Leslie Karst here. I'm happy to welcome as a guest, Libby Klein, author of the fabulous Poppy McAllister Mysteries, and all-around fun gal and fabulous cook. Today, she tempts us with some to-die-for Cheesecake Shooters--and they're gluten free! Libby's offering one of her books to a lucky reader, so be sure to scroll down to the bottom for the GIVEAWAY! Take it away. Libby:
The
past few weeks have been a challenge to find ingredients for baking. I
feel like we've been given ration booklets for flour and sugar. And god
help you if you want to make bread right now. There is no yeast in my
county as far as the masked face can see. I had three people call me to
borrow some on the same day. So I've pulled out a recipe that doesn't
involve any of the usual suspects.
When I was writing Wine Tastings Are Murder, it occurred to me - much later than it should have
- that the recipes should probably include wine as a main ingredient.
This Moscato Cheesecake Shooter will be featured in the back of the
book, but you get a sneak peek here on Mystery Lovers' Kitchen today!
One
of the best things about this recipe is there doesn't have to be any
baking. You can crush the cookies for the crumbs on the bottom of the
cheesecake shooters, and use them just like that. No butter and no
baking. I like the buttery crunch they add when you follow the recipe,
but I don't always want to turn the oven on.
I hope you love this as much as we do!
Libby
Gluten Free Moscato Cheesecake Shooters
with Drunken Blackberries
Inspired
by Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant’s Icewine cheesecake
I used a
Moscato that had notes of white grape, nectarine, orange blossom and
honeysuckle
Ingredients:
For the
crust:
2 cups
gluten free vanilla crème sandwich cookies
3 oz
melted butter *omit if you aren't baking the crumbs
For the
topping:
2 cups
fresh blackberries
2 TBSP
sugar
2 TBSP
Moscato *You can substitute any dessert wine that you like, but be sure to substitute it everywhere the recipe calls for it.
For the
filling:
¼ cup
Moscato – very warm
1 packet
(5 grams) unflavored gelatin powder
3 8-oz
packages cream cheese
1 cup
orange blossom honey
½ cup
Moscato
Pinch
salt
½ cup
melted white chocolate
½ cup
heavy whipping cream
You will
also need small clear cups – whether you use real glass or plastic doesn’t
matter, but make sure they are clear so you can see the layers.
Directions:
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Crush gluten free cookies in food processor. Mix in melted
butter. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Set these aside to
cool.
Toss
blackberries in sugar and Moscato. Cover and place in refrigerator for several
hours or overnight until you are ready to serve the shooters.
Warm ¼
cup of Moscato – don’t boil it. Sprinkle on the gelatin and lightly mix it. Sit
it aside and let it bloom. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 20-30 seconds
or until its dissolved and clear. Set it aside and let it cool to room
temperature – but not so much that it gels.
Place
cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer, or use a hand mixer, and beat it
on medium to fluff it up. Now add your honey, ½ cup Moscato, and pinch of salt.
Beat until light and fluffy. Add in your gelatin wine mixture and beat until
smooth.
Chop your
white chocolate into pieces and then melt it, either in the microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of
simmering water.
Add your melted white chocolate to the cheese mixture. Set
this aside.
In a deep
bowl, beat ½ cup of heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. When your
cheesecake mixture is cool, fold in your whipped cream.
Assembly:
Put 1-2
TBSP cookie crumbs in the bottom of your glasses. Just enough to cover the bottom.
Fill glasses with cooled – but not set – cheesecake. Chill for at least 3
hours. Top with drunken blackberries before serving. (See photo at top.)
Libby Klein graduated Lower Cape May Regional High School sometime in the
'80s. Her classes revolved mostly around the culinary sciences and
theater, with the occasional nap in Chemistry. She loves to drink
coffee, bake gluten free goodies, and befriend random fluffy cats. She
writes from her Northern Virginia office while trying to keep her cat
Figaro off her keyboard. Most of her hobbies revolve around eating, and
travel, and eating while traveling.
When Poppy and Aunt Ginny agreed to host a Wine and Cheese Happy Hour for a tour group at their Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast on the Jersey Shore, they never anticipated such a sour bunch. Grumpy guest Vince Baker should be in a better mood—he’s filthy rich and on his honeymoon with his much younger wife Sunny, who seems to dote on him almost as much as her high-spirited teacup Pomeranian, Tammy Faye Baker.
But the honeymoon is over when Vince drops dead the next day touring the Laughing Gull Winery. Turns out he's been poisoned, and it seems like everybody on the tour is hiding something. Now Poppy has to put her gluten-free baking on the back burner and bottle up her feelings for the two men in her life while she charges after a bitter killer with a lethal case of sour grapes . . .
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!
And now for the GIVEAWAY! To be entered to win a copy of any of Libby Klein's four published Poppy McAllister Mysteries, simply answer this question in the comments below: What comfort food have you made during this time of sheltering in place?
Be sure to leave your email address, so we can contact you. The contest will run through Monday, May 25th.
Chocolate brownies! positive DOT ideas DOT 4you AT gmail DOT com
ReplyDeleteBrownies sound delicious!
DeleteTwo comfort foods have been made multiple times; double chocolate brownies with pecans and creamy bacon and potato soup.
ReplyDeleteVhmaynard65@gmail.com
I first read that as "double chocolate brownies with pecans and cream bacon," which come to think of it, sounds pretty darn good!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI did too Leslie! But that soup sounds really good! ~ Libby
DeleteBanana bread and a lot of chocolate chip cookies.
ReplyDeletea.connolley@gmail.com
What would we do without chocolate chip cookies? Yum! ~ Libby
DeleteThanks to a Mom that told me over and over to always have a well-stocked pantry, I was blessed with more than most when it came to flour, sugar and yeast. I will admit that I'm rationing them now that they aren't available which means things with those ingredients aren't as frequent as they usually are.
ReplyDeleteThat being the case and since strawberry season is going full force in my region now, we have indulged in Strawberry Delight a few times. It has a thin crust with ground pecans, flour and butter slightly baked. When the crust is cooled you spread with a mixture of a cup sugar (I use Splenda) 8 ounces cream cheese and a tsp. of vanilla beaten and then folded into a tub cool whip. Top with either whole or big chunks of strawberries (depending on the size of the berries). Chill this while making the last layer which is a cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 1/2 cup water cooked until starting to thicken. Tale off and add strawberry jello stirring until dissolved. Cool to where it so it won't melt the previous layer, but also still able to pour over the strawberries. Refrigerate until set. You can also use this with peaches by changing the fruit and the jello flavor.
Comfort food doesn't necessarily mean sweets. We have also been enjoying my Mom's recipe for homemade lasagna with a salad made from fresh veggies (lettuce, radishes, and green onions) from our garden which we were able to put in early when our trip to Utah was cancelled.
Thank you for the fabulous opportunity to win one of your Poppy McAllister Mysteries books! <3 Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.
Please be safe, stay healthy and by all means have a little adventure (whether in real life or through the pages of a great book) along the way.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Thanks for the recipe, Kay, it sounds delish!
DeleteI think my grandmother made that same strawberry delight! I might have the recipe around here somewhere to compare. Thank you! ~ Libby
DeleteI have made lasagna a couple of times. Next I will be baking a cake finally have ingredients. Thanks for the chance! Jess
ReplyDeletemaceoindo (at) yahoo (dot) com
I'm about to make the top secret recipes for book six and a cake will be involved!~ Libby
DeleteGreat recipe, Libby. During the past two months, I have baked up a storm with my own sourdough starter...bread, scones, pancakes since our artisan bakeries were all closed, and decent bread was hard to get at any grocery store.
ReplyDeleteI love to bake, but as the weather is finally getting warmer, my comfort food is gelato. My standard flavour is hazelnut but I can occasionally get the dark chocolate with rum and cherries from Stella Luna Gelato here in Ottawa. That one won an international gelato competition in Italy a few years ago and is hard to get!
Looking forward to readings Wine Tastings Are Murder.
grace dot koshida at gmail dot com
Love, LOVE nocciola (hazelnut) gelato!
DeleteMmm Gelato. The best gelato I ever had was Baileys Irish Cream and it was a few blocks away from the Trevi Fountain. I've never come across it since. But now I have to find that chocolate rum cherry gelato. I may surprise you one day in Ottawa! ~ Libby
Deletebrownies
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com
I always love brownies. And so easy for me to make them gluten free! ~ Libby
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI don’t cook but have eaten lots of takeout cheeseburgers and burritos with sour cream!
ReplyDeleteMdlaugh1(at)gmail(dot)com
Definitely comfort food! :)
DeleteI think we've ordered 5 Guys 5 times. And with a schaar gluten free cibatta bun I'm in heaven! ~ Libby
Deleteciabatta - Libby can't spell. ~ Libby
DeleteBooks and brownies have gotten me through! I am excited to have found your books woot! Jsenap@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm excited too! ~ Libby
DeleteI have made chili with red beans.
ReplyDeleteKitten143 (at) Verizon (dot ) net
Sounds tasty. ~ Libby
DeleteThis looks ridiculously delicious. Yum.
ReplyDeleteOnce a week we've been making a pizza. That kinda counts, right?
Thanks for the cool contest!
extraordinaryordinarywhimsy (at) gmail
Pizza definitely counts--especially homemade!
DeleteOh yeah! Pizza is in my top 10! ~ Libby
DeleteFamily favorites: corn chowder, chicken and dumplings, homemade spaghetti sauce, and shepherd's pie.
ReplyDeleteMy mom made the best chicken and dumplings. Yum! ~ Libby
DeleteI've made brownies! kristin.segura at gmail.com
ReplyDeleteGotta love some brownies! ~ Libby
DeleteDeviled eggs! I was just in the mood for them!
ReplyDeletepatdupuy@yahoo.com
I have a secret (okay, not so secret anymore) passion for deviled eggs.
DeleteDeviled eggs is a huge part of my normal diet. It's my favorite way to eat eggs unless you count custard. ~ Libby
DeleteThank you for sharing this recipe. Oh but this cover looks wonderful and the story sounds so cool. Congrats on your soon to be released book.
ReplyDeleteMy comfort foods lately have been vanilla ice cream (little one scoop containers) and fruit. quilting lady 2 at comcast dotnet
Vanilla is my very favorite flavor! ~ Libby
DeleteLooks good. A touch of elegance.
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
Thank you! ~ Libby
DeleteWe have had Country Chicken Chowder soup a few times/hearty and yummy
ReplyDeleteyourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net
DeleteSounds delicious Robyn! ~ Libby
DeleteThis sure sounds good. I've been still having to go to work through all this so I'm not home much to cook. But the local bar has been offering a new pizza special- hot beef sandwich pizza. It's amazing. We've had that a couple times now.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
I can't even wrap my head around that but it sounds interesting. ~ Libby
DeleteI make a delectable salmon dish. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for commenting! ~ Libby
DeleteHi, have to try this recipe!
ReplyDeleteJust made cherry turnovers. Mostly though, make blueberry Belgian waffles
Thanks for chance for the books!
Diane
dlkdls318@att.net
They both sound yummy! ~ Libby
DeleteBelieve it or not, Colcannon has been my go-to comfort food. I have farm fresh produce delivered to me weekly; so, with cabbage, potato, and onions, it's something I've been preparing regularly. Not just for St. Patrick's Day. When they give me kale, I will sometime add thinly sliced kale to my regular recipe. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious! ~ Libby
DeleteWhen it comes to comfort food, the one I've been making the most is grilled cheese sandwiches.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
One of the best comfort foods of all times!
DeleteYES! I just had one the other night, and on my last bite the thought occurred to me, why didn't i make tomato soup? Next time! ~ Libby
DeleteToll house cookies fresh from the oven!
ReplyDeletelindalou64(@)live(dot)com
Yum! Classic choice. ~ Libby
DeleteThere have been a number of days when I've had pancakes for dinner.
ReplyDeleteturtle6422 at gmail dot com
That sounds wonderful! ~ Libby
DeleteI have made spaghetti several times and also banana bread and chocolate chip cookie. bella_ringer@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteAll good comfort foods. ~ Libby
DeleteLemon Brownies! ringergirl10@outlook.com
ReplyDeleteOooh. Tell me more about that? Are they also called lemon bars? ~ Libby
DeleteI love this series, and I have to try this recipe! I've made walnut tarts, baked a cake and muffins. I've made many dishes in my crockpot as well. Thank you for this chance! areewekidding(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Robyn. That means the world to me! Walnut tarts sound especially wonderful! ~ Libby
Deletepizza
ReplyDeletewskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com
Me too! ~ Libby
DeleteI've had a lot of cheeseburgers lately.
ReplyDeletelkish77123 at gmail dot com
One of my favorite foods! ~ Libby
DeleteChipped beef on toast (aka. SOS). It was so good and zoomed me back to my childhood.
ReplyDeleteOlomuss at gmail dot com
Mmm. A Cape May favorite! ~ Libby
DeleteI work full time from home so no time for cooking we've been buying stuff from a local restaurant they have canolis!YUM!
ReplyDeleteCanolis! I love them! ~ Libby
DeleteI’ve made a few lol Sweet potato casserole, chocolate chip cookies, and meat lasagna. Email is booksnpugs (at) gmail(dot) com
ReplyDeleteSound delicious! ~ Libby
DeleteFresh Apple Cake. Moist, doesn't need frosting and is delicious.
ReplyDeletelaurie(dot)anismom2(at)gmail(dot)com
My mom makes an apple cake that is wonderful! ~ Libby
DeleteI just love cheesecake and my hubby makes all diff kinds such as blueberry etc. Thank you for posting. peggy clayton ptclayton2 at aol.com
ReplyDeleteI hope you really enjoy this one too! ~ Libby
DeleteLibby, love this series and Ginny is my favorite character!
ReplyDeleteI bought a flat of HUGE ripe strawberries from a roadside stand and used a few baskets to make homemade strawberry jam. My first time making it and it was so delicious!
Thank you so much! Aunt Ginny keeps me laughing all through the writing! ~ Libby
DeleteTonight I am making meatloaf, cauliflower, and mashed potatoes. I made an extra meatloaf so we can have meatloaf sandwiches on another day!
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Very smart! ~ Libby
DeleteHere in Sacramento we are extremely lucky to have a fantastic cookie bakeshop (love their thick snickerdoodles and the thick no nut choc chip cookies) and a marvelous bakery where we go for takeout baked sweet items. So while I have baked banana bread loaves, I don't home bake other sweet comfort food. I like to cook comfort food savory entrees with planned leftovers so during lockdown I have cooked chicken enchiladas, lots of broiled chicken breasts, small baked hams, Zatarains jambalaya with chicken and sausage and shrimp, beef stew, and pastas with meat sauce. I wanted to learn how to bake bread, but our stores have been out of yeast for months. I found a beer bread recipe online and will attempt it and serve it with an entree salad. have a great rest of the month! Reba rbzter@comcast.net
ReplyDeleteI hope the beer bread turns out wonderful! ~ Libby
DeleteHaven't really made any comfort foods, unless you count boxed mac 'n cheese - but I'm still working, so not much free time - thanks for the chance to own your books - trwilliams69(at)msn(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI definitely count boxed mac n cheese! ~ Libby
DeleteBeen making a lot of burgers with swiss cheese green olives and bleu cheese dressing. Miss them from one of my favorite restaurants they I go to weekly that has been closed since the virus. tWarner419@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI hope your favorite restaurant opens soon!~ Libby
DeleteI have been making lots of fish and salads for my favorite comfort foods. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteYour comfort foods sound really healthy too!~ Libby
DeleteI've been trying lots of new recipes, but my ultimate comfort food is chocolate....almost in any form.
ReplyDeletekaye.killgore(at)comcast(dot)com
Chocolate is a great comfort food!~ Libby
DeleteI have been leaning on slow roasted pork shoulder, it is delicious and when paired with mashed potatoes and a salad is my go-to comfort meal.
ReplyDeletelittle lamb lst at yahoo dot com
Sounds delicious!~ Libby
DeleteI’m baking. Anything ....everything... from bread and scones to pies and cakes...today, I made two pound cakes. Lol. I’ll probably have two pieces, tops....cant send them to sons work anymore as he is working from home. I want to make a banana pound cake this week....sheesh...if I ate it all, I’d have to leave the house with the help of a crane. Instead, I am losing weight. LaFonRC(at)aol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Baking is my comfort passion too! ~ Libby
DeletePizza 🍕 and Mac and cheese thank you for the chance your book sounds interesting and fun to read. Donakutska7@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteMmm, two of my favorites! ~ Libby
DeleteMy comfort food--mashed potatoes! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSounds good! ~ Libby
DeleteI've made pot roast (several times), Shepherd's Pie, homemade Chicken Pot Pie with broccoli and potatoes in a cheesy white sauce and chili (again several time). We had a very cool spring so these comfort foods helped a lot. madamhawk at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteMmm, I used to love those little pot pies when i was a kid! I bet your homemade is much better! ~ Libby
DeletePumpkin Bars and Carrot Cake have been my favorite comforting desserts to make. I even eat desserts before meals now. betsypz(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite desserts are those autumn spice flavors. ~ Libby
DeleteTacos! Chicken, beef, steak ,w/avocadoes and all the fixings! I make it with different meat, shells and toppings every time! rhonda_sue@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteOh for the love of tacos!!! ~ Libby
DeleteLots of new recipes. Lots of brownies, cakes, and cookies! jbohrer08(at)su(dot)edu
ReplyDeleteIt's the time to try new recipes for sure. ~ Libby
DeleteI've cooked and baked so much during the last couple of months but my favorite comfort food has been fresh baked bread. I was lucky enough to have yeast on hand when all this started, and caught yeast in stock on Sam's Club when I got close to out.
ReplyDeleteThat would be comforting! I envy you. ~ Libby
DeleteSo many! Baked beans, beer bread, split pea soup, Hungarian sausage/rice/cabbage casserole, lime cookies, chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and mini margarita cheesecakes... I'm sure I'm forgetting some. :)
ReplyDeletekimheniadis at gmail dot com
So many good choices in there! ~ Libby
DeleteMy comfort food of choice is something that I can make because it's really easy, and I tend to eat most of it because no one else in my family likes it. . although I can't figure out why. As far as I know there's no "name" for it.. But it's a block of cream cheese, chopped deli honey ham (I like the Sarah Lee) and chopped green onion. Then the fun part of mushing it all together. I guess mushing isnt a very appetizing word... Form it into a ball and then roll it in shredded cheddar cheese. I eat it with triscuits... before I know it, the box is empty and the cheese ball is almost gone.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance.
lilyanngill56(at)gmail(dot)com
I've had that. they spread the cream cheese over the ham, put in a whole green onion, roll it like a taquito, and cut it into rounds. I don't know what it's called either. ~ Libby
DeleteThat sounds yummy that way too... definitely less messy LOL
DeleteNo comfort food here since I'd thought this would be the perfect time to start eating clean again. So far, so good. However, I do find eating clean comforting since it's good for the mind and body!
ReplyDeleteGirl... I had the same idea. For fifteen minutes. Then ice cream. ~ Libby
DeleteI am one of the lucky ones who is still working, but my go to comfort food is mac 'n cheese - organic - i make several boxes at a time, then freeze in single size portions, so I always have some at hand. Your recipe sounds quite tasty and the book sounds great. Thanks for the chance to own it trwilliams69(at)msn(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMac and cheese and thank you for the chance😊
ReplyDelete