Berry Cheesecake Pie

This looks a bit complicated but is well worth the effort!

Berry Cheesecake Pie - Crust

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons fruit sugar
1 tablespoon VE Lemon Chiffon Dip Mix
1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1. In food processor, combine butter, sugar and lemon zest. Pulse until well mixed.
2. Add flour and process until mixture holds together.
3. Turn out on to floured surface and gently knead until mixture forms a ball.
4. With floured fingertips, press dough into 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate.
5. Place in freezer for 20 minutes.
6. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for about 12 minutes or until golden.
7. Let it cool completely on rack before filling it with fresh strawberries. Makes 1 pie.

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Berry Cheesecake Pie - Filling

1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon VE Lemon Chiffon Dip Mix
1/2 teaspoon VE Vanilla
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 cups halved small strawberries and blueberries

1. Beat together cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until well mixed.
2. Add whipping cream and beat just until blended.
3. Spread cheese mixture into cooled crust.
4. Top with strawberries & blueberries.
5. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

Great Mini Cheesecakes

Serves 12

4 Shortcake Biscuits, crushed or little round nillas, crushed
1 pkg. (250 g) Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese Spread
1 cup low-fat Cottage Cheese, pureed with a hand blender
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp VE Vanilla
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tsp cornstarch
1 egg
2 Tbsp your favorite VE Fruit dip (VE Summer Berry, VE Maple Spice, or VE Lemon Chiffon)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sprinkle biscuit crumbs evenly onto bottoms of a paper-lined mini cheesecake pan; set aside. 3. Beat cream cheese, cottage cheese, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer
until well blended.
4. Add sour cream and cornstarch; mix well.
5. Add egg; beat just until blended.
6. Add your VE Fruit dip flavor and mix. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake for 30 min or until centres are almost set. Cool completely.
8. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Remove cheesecakes from cups just before serving.

Jazz It Up according to your choice of fruit dip:
VE Summer Berry - fresh berries
VE Maple spice - Walnuts and drizzled maple syrup
VE Lemon Chiffon - Citrus Zest

Or try tropical fruit - Pineapple, kiwi, starfruit juice might cause problems with setting so do not put it on until right before you serve it.

Or try omitting the VE Fruit Dip and just use VE Vanilla and add crushed Oreo cookies to it and then bake as per instructions.

Kris Kringle Cookies

Yields about 6 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs
1 tsp VE Vanilla

2 cups of flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups White Chocolate
2 cups VE Cherries and Berries (chop larger pieces)
2 cups of chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds)

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar, with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and VE Vanilla; beat until well blended.
4. Add flour and baking soda; mix well.
5. Stir in white chocolate, VE Cherries and Berries and chopped nuts.
6. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
7. Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes then remove from baking sheets. Cool completely on wire racks.

Chocolate Cheese Ball

1 (250gm) pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (NOT margarine)
1/2 tsp VE Vanilla
3/4 cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup VE White Belgian Chocolate
1/4 cup VE Milk Chocolate
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts

1. Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.
2. Gradually add in VE Vanilla, icing sugar and brown sugar
3. Stir in VE White Belgian Chocolate, VE Milk Chocolate and nuts.
4. Form into a ball, if too soft you may refrigerate for 30 minutes then form into a ball
5. Once formed into ball wrap in plastic food wrap and chill for at least 2hrs before serving.
6. Serve with chocolate wafers.
7. May be frozen for future use.

Option: Add 1 Tbsp VE pure Cocoa to mixture to make it extra chocolatey or dust cheese ball with VE Pure Cocoa.

Toffee Maple Fruit Dip

A great fruit dip or topping for ice cream.

1 Tbsp VE Maple Spice Dip Mix
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp VE Vanilla
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup Skor toffee bits

Mix ingredients together and place in fridge overnight to allow flavors to meld together.

Oven Baked Rice Pudding

4 servings

1/3 cup short-grain rice
3 cups hot milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/8 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 tsp VE Vanilla
1/4 tsp VE Poudre Douce

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. In greased casserole dish add rice, milk, sugar, butter and raisins. Stir to mix.
4. Place in oven and bake, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours, being sure to stir approximately every 30 min.
5. Remove from oven and stir in VE Vanilla.
6. Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle tops with VE Poudre Douce.