Caramel Pear Cheesecake Trifle

What better way than to start the new year with this Delicious dessert?!!  It is pretty simple, and if whipped long enough the Cream Cheese filling could be very light and fluffy!

Enjoy! and Happy New Years :-D

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large slightly underripe Bartlett pears—peeled, cored and diced
1 cup Caramel Sauce
1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups cold heavy cream
8 ounces gingersnap cookies, plus crushed cookies for garnish                                                                       

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the diced pears. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender, 5 minutes. Scrape the pears onto a plate and refrigerate until cool.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Microwave at high power for 5 seconds, just until the gelatin is melted. Transfer the gelatin mixture to a bowl and add the cream cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup of caramel sauce. Using an electric mixer, beat at medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. In another bowl, whip 1 1/2 cups of the cream until firm peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
4. Spoon one-fourth of the mousse into a medium trifle bowl. Top with one-fourth of the gingersnaps and one-fourth of the pears. Repeat the layering, ending with a layer of pears. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream until soft peaks form. Dollop the cream over the trifle and garnish with crushed gingersnaps.   

Strawberry Santa's

Merry Christmas readers!  Sorry for the delay and blog posts this month.  Most of you know that recently, my husband and I experienced another terrible loss in our family which resulted in yours truly to undergo a life changing surgery.  So, I have been recovering for the last few weeks with not much of an appetite for food let alone baking.  Today my husband had his family’s Christmas social and what better time to introduce the Santa Strawberries.  Originally, my bestie from out westie showed me this idea that she had found. After some much needed pinterest time I found this sweet little recipe and wanted to share!

What you need:

1 lb of strawberries

1 package of cream cheese

1-3 table spoons of icing sugar (to taste)

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Poppy seeds, or chocolate chips

Directions:

1.       Beat cream cheese in bowl on high until whipped. Add 1 tsp vanilla and icing sugar to taste.  Place filling into a piping bag with small point.

2.       Wash strawberries and drain

3.       Slice the tops of the strawberries (enough for a hat) and slice stem section off flat

                                                                                                                                                                          

4.       Pipe filling on cut strawberry and place  end of strawberry on top for hat.  Add filling to the tip as well you could add some down the main strawberry for buttons.

5.       Place poppy seeds for eyes