Farmyard Gourmands

Pasture raised, forage-fed animals - a blast from the past

Talking to Ghosts

Remembering the skills and traditions of our ancestors.

Eat Your Veggies!

Living a healthy, fad-free lifestyle making good, slow-food choices.

From the Heart to the Tummy

Delicious foods from Nature's bounty calls for delicious recipes.

Responsible Lifestyles

Eco-friendly is not a swear word but a by-word for survival in a modern world.

Friday, February 06, 2015

Quick and Easy: Tropical Cheesecake Tart

I think I may have mentioned that I don't bake very often. I may also have mentioned that I love cheesecake. In case I haven't, I love cheesecake :) About the only dessert I make is a cheesecake. And so this is a recipe for…wait for it… cheesecake :)

I try to limit myself to once or twice per year and then completely pig out when the time comes. It's not a pretty sight.

After being good and suppressing an intense craving for it for quite some time, one day I caved. I came up with this one-gazillionth way of enjoying that smooth, luscious richness that is the cake of cheese.

This is a very simple and easy recipe that doesn't require much in the way of baking skills, fortunately for me. It's useful if you have whipped cream before but it isn't a difficult task to master. Just remember to chill the bowl beforehand and don't over whip. It is also important to fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture, don't stir or beat.




1 pkg puff pastry, thawed and rolled ( I picked up pre-rolled for greater ease)
1 pkg cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup whipping cream (35%)
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
400g fresh or frozen mango chunks, thawed
1 ripe pineapple, pared, cored and chunked

Bake puff pastry according to package directions - usually for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, after poking holes all over with a fork. Let cool. (Push down all bubbles in the crust before spreading on the cream cheese mixture.)

Put mango and pineapple chunks into food processor and whiz up. Transfer to a small bowl and rinse and dry container. Place room temp cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla into processor container and whiz until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl.

In a chilled bowl, whip the 35% cream until soft peaks form and fold into cream cheese mixture, just until blended. Spread an even layer onto puff pastry. Cover cream cheese with a layer of mango/pineapple mixture and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

Cut into squares to serve and garnish with mint leaves.


all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2015