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Three Cheers for Cheesecake

Coconut Strawberry-Rum Cheesecake

How is it that something can be so tasty? So rich and creamy, my taste buds are always happy when one appears in front of me. What am I describing? Cheesecake of course!

For you purists out there, Terrie Hoelscher’s Cheesecake in a Blender Cheesecake in a Blender is classic, sweet … and delicious! “This is your basic, simple cheesecake,” says Terrie. “It’s rich, dense and very easy to make.” The crust is very different from your traditional graham cracker, but I have to say that it was a unanimous hit among the Kitchen Crew. The wonderful flavors of the cheesecake are allowed to shine through in this recipe and, honestly, I couldn’t ask for much more. Including making it in a blender!

One taste of Ilean Maite Benvenuti’s Chocolate Chip Cheesecake with Oreo Crust and you’re going to find yourself keeping all these ingredients on hand for future cravings. “So creamy it melts in your mouth,” says Ilean. This is a tasty treat when your sweet tooth comes calling.

Fancy fruit on your cheesecake? Well, Gina Gonzalez’s Coconut Strawberry-Rum Cheesecake may be right up your alley. Gina got a little creative with her recipe and combined the best of a few coconut cheesecake recipes she found. We think she succeeded in creating one great cheesecake! The addition of that tasty coconut milk definitely made this one creamy cheesecake.

What happens when you combine chocolate, peanut butter and more chocolate? You get Beth Ferrell’s Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake Squares. (And a house full of happy guests after you serve these!) Beth’s husband couldn’t decide what snack he wanted so she came up with this. I gave a piece to my husband and he hasn’t been the same since. This is definitely one husband worthy dessert.

I have found a few no bake cheesecake recipes that I love too. No bake, what could be easier?!

“No bake, that’s the story here,” says Nancy Manlove when talking about her Decadent Trio Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake recipe. “Grand kids licked their forks and plates!” Not going to lie … the Kitchen Crew licked the bowl after making this one too. This is a really rich and thick chocolate cake. A small piece will go a long way. But you’ll still find yourself wanting seconds.

“I’ve been making this ‘pie’ for over 35 years and it’s still the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted,” is how Natasha Nalley describes her No Crust Cherry Cheesecake. Wow, delicious cheesecake just got easier! This is a terrific recipe to throw together in a pinch. It also works as a great “foundation” recipe that you can jazz up to your liking. I made this for some gluten-free friends of mine and it was a huge hit.

To have a crust or not have a crust? Add chocolate? Swirl some fruit? With only a few ingredients, the possibilities are endless. What concoctions can you come up with? In my house, there’s always room for cheesecake!