No-Bake Berry Cheesecake

 I was skeptical about this recipe, but it's so, so good! My daughter and her friend wanted to make an easy dessert, so they picked this recipe and made it by themselves.  It's amazing that a few simple ingredients can make such a good cheesecake.  To make it even easier, I didn't puree raspberries like the original recipe; I opted for homemade strawberry freezer jam and just garnished with raspberries.  Use any kind of jam you want. 

The original recipe calls for crushed graham crackers, but I had a box of crumbs on hand, so they just used my scale to measure out what the amount would be. You can use Neufchatel cream cheese for this.

A few days after my daughter made this the first time, she made it again with her brother.  It's a great recipe for teens or pre-teens to make by themselves.  No baking, and you only have to use the stove to melt butter (unless you're a butter microwaver).  So, I've actually not made this myself, lol.... but it was so good I have to put it on here!

No-Bake Berry Cheesecake
adapted from Blonde Kitchen

Graham Cracker Crust
157 grams graham cracker crumbs (9 regular crackers)
1/4 cup (32 g) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (113 g or 1 stick) regular (salted) butter,

Cheesecake Layer
16 ounces (170 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

about 1/3 cup berry freezer jam or homemade jam

1. Graham Cracker Crust: In a large bowl, combine graham crackers, 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, and melted butter, stirring until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. (Or, melt the butter in a big enough saucepan and mix the crust in there.) Dump the graham cracker mixture into a 8×8 baking dish. Press the mixture down with your hands to create an even layer. Freeze for 10 minutes.

2. Cheesecake: In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, stirring until smooth. (A hand mixture works well for this.)  Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the graham cracker crust.

3. Dollop spoonfuls of the jam on top of the cheesecake. Use a skewer or knife to make swirls. Freeze uncovered for 1-2 hours or until set.  When no longer soft, cut with a sharp knife or brownie cutter.  Store in the fridge.  

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Mirabelle Plum Jam

I love this recipe from David Lebovitz.  I made his Red Plum & Strawberry Jam last year, but didn't get around to blogging about it (I think I didn't get a chance to take pics, but maybe they're around somewhere.  If so, I'll post that recipe too).

Anyway, I first made this with just regular yellow plums from my wild yard.  But then, I realized that we have a plum tree that I'm pretty sure is a Mirabelle plum tree!  I made the jam again with those plums and it was even better than the regular yellows.  It tastes honeyed.  I added vanilla and I loved that addition.  I made extra and put it in the freezer, so I hope it freezes well.

Note: this recipe also works with regular yellow plums.

David Lebovitz's Mirabelle Plum Jam
adapted from David Lebovitz

1 pound (450g) mirabelle plums
2/3 cups (130g) sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
optional: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kirsch, eau-de-vie or vanilla extract

1. Pit the mirabelles. I found the best way to do this was use my cherry pitter.  My plums were small enough.  After pitting, I cut each one in half.

2. Put the pitted plums in a non-reactive saucepan. Add enough water so it’s about 1/4-inch (a scant 1cm) deep in the pan. Cover and cook over medium heat, until the mirabelles are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. (At this point, you can choose to blend some of the mixture up with an immersion blender.  I did this with one batch, and left one batch "whole".  If you don't blend, it's still very good and more like preserves, as it's very chunky.  Both ways are good, though.)

3. Add the sugar and lemon juice and continue to cook the mirabelles over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid looks syrupy and thick. If you want to check it for doneness, you can turn it off and put a dab on a chilled plate in the freezer and check it in a few minutes, when it’s cold: if it wrinkles when you nudge it, it’s done. If using a candy thermometer, the jam will set at around 218-220ºF (103-104ºC). (I found mine set around 210-212.)

4. Remove from heat, add the kirsch, eau-de-vie or vanilla, if using, and balance the flavor with a little bit more lemon juice, if desired. (When cool enough to taste.) Pour the jam into a clean jar, cover, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Storage: The jam will keep in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. (I stuck one jar in the freezer, but haven't pulled it out yet to see how well it freezes.)

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Mulberry, Raspberry & Blueberry Freezer Jam

In a grocery store parking lot around here, there are a few big mulberry trees.  They have sweet fruit; there are a lot of mulberry trees around here where the fruit is more sour/tasteless.  My neighbor said the sour ones are called "white mulberries".  But I forgot what the "sweet" ones are called.  Anyway, the sweet ones are more rare here.  There's wild white trees up around where I live, but I went to the grocery store parking lot recently and harvested some there.  I wanted to make jam.  I knew I didn't get enough to make a batch, so I bought some fresh raspberries to use as well.  It turns out I didn't have enough of those, either, so I threw in a few blueberries.  Hence, mulberry, raspberry and blueberry jam was born.  :)

Mulberry, Raspberry & Blueberry Freezer Jam
adapted from Ball

mulberries, raspberries and blueberries- enough to equal 1 2/3 cups crushed fruit
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin (pic below)

1.  Crush fruit.  Crush one layer at a time using a potato masher.  A large dinner plate works well to set it on as you're crushing.  Measure out exactly 1 2/3 cups of crushed fruit.

2.  Stir sugar and pectin together in a large bowl. Add crushed fruit; stir three minutes.  Ladle into clean freezer containers and let stand 30 minutes.  Store in the fridge.  If storing longer than 2 weeks, store in the freezer.  Enjoy.

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Fig & Balsamic Jam

We have a few fig trees in our new yard here.  They were ripe when we moved in (over a month ago!) but we were so busy we didn't do much with them, except eat a few (two of our sons love fresh figs).  There were so many they couldn't keep up, though, and sadly, a lot of them rotted on the tree. Then, a friend who also lives in Italy posted on Facebook that she made some fig jam with her neighbor's figs, and I thought it would be a shame to let all of mine go to waste. So she inspired me to make jam the very next day.  I hope I'm not posting this too late; this was made about 2 weeks ago, and I think the fig season is over now, here, at least. Hopefully somebody can still use this recipe.  :)  

I was going to make the same recipe my friend posted, but I didn't have enough fresh lemon juice on hand.  So I had the idea to search for a Balsamic Vinegar jam recipe and was happy to find this one! It smelled pretty "earthy" when it was boiling away, but it tastes awesome; not earthy, and not even vinegary; it's nice and sweet.  The Balsamic adds a really nice flavor.  I also added a few cinnamon sticks to the mixture.

This jam is really good on bread, but I also want to try it paired with different cheeses.  Fig jam always reminds me of fall.  :)  My 3-year old absolutely LOVES this jam.

Fig & Balsamic Jam

adapted from Food

2 lbs fresh figs, (any variety) stems removed and coarsely chopped (do not peel)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (use a good-quality sweet balsamic)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1.  Combine the figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and a cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the pan (optional). Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring to break up the large pieces of fig, until the jam reaches 220 degrees F. Remove from the heat. (I just cooked until about 215, because it was super thick already.  I would just cook to whatever consistency you like in jam.  At 215, the jam is not runny at all.)   At this point, you can choose to puree with a stick blender or leave chunky.  I made this 8/2015 and pureed it and I really, really prefer the smooth, pureed version.

2.  Remove the cinnamon sticks and stir in the lemon juice to taste. Spoon the jam into a canning jar or other storage container, cover, and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 1 month. (Store in the freezer for longer, probably up to one year.)

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Strawberry Freezer Jam (Using Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin)

My fam loves strawberry freezer jam, and I love this new method to make it- I use Ball Instant Pectin and it calls for WAY less sugar than Sure-Jell, which I can't even buy here anyway.  (I buy mine from Amazon, but I saw it at WalMart in the States last summer.)  It's so easy too; you don't even have to cook the pectin like other recipes.  Just stir together sugar and pectin, add crushed fruit, and stir for three minutes.  I love it!  

To make this jam, we used delicious, fresh, local strawberries from the Farmer's Market mentioned in this post.   The berries alone were delicious.  And of course, we had to get doughnuts as big as our heads again. 

**NOTE- Ball discontinued it's Instant Pectin in 2024. This recipe will not work with a pectin you have to cook. Please use the correct recipe for the pectin you are using. Recipes are usually included in the pectin packet. I'm leaving this recipe up because I want to; don't use this recipe with the incorrect pectin and leave a nasty comment. For the love.**

Strawberry Freezer Jam (Using Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin)

adapted from Ball

makes about 2 cups; easily doubled

1 2/3 cups crushed strawberries (measure exactly)

2/3 cup granulated sugar (measure exactly)

2 Tablespoons Ball RealFruit Instant Pectin

1.  Stir sugar and pectin in a large bowl.  Add fruit; stir 3 minutes.  Ladle jam into clean freezer containers; let stand 30 minutes.  Enjoy or freeze for up to one year.  

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**

Strawberry-Raspberry Freezer Jam

I tried a new-to-me pectin; this Ball Instant Pectin, the other day, to make this jam.  (Pictured below).   I was able to order it online, but I saw it in some stores in the States, too, this summer (um... Walmart....).  I think it was cheaper in the stores, too.  I'm just happy to get it at all!  It uses a lot less sugar than some other kinds.  And you don't have to heat up anything at all to make this; just mix sugar, pectin, and chopped fruit, and you're pretty much done!  I used frozen raspberries for this recipe, and loved how it turned out.  I let them thaw in the fridge first, and used all the juices and everything.  I'm so happy to know I can use frozen raspberries for jam!! 

I doubled the batch, according to the package directions (apparently it's ok to double batches using this pectin, but don't increase it any more than that).  I had wanted to use half raspberries, half strawberries, but to my my dismay, one 12-oz package of frozen raspberries only equalled about exactly one up, after thawing and mashing.  So I guess I should buy more next time! 

Anyway, I'll post the regular batch (NOT double, like I did) recipe below.

Strawberry-Raspberry Freezer Jam
adapted from Ball Pectin

1 cup strawberries, hulled and crushed*
2/3 cup raspberries, crushed**
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons Ball Instant Pectin

1.  Stir sugar and pectin together in a large bowl.  Add prepared fruit; stir 3 minutes.  Ladle jam into clean freezer jars or containers.  Let stand for 30 minutes; enjoy.

2.  Store in fridge for a few weeks.  If not using right away, store in freezer.  This recipe doubles very easily.
*Fruit is measured after being chopped/crushed.  Measure very precisely.
**Frozen raspberries may be used.  Thaw (in fridge) and do not drain before using.  I have not tried frozen strawberries, but those may work as well!

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Strawberry-Blueberry Freezer Jam

I've already made two batches of freezer jam this summer; regular strawberry, and more recently, this Strawberry-Blueberry combination.  I really loved this one.  It's the first time I've been able to do blueberry successfully- I just didn't know what I was doing before, I think. 

I love eating this with plain Greek yogurt- shown above.  I always eat it with my granola, too.  It's always good on waffles or pancakes, as well, or just plain toast.

Yes, this jam has a lot of sugar, like many freezer jams.  I recently found some other pectin and it appears one can use less sugar with that, but I haven't used it yet.  My mom was nice enough to send me some SureJell pectin, and I've been happily using that.  So SureJell is what this recipe calls for.  If you want to make it with another brand, find another recipe, because this one probably won't work with another brand of pectin. 

Strawberry-Blueberry Freezer Jam
from Kraft

1-1/2 cups crushed fresh strawberries (measured after crushing)
1 cup crushed blueberries (measured after crushing)

4-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 pkg. SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin (yellow box)

1.  Rinse 6 clean (1-cup) (or 3 clean 2-cup) plastic containers and lids with boiling water (or wash in top rack of dishwasher). Dry thoroughly. Mix fruit in large bowl. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally. 

2.  Mix water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 min. Add to fruit mixture; stir for 3 min. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) 

   

3.  Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. (If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using.)    

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Nectarine Freezer Jam (With Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean) (Two Recipes)

I've been obsessed with making my own freezer jams lately.  About a month ago, I made a batch of strawberry and later that same day, I tried strawberry-nectarine.  Well, the nectarines I've had this last summer were sooo good; I wanted to preserve some of that flavor.  I made this a few weeks ago- we're still getting nectarines, but they're not as good as they were at the beginning of September, when I made this.  If you are still getting good ones, I encourage you to make this!  You don't even have to peel them- it's very quick to put together.  The recipe I used included a bit of cinnamon, and I added the insides from one vanilla bean, as well, to get those yummy little vanilla-bean specks.  This smells like warm peach or nectarine crisp with vanilla ice cream.... it is so good!

The bread product in these pictures is the Portuguese version of English muffins.... Bolo Levedo.  They are very good- way bigger than our English muffins too.  Here's a beautiful picture I found on Flickr.  I love them.

Like most freezer jam recipes, don't reduce the sugar here..... it's a lot of sugar, but it is needed for the jam to set up properly and be preserved properly.  You can find reduced-sugar pectin, but I can't really get that here (and the recipe would be different).  I just used the regular (yellow box) Sure Jell full-sugar pectin.  They also make a lower-sugar pectin in a pink box.  This link has a few different types; this recipe uses the one at the top.  Don't try to make this recipe with a different type of pectin because I'm not sure it will work. 

Note:  September 2012 I tried the recipe from the box of Sure Jell Pectin; it actually is the recipe for peach jam (but I used nectarines) and includes a little more fruit and less sugar than the first recipe listed here on this post.  It turned out just as good and looked the same; I still added cinnamon and vanilla bean to it.  I will post that recipe below my original one, below. 

Nectarine Freezer Jam (With Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean)
from Cooks.com

2 1/4 cups finely chopped or lightly pureed nectarines (about 2 lb.)
5 cups sugar
1 tsp. fresh grated lemon peel, optional
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
1 (1 3/4 oz.) box powdered pectin (Like Sure-Jell yellow box)
3/4 cup water

1.  In large bowl, mix nectarines, sugar, optional lemon peel, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla bean seeds; let stand 10 minutes.

2.  In small saucepan, stir pectin and water over medium heat until mixture boils; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir into nectarine mixture; stir 3 minutes.

4.  Ladle into plastic freezer containers or hot sterilized jars. Cover tightly. Let stand at room temperature until set; may take up to 24 hours. Store in freezer for one year or in the fridge for about 3 weeks.  Makes about 3 pints.

Recipe 2: Nectarine Freezer Jam with Cinnamon & Vanilla Bean
adapted from KraftRecipes

3 cups prepared fruit (about 2 lb. fully ripe nectarines)

4-1/2 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

one vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used roasted cinnamon)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup water

1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

1.  RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly. 

   

2.  SLICE and pit nectarines. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 3 cups prepared nectarines into large bowl. Add sugar, lemon juice, vanilla beans and cinnamon; mix well. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.

    

3.  MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min. Add to nectarine mixture; stir 3 min. or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.) 

   

4.  FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

 

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Strawberry-Nectarine Freezer Jam

I love freezer jam, and so does my whole family.  Usually, I just make strawberry.  Although I have made a few different kinds in the past, including plum, blueberry, and peach.  I think I just didn't know what I was doing back then, but the peach turned out way too runny.  The blueberry had a weird texture, maybe from the blueberry skins?  I don't remember much about the plum; these were all at least 7 years ago.  But I've always had success with strawberry. 

I did make a batch of plain strawberry last weekend, but then I got the hankering for something a little different.  I wanted to try making just nectarine, because I love nectarines and have been getting good ones here.  At the last minute I chickened out though, going with strawberry-nectarine, because I know that my strawberry always turns out, at least!  I thought that by combining the two fruits, I'd have more success.  And this jam is SO GOOD!!  It set up just perfectly.  I adapted a recipe for peach-strawberry.  I did not bother to peel my nectarines. 

Next up, I want to try just nectarine freezer jam.  I've eaten a nectarine (or two) almost every day for the past 2-3 months; I love them so much and want to get my fill before they're gone for the year.  If I made nectarine jam, I could preserve that wonderful flavor just a little longer.  :)  In the meantime though, I'll be content with this delicious jam.  It's so good, I ate a bunch of it on just crackers today.  :)

For freezer jam, always measure out your fruit and sugar exactly.  Fruit should be measured after preparing (chopping, crushing, whatever), not before.  Don't try to reduce the sugar (I know it's a ton!) or the recipe will not turn out.  Have fun with freezer jam!  It is so easy; a batch of this only took me about 30 minutes (or less!) from start to finish.  The hardest part is preparing the fruit.

Strawberry-Nectarine Freezer Jam

adpated from Taste of Home

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries (I crush to very small pieces in the food processor; be careful not to puree)

1-1/4 cups finely chopped nectarines (I use my food processor for this too; after the strawberries)

5 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin (I used Sure-Jell in the yellow box... the only kind I can get here!)

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberries and nectarines. Add sugar; mix thoroughly and let stand for 10 minutes; stirring every once in a while.

2.  In a small saucepan, combine water and pectin. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to fruit mixture and stir constantly for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

3.   Ladle into clean jars or plastic freezer containers. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year. Yield: about 3-1/2 pints.

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Lower Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam

With another batch of local strawberries, I made some freezer jam. I love freezer jam- it's so easy, and has a fresher flavor than cooked jams. I use the Sure-Jell brand of pectin; the one for reduced-sugar recipes. Here is the recipe I use, off the Kraft website.

Reduced- Sugar Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 cups prepared fruit (buy about 4 pt. fully ripe strawberries)
3 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1 box SURE.JELL For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes Premium Fruit Pectin
1 cup water

1. RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

2. CRUSH strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. (I just use my food processor- be careful not to over-process so there are still small chunks of fruit). Measure exactly 4 cups crushed strawberries into large bowl.

3. MIX sugar and pectin in large saucepan. Stir in water. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add strawberries; stir 1 minute or until well blended.

4. FILL all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.

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