Today is my father-in-law’s birthday! My father-in-law, now called Papa, is one of those quiet people who will talk your ear off. He has a contagious laugh and a passionate personality, he is very accepting, kind, and generous. He is a very loving and sentimental husband and father and new to his resume – he is a wonderful grandfather.
Wedding photography by Cher Hanna
To celebrate we’re having cheesecake! Okay, not exactly cheesecake. Cheesecake mousse. With only two of us, well technically three – but Wesley isn’t eating real food, I didn’t want to bake an actual cheesecake. Particularly when one of the two of us *cough cough, Stuart* claims to not like cheesecake! And let me just say, for someone who doesn’t like cheesecake he sure did scarf down this dessert in minutes.
I would have liked to have some graham crackers to crumble over the top, but I didn’t think of that until I was plating this dessert. So, I served mine with a wedge of lemon. Why? Because I knew I needed color for my food photography. Strawberries would have been the obvious choice but I don’t have any, and all berries I have are frozen. I was going to talk about how I’d surely be “Chopped” for placing a lemon in my dish, but Stuart squeezed his lemon wedge over his serving and raved about it. I followed suit and will admit, it improves the mousse! It makes it feel lighter. So, go ahead, serve yours with a wedge of lemon.
If you are craving cheesecake and have less than 20 minutes, this recipe is perfect for you! Maybe my mother-in-law will even surprise him tonight with this recipe?
Cheesecake Mousse
Ingredients:
- 1/2 C cream cheese, softened
- 3/8 C powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp light corn syrup
Steps:
- In a bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric beater until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the corn syrup and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese. Chill until ready to serve.
- Serve with lemon wedge or other fresh fruit and graham cracker crumbles.
*This recipe is adapted from Danelle at http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2014/02/no-bake-cheesecake-mousse.html*