Strawberry Jam Buttercream

 

Strawberry Jam Buttercream (enough to frost 12 cupcakes)



1/3 cup strawberry jam (warm)
1/4 cup salted butter (room temp)
1/8 cup milk
1/8 tsp vanilla
3 drop pink food colouring
2 cups icing sugar

Method:
warm 1/3 cup of strawberry jam in microwave for about 30 - 40 seconds - pick out any globs of berries larger than a marble
add 1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes
add milk and vanilla and a couple of drops of food colouring - mix for a couple of seconds
add 2 cups of icing sugar
mix on low for about 1 minute, scrape down bowl then mix on medium for about 2 minutes - scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula and then whip on high for about 20 seconds...
if too thin add icing sugar by the tablespoon until it looks right, if too thick add milk by the teaspoon until it looks right.  (I ended up added about a teaspoon of milk and a teaspoon of icing sugar haha)

Place mixture in a clean re-sealable plastic sandwich bag - seal bag, cut tip off of lower corner of bag - making sure the hole would be large enough for the tip of your baby finger to fit.  Squeeze onto cupcakes.  Enjoy!

Best of Both Worlds - Creamy Unbaked Cheesecake

I took two of our family favourite no-bake cheesecake recipes (one with cream and one with sweetened condensed milk - to get the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS), added another block of cream cheese (cause who doesn't want more of that?) and reduced the overall sugar.  This cheesecake was a big hit at our house - I couldn't wait to share it with you to enjoy!

3 (8 oz) packages of light cream cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar
1 300 ml can light sweetened condensed milk (adding a little at a time)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup 36% whipping cream (beat whipping cream separately and fold it into mixture)
1 1/2 cup graham crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Crust:
(optional baking for crust ONLY) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit -
combine melted butter and graham crumbs with a fork and press onto the bottom of 10" spring-form pan, bake 10 minutes & cool completely

Filling:
beat 3 packages of room temp cream cheese until not lumpy
add lemon juice, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add sweetened condensed milk a little at a time.
In a separate bowl whip cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold into other mixture.
Pour into cooled spring form pan.
Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Top with your favourite canned pie filling and serve.