ArcaMax

When I was six years old I specialized in baking chocolate chip cookies. I kept up that march to greatness in cookie baking until I was in my 20’s. My more adult friends called me the local Debbie Fields. Everyone loved my chocolate chip cookies.

In my mid-twenties I bought a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine and began reading in earnest. My mother told me at six that if I could read I could cook. Turns out she was right. I became a skilled cook and began to entertain -- a lot. I used to do upwards of 40 or even 50 dinner parties a year.

At ten, I was not using a bain marie or making crème brulee. I didn’t even taste my first crème brulee until I was in my 30’s and had dessert at Arnaud’s in New Orleans. I didn’t even order it myself. I was not that adventurous. A waiter had to insist I try it.

Compare that to the kids on MasterChef Junior. It’s a hit TV show on FOX. Those kids are so far ahead of anything I was doing at their age I am just astonished...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:
Mixed Berry Kefir Smoothie
Coconut Milk Eggnog

This is a ZReboot recipe. I came up with this recipe as a tribute to Dieter Ron and his wife Jean. This darling couple drove from Wisconsin to Chicago just to meet me and my team. They wanted to thank us for developing and supporting Plan Z. Ron lost 69 pounds, feels great and looks fantastic. Thanks Ron!

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 packages of cream cheese (1 lb)
2 lemons, juiced (about ¼ cup)
3 tsp of vanilla extract
1/8-1/4 cup of Truvia
1 – 2 tsp of lemon zest (plus more for garnish)
Berries for garnish

Instructions:

Let your cream cheese come to room temperature or zap it (opened) in your microwave for 15 seconds on high to bring it to temp.

Put the cream cheese in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, Truvia, vanilla and the zest. In order to zest a lemon you use a tool called a microplane or rasp. Gently glide it over the lemon peel so you get shavings of the yellow part and not the bitter pith underneath. Tap the microplane on the counter to release the shavings. You can buy a fine microplane at any housewares store.

With an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy. This will take one to two minutes to get it nice and fluffy. Make sure the sides are scraped down so it all gets mixed.

Divide mixture among serving dishes. Then garnish.

Serving Suggestions:

If you are going to serve it right away, great. If you want, you can cover it and keep it in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Be sure to take it out of the refrigerator about 15 to 30 minutes before you want to eat it or it will taste refrigerator-cold.

Leftovers store well in the refrigerator, covered in plastic. Just like any other cheesecake they will become a bit more stiff over time. You can remedy this by stirring it up.

Blueberries, traditionally, go great with lemon. If you want more blueberries you can stud your cheese cake by stirring some extras in before you put it in your serving dish.

I also garnish with a bit more zest for more yellow color.

The amount of Truvia and zest you put in are up to your taste buds. I’d start with the smaller amount, mix, taste and then judge.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola