Whiskey Ginger Mini Cheesecakes {with Tullamore D.E.W.}

Stress.  Good stress and not-so-good stress.  You know the kind.  

I've been kinda over booked of late.  Some of the best kind of overbooked.  Baking, dinner with friends, spring cleaning, gardening, time with Dad, reunions with college friends, and an amazing dinner/evening with new blogger friends.  Good stuff like that...Truthfully, a few "bad things" have also happened.  Really scary things, but all seem to have settled.  So, now there is time to do a bit more baking and blogging for you once again.

And, have you noticed a few things new on our blog?  We had a few tweaks done this month by a very cool blogger and designer, Emily, over at Sweet Bella Roos.  She made us look all pretty and more up-to-date on our social media links.  We've also added a few Favorite Brands, Tullamore and Licor 43.  Both companies have been so generous to us in providing product and encouragement.  We wanted to thank them for their support.  

So, on to this killer cheesecake and other optimal stress relievers: baking and booze.

I developed this recipe looking around the internet to find the right combination of flavors.  I've had a few whiskey ginger mixed drinks lately, most recently at the Pour House.  I love the combination and thought a traditional cheesecake would be nice.  I also found ginger preserves in my cupboard, which I have seen Nigella use from time-to-time, which sounded nice to include.  Love, love, love when I find hidden treasures in my cupboards!

And, something very British Isles was starting to happen...English preserves meets Irish Whiskey.  How bad could it be?

I like my cheesecakes firm but not dry and this one is perfect.  Nice subtle ginger, sweet crust, creamy filling, topped with just-slightly sweet whipped cream and the best damn whiskey caramel sauce on this planet.

Oops, did I go a bit overboard.  Sorry...

I knew I wanted to "save" this recipe to make for a few bloggers friends.  We had decided to gather for a "pot-luck" a few months ago.  Seemed right for an early summer evening.  A blogger potluck...Yeah, you know these ladies can cook!   Fab appetizers and desserts from Tate's Kitchen, A Girl and Her Fork, and Guave Rose.   And, of course Jacqueline was there, and my good friend, Karla.  

Great evening, great food and conversation, and by-far the BEST leftovers in my life.  

I'd forgotten just how much I have missed cheesecake.  It's simpler to make than you think.  Just takes a wee bit of time and patience. 

And, you know the whiskey doesn't hurt either.  

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Jalapeno Popper Pastry Pinwheels

Just in case you have some last minute party plans pop up unexpectedly, you'll want to keep this recipe handy. I came up with this at the very last minute possible, when I needed to bring an appetizer to a BBQ. These disappeared FAST. This is a very quick & easy recipe, and the finished product is sure to please. Plus, you get to be the one that shows up at the party with "Jalapeno Popper Pastry Pinwheels". That sounds way more exciting than "I brought the green bean casserole".

Jalapeno Popper Pastry Pinwheels...with tequila!

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Plus, it has tequila - and I find that always to be a selling point. The tequila adds just enough moisture so that the cream cheese yields and everything mixes together well, but due to the alcohol content, this extra moisture will evaporate pretty quickly in the oven. It will leave behind some tequila flavor, but it won't make your filling so runny that it melts and dribbles out of your beautiful little pastry rolls, and all over your oven. The salt provides all the seasoning you need (simple is good, in this case). If you're concerned about these being too spicey, you could use green chiles instead of jalapenos.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

Ah, Spring...A time for renewal and new beginnings.  I have always loved Fall, but Spring holds a very close second for me.  I love how my backyard metamorphoses beginning, oh, around the first of February.  My flowers and trees seem to bloom in sync with one another, providing me some new bloom with the each passing month.  This month, it's my red bud tree, tulips and roses.  

Ah, Spring...

Spring also means the beginning of strawberry season in Northern California.  Starting very soon, the local farmer's markets will have the first crops of strawberries.  We're very lucky in the Sacramento area to have a great selection of farmer's markets and local strawberry stands.  Nothing seems to say Spring to me like a great dessert made with strawberries.

And, although this cake uses frozen strawberries for the puree base (you could use fresh, of course), the flavor is spot-on and nicely sweet.  I opted for using the rose frosting pattern for this cake, as I've done for my pistachio and orange almond cakes.  Actually, it's a very easy pattern with great show appeal.  Nicely ties into the roses blooming in my back yard, too.  I love that...

I hope you're enjoying your Spring, wherever that may be...Even in those cooler climates where flowers are just coming up.  

And, just think, you can wear all your white shoes now! *wink* 

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