer of 22! We always believe Summer is that time of year when stress doesn’t exist and everybody wants to have some fun. Let it be. Let the good times roll. Get refreshed, get revitalized, and just be optimistic (we will get through all these sad news, Covid spike, rising gas prices and travel inflation concerns, etc.). It’s time to get together with friends and families and not being worried about it. And enjoy the best of summer foods — from grilled meats to juicy watermelon to sweet corn an d yes, no-bake desserts.

The very thing we really, really don’t feel like doing on a sweltering summer day is using the oven and turn the kitchen into a furnace by cooking something or baking a cake. Invoke: No-bake desserts, like my all-time favorite warm-weather dessert, No Bake Cheesecakes. You don’t need an oven so it’s quick and easy to whip up. You can choose to be meticulous- crazy Chef food preps or contend with opening canned fruits/fruit pie filling and using boxed graham cracker crumbs.

Presenting/sharing this month’s featured recipe is my No-bake Peach cheesecake… is perfect for the summer, not heavy on stomach easy to make, like I want/prefer always portable to bring to parties (in disposable tubs or foil pans) YUMMY DELICIOUS!

NO-BAKE PEACH CHEESECAKE

The press-in graham cracker crust and cream cheese filling are finished with canned peach slices and firm peach syrup glaze, making this no-bake peach cheesecake basically the easiest dessert ever. And you can even make another batch and omit peaches and just top the cheesecake with store-bought canned strawberry pie filling, presto!

The base:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped cashews
1/2 cup (a stick) butter, melted
The filling:
8 oz (1 brick) cream cheese, softened
1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon brandy (optional)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin, dissolved in 1/3 cup water
Summer is Alive Again, Yey!
The topping:
Canned sliced peaches
1 envelop unflavored gelatin, dissolved in reserved peach syrup

Preparation:

The base: Pour graham cracker crumbs into a bowl together with melted butter and mix well. Pour mixture into a 7 inch (18 cm) round springform pan and press tightly to the base. I use three (3) plastic tubs (available in Amazon) for sharing with friends and family. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

The filling/topping: Add softened cream cheese into a bowl and whisk until fluffy using a hand held mixer. Then add in powdered sugar and mix well. Whisk in heavy whipping cream and sour cream, continue beating until the mixture is a bit thicker. Microwave bloomed gelatin in water for 30 seconds and add to creamed mixture. Fold in brandy if using with a spatula. Pour the mixture in the prepared base. Smooth out the top with a spatula. For a swirled effect, I pureed some canned peach slices using a stick blender. Arrange canned sliced peaches on top. Microwave bloomed gelatin in reserved peach syrup for 30 seconds and spoon onto peach slices. Chill in the fridge 3 hours until it fully sets or overnight. If prepared in springform pan, once fully set, carefully remove cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer onto a serving plate.

Strawberry Variation: Simply top prepared cheesecake base and filling with canned strawberry pie filling. Just to elevate this simple cheesecake recipe, I opted for frozen strawberries in my freezer, no need to thaw, just wash, hull and slice in half. Whisk all in nonstick saucepan using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.

1 lb strawberries, use frozen;
don’t thaw
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in
3 tablespoons warm water

You sure can transform this easy recipe to a festive halo-halo cheesecake. Just top the prepared cheesecake with bottled halo-halo, Ube haleya and leche flan cubes. Be creative…no rules, no judgment lol!

Ahhhh, the joys of summer. And please don’t forget to buy your tickets early to Direk Gerry Rebello’s ICONIC summer concert of Megastar Sharon Cuneta and Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez on July 15, 2022 at the Copernicus Theater (call Gerry Rebello 773-677-3403 for tickets). Remember summer means spending more time outside… walk, swim, explore, visit, have fun with the ones you love…no matter what you decide, make Summer memorable, unforgettable and FUN!