{Tell All Tuesday}

 I have two things to share with you today:

Ornaments on our tree and two amazing Cheesecake recipes!

I thought I would share with you some of my favorite ornaments on our Christmas Tree:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

And I just had these pillows made...AND I LOVE THEM!!!

Can you tell I like, Red?

The Recipes~

 A few years back I bought one of Paula Deen's Christmas Magazines...since it had some wonderful recipes in it, I thought it would be a great choice to add to my dessert collection.

That year, I did make the Key Lime Mouse Cheesecake and it was a huge hit.

I was told I should have made more... Well that made me feel good because I stayed up really late on Christmas Eve making it!

(actually I should add--my husband stayed up and helped me. What a great husband I have!)

 Then....

Last night as I was going through my recipes I ran across these two cheesecake recipes that I had made in the past. I decided that this Christmas I was going to make both of them again.

I took a picture of the cake in the magazine so you could see how yummy they really look!

Key Lime Mouse Cheesecake

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake

 

Don't they look amazing?

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake

1 (16-ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups fresh cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup cranberry preserves, melted (optional)

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook cranberry sauce, 35 minutes, stirring frequently, or until reduced to 1 cup. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter.
Press firmly on bottom and 1-inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in melted chocolate.
Spoon 1/2 of batter into prepared pan. Spread reduced cranberry sauce over batter. Top with remaining batter. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack. Chill 8 hours before serving. Garnish with fresh cranberries, and brush with melted preserves, if desired. Cheesecake can be made ahead and frozen up to 1 month.

  

 Key Lime Mouse Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:
6 Tbs. fresh Key lime juice (can use bottled)
1 1/4-ounce package (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
10 (1 oz) squares white chocolate, chopped, plus 1-
1.5 oz, grated or shaved into curls
3 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened.
1 cup sugar
1/5 Tbs. lime zest

For crust, mix together cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press into the bottom of a 10 in. spring-form pan and 1 in. up the sides. Set aside.

For filling, squeeze or pour lime juice into a bowl and sprinkle gelatin in to soften. Bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan, remove from heat and add 10 oz. white chocolate, stirring until smooth. Stir in gelatin and lime juice and allow to cool. Using an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese, sugar, and lime zest. Slowly beat cooled white chocolate mixture into cream cheese mixture. Using clean, dry beaters, beat remaining 2 cups heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Fold into white chocolate mixture; then pour into pie crust. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer and run a sharp knife around inside of spring-form pan to help loosen cake. Release spring-form ring from pan, move cake to a serving plate, and grate or curl the 1-1.5 oz. white chocolate over cake. Cut into wedges with a knife that has been dipped into hot water.

Enjoy!