Raspberry Swirl Mini Cheesecakes

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you have a fun day filled with red, pink, hugs, kisses, and that you are surrounded by people that you love.

I love Valentine's Day just because it is a great excuse to make heart shaped sugar cookies. This is the holiday that I associate with decorating cookies and I have a bunch of hearts waiting to be frosted. (I used this sugar cookie recipe).

But, this post is really about these delicious little cheesecakes. I made these a few weeks ago for someone who needed a treat to take to a work function. These were perfect because I could make them the night before and they just get better with refrigeration.

This recipe is straightforward and very simple. The results are creamy, dreamy, and delicious.
The little raspberry swirl adds a tart & sweet little burst of flavor that is divine.
I made some in a mini muffin pan and those little treats were the perfect size. What could be better than a two-bite serving of cheesecake? You could even swirl your raspberry puree into a heart for that special someone. Have a great day!

Recipe for Raspberry Swirl Mini Cheesecakes

Mini Peppermint Bark Cheesecakes

Here is the perfect addition to any holiday party or dinner. These little cheesecakes would also make a perfect gift.
I made these a couple weeks ago and took them to one of the first Christmas activities we had in December.
We love peppermint bark, but I have only had it homemade. My mom usually makes this recipe, which I usually make also, but this time I decided to try a version that had a dark chocolate layer on the bottom.

I found this peppermint bark cheesecake recipe over at Anne Strawberry and coincidently, she made this version when it was her turn to pick for Tuesday's with Dorie, about 2 years ago. So the base cheesecake recipe is Dorie's, which means it will turn out perfectly.
These cheesecakes consist of a chocolate cookie crust, swirled layers of white chocolate and peppermint flavored cheesecake, with a sprinkling of Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
in between the cheesecake layers, slightly sweetened whipped cream and topped off with a piece of homemade peppermint bark.
Decadent and Delicious.
There are a few reasons why I like to make mini cheesecakes. 1- They can be made a day ahead and sit in the fridge overnight to chill, 2- almost everyone loves cheesecake, but it is so rich and highly-caloric that you can't enjoy it too often- a smaller serving solves that problem, 3- no worries about waterbaths or tops cracking, 4- they are easy and portable, fun to share and yummy. There are probably more reasons, but those are the ones I can come up at the moment.

These were a hit. I loved how they turned out.


Recipe for Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
* I made 1/2 the recipe and got 21 mini cheesecakes
* I made a chocolate cookie crust


Recipe for Easy Press-in Pie Crust
*I made 2/3 of the recipe
* I made the chocolate version, using Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

Recipe for Peppermint Bark
* I used 2 oz bittersweet chocolate and 4 oz semisweet chocolate
* I used almond bark instead of white chocolate


Merry Christmas! I hope you have a great Holiday weekend!

TWD Rewind- Mini Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecakes

This week we were given the chance to go back and make any Tuesday's with Dorie recipe that we wanted. I made the Brown Sugar-Apple Cheesecake, but in mini form for a dinner party.

This recipe was the 6th recipe chosen for Tuesday's with Dorie, back in February 2008. It is a wonderful, light cheesecake, flavored with brown sugar & cinnamon which also has apples that are sauteed in butter and brown sugar layered in between the cheesecake.

This cheesecake was amazing. Flavor, texture- everything.
I topped the mini's with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and they were enjoyed by everyone.

Go check out what everyone else picked to make for this week's Tuesday's with Dorie rewind!


You can find the recipe in many places, like HERE on The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

These are the perfect little treat. They combine a yummy graham cracker crust and a creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling. I found the recipe on Pinch My Salt and it was a real winner.
These were 1 of 4 mini treats I made for a recent fall dinner. Two of the desserts were pumpkin based and two were apple.
I have a mini cheesecake pan but couldn't find it, so I just used a normal muffin tin and baked these up in paper liners.

These mix up fast and the crust isn't prebaked. The crust is baked along with the filling and they are done in about 15-20 minutes.
Can you beat that? Cheesecake in such a short amount of time?

These are topped with cinnamon whipped cream.
You can't really feel guilty about a mini serving of delicious cheesecake.
These were just perfect.


Recipe for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
from Pinch My Salt

* I used a normal sized muffin tin instead of a mini cheesecake pan and increased the baking time by a few minutes

Fresh Cherry Tart

I am not a big fan of cooked fruit in desserts.
I prefer to eat my fruit fresh, especially in the summertime.

I wanted to make a dessert for the 4th of July and really wanted to use sweet cherries, since they were ripe and at a great price.
My husband loves cherry pie, but I just couldn't bring myself to cook these beauties. They were so sweet and delicious.

I searched for a way to serve them fresh in a dessert that would let them shine in all their beauty.

I found the perfect recipe in this Fresh Cherry Tart.

It has a basic graham cracker crust and then a cheesecake-like filling, that doesn't require any baking time.
The cherries are pitted and halved, then glazed with a small amount of thinned jam.

This tart was absolutely perfect. Crowd pleaser, beautiful and delicious.

Recipe for Fresh Cherry Tart
* the 1/4 cup sugar that you add to the filling is missing from the ingredient list, but in the instructions it tells you when to add it

Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake

So what are you serving for Valentine's Day dessert?
This simple cheesecake is a great option.

My daughter was looking through Annabel Karmel's Mom and Me Cookbook and when she got to this recipe she asked me if I could make it.
We were going to be eating dinner at my mother in-law's the next night and I was bringing dessert, so I changed my plans and decided to make this no-bake cheesecake.

This recipe is soo easy. There is no baking involved.
Your kids can help you mix it up.
You just need to plan to make it ahead of time so it can chill for the required amount of hours. I let mine chill overnight.
I apologize for the pictures, but I was hurrying out the door to go to dinner and didn't have time to cut a slice and make it look nice.
Anyway, this cheesecake was a huge hit with everyone.
It is basically just cream cheese and whipped cream folded together and then chilled, with a lovely raspberry sauce swirled through and a graham cracker crust.
This cheesecake tastes really light and luscious. It has a great texture.

The adults loved it and the kids loved it too.
My sister in-law even asked me for the recipe that night and has already made it herself.
Plus, it is has red in it-so it is perfect for Valentine's Day!
Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake from Annabel Karmel's Mom and Me Cookbook
1 stick (8 Tbls) butter
8 oz graham crackers
1 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz cream cheese
1 cup superfine sugar
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, (I used frozen)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 2/3 cups whipping cream

1. Put the graham crackers in a bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and crush them into crumbs.
2. Melt the butter in a pan. Pour the crushed graham crackers into the butter and stir thoroughly.
3. Line an 8-inch springform pan with plastic wrap. Spoon in the cracker mixture, press flat and refrigerate.
4. Make raspberry puree- bring the raspberries and powdered sugar to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Cool, then press through a sieve.
5. Mix together the cream cheese, superfine sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip the cream until stiff, then fold it into the cheese mixture.
6. Spread 3/4 of the cheese topping on the graham cracker base. Then spoon on 3/4 of the puree and swirl it into the cheesecake mixture.
7. Gently spread on the remaining cheesecake mixture. Drizzle on straight lines of raspberry puree. Pull a skewer across the lines for a decorative effect.
8. Leave the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours of overnight.

TWD-Low and Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake

This week's pick for Tuesdays with Dorie is Low and Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake. It was chosen by Margaret, who is one of my Twitter buddies and you will be able to find the recipe on her blog, Tea and Scones, tomorrow.
Since it is the Christmas holiday, we were given a little leeway about posting this recipe; we were given the opportunity to post it anytime between last Tuesday and tomorrow.

We got back from DisneyWorld Saturday night. We had a blast! So much fun. We were really worn out though.

In a couple of hours, my husband and I are flying to DC for a quick 24 hour trip because one of my good friends is getting married up there.

Luckily, my older sister lives in DC, so we have someone to pick us up and someone to stay with. I am super excited because I get to see my new nephew that was born in September.
Anyway, I am trying to unpack and then pack again, do laundry and everything else, so I am posting this right now, while I have a few moments.

I made 1/3 of the recipe and decided to make little mini cheesecakes. The great thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require a waterbath and it is fairly simple, as far as cheesecake recipes are concerned. I used semi-sweet chocolate, but only had a tiny bit, so the chocolate flavor was really muted. The texture was good. Next time I would definitely use the full amount of chocolate (should have checked the pantry before I started making the recipe!)
I also think a chocolate crust would be great on this cheesecake.

Go check out the TWD Blogroll to see everyone else's cheesecake and have a great day!

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Pumpkin Pie and Cheesecake. Together as one. Brilliant.
I was going to post the two desserts that I made ahead of time for Thanksgiving in the same post, but I took way too many pictures of this cheesecake and they turned out pretty good, so it gets its own post.
I saw this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine and the picture was just so gorgeous, plus it sounded delicious, so I made it right away.
I didn't know what I was going to do with an entire cheesecake though, so I divided the recipe into 5ths (since there were 5 eggs and I didn't want to half an egg) and then doubled the 1/5th, so I made 2/5ths of the recipe. (Sounds more confusing than it was).
I made 4 mini cheesecakes with my 3 or 4-inch springform pans. I had to taste a tiny bit and then I took them to my hubby's work where they were a hit.

The thing that really got me excited about this dessert is the fact that it really doesn't have a million calories or a trillion grams of fat in it, because most of the filling is pumpkin puree.
If you have 1/14th of the normal sized cheesecake it has less than 350 calories and 16 grams of fat. (The saturated fat is high, but something has to give, right?)
That seems very unusual for a cheesecake type dessert that doesn't claim to be low-fat.
Anyway, you probably think I don't care about calories and fat because I make so much dessert, but I do. I am a healthy eater that loves to bake.
Anyway, enough about all that boring nutrition information.
You must make this dessert.
The crust is made up of gingersnap crumbs with a little bit of brown sugar.
The texture is amazing. It has the flavor of pumpkin pie, but the filling is so smooth and light. It is the texture of cheesecake with the flavor of pumpkin pie. It is perfect.
The cranberry topping is amazing with it. If you crave pumpkin and cranberry together, this is your dessert. The cheesecake isn't overly sweet, but with the tart cranberry sauce it is magnificent. I am making a full-sized Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake for Thanksgiving. You should too.


Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Lemon Cheesecake Squares with Fresh Berries

This is another dessert, one of the 7, that I made for a church gathering a couple of weeks ago.
Since I was making so many desserts in one day, I was looking for recipes that were fairly quick, but still had the flavors and taste that people would want.
Everybody loves cheesecake and I remembered a section of recent issue of Bon Appetit that featured bar cookies. Perfect for this type of baking madness!
I got out my trusty 3-ring binder full of torn out recipes from magazines and was able to find the bar cookie recipes in no time.
These little cheesecake bars needed to set up in the fridge, so I threw them together the night before.
I didn't use the recipe for the crust because I had graham cracker crumbs instead of graham crackers, so I just winged it. (I don't keep graham crackers in the house ever. They are too good dipped in milk and I have absolutely no self control when it comes to graham crackers.They are an absolute no-no for me.)
These bars couldn't be simpler and they have great cheesecake taste with lemon flavor. They were very popular. I doubled the recipe and cut them into small squares, so they ended up serving quite a few people.
Perfect if you need a make-ahead dessert that will please a crowd!



Recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Squares with Fresh Berries

One Year Ago-Fall Pear Galette

TWD-Oreo/White Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Looking for beautifully swirled cheesecake brownies? You won't find them here.
Looking for pretty pictures? also missing today.
Looking for a rave review? Check out the TWD Blogroll- I know multiple people enjoyed this much, much more than I did.
Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell chose Espresso Cheesecake Brownies for today's TWD recipe.

I don't do espresso or coffee of any kind for that matter. I was going to skip this week because of that factor and also because brownies are one of my least favorite desserts. But, somehow I decided to give this a go.

At first I was thinking that I would swirl some raspberry puree and add fresh raspberries to the cheesecake layer. But I saw that Nancy (I think I have linked to her blog everyday now for about a week!- check her out) suggested adding chopped up oreos to the cheesecake and in a moment of weakness last week when my kids were begging for goodies at the checkout of the grocery store, I let them each get a plastic container of mini oreos. I, of course realized that there were 4 servings in one little plastic container, so I let them each have 9 mini oreos and then they had to hand over the leftover mini oreos to me (not to eat, just to get them away from little hands!). I put them in the pantry and they were forgotten about. I decided to chop them up and add them to the cheesecake.

I made two 8x8 pans of this recipe, which means I doubled both parts. I added mini chocolate chips to the brownie part because Nancy said it needed something. I also added 2 oz of melted white chocolate to one of the pans- in the cheesecake layer. I skipped the sour cream topping.

Luckily I took both pans of these to a potluck, where they were completely devoured and they received rave reviews from multiple people and a few requests for the recipe.

I tasted a bite and didn't like them at all. Same with my hubby. I took another bite and so did he, just to make sure and yes, it was confirmed- I didn't care for this dessert. I don't know what it was about it, I just didn't like it. But lots of people did, so I know that the recipe is good, just not good for me. If you want to try them to see what you think, go to Melissa's blog for the recipe or buy Baking:from my home to yours!



One Year Ago- Crunchy Sesame Cookies

Craving Ellie-Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens, Quinoa Stir-Fry and Cheesecake Pops

This week's Craving Ellie recipe, Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens, was chosen by Apple Crumbles. You can find the recipe there. It was a really easy recipe- your choice of napa cabbage or bok choy, which you stir-fry and then add rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Simple and quick. Just how I like it. Oh, and you top it off with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. I was fixing a stir-fry to go with it and as I was preparing the stir-fry, I realized that the sauce for the stir-fry was exactly the same as the Chinese Greens. Perfect! I decided to include that recipe too, since that is what we had for dinner. The stir-fry was served over quinoa- I used a combination of normal and red quinoa. It was delicious. I also added a yellow and orange pepper for more color and nutrition.
My hubby also made a request for his favorite treat before he left a couple days ago. He loves Cheesecake Pops. I have made them at least 5 times since I tried them for the first time with the Daring Bakers last April. He wanted to take them to work and I made the leftover cheesecake into cheesecake cups. So, you have the healthy dinner and the decadent dessert. But, luckily the decadent dessert was made for other people to enjoy. Hope you try some of these delicious dishes!

The link for the Cheesecake Pops and Cheesecake Cups
Tofu, Asparagus, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry with Quinoa from Cooking Light

Dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

Dash of crushed red pepper

Stir-fry:

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups red bell pepper strips

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (12.3-ounce) package reduced-fat firm tofu, drained and cubed

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

To prepare dressing, combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

To prepare stir-fry, bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the quinoa; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with a fork.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper, mushrooms, asparagus, salt, and tofu; stir-fry 3 minutes. Stir in dressing. Serve over quinoa, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Up Tomorrow- Steel-Cut Oat Risotto

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars and Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

We were having dinner guests and I wanted to make an impressive dessert in half the time. I chose cheesecake bars but couldn't decide which flavor would please everyone, so I made both! When in doubt, make more, right?
I thought that the lemon blueberry would give a nice, light, fruity option and the chocolate-pumpkin would satisfy the chocolate-craving dessert eaters.
As it always does, the vote was split. Half of us liked the lemon better- half liked the chocolate better.
I liked the chocolate-pumpkin version better because it tasted less like cheesecake and more like something very pumpkiny. Isn't that a great description? Anyway, just laugh at me- it is fine.
What is your favorite flavor of cheesecake?

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars from Martha Stewart
Prep: 25 minutes Total: 5 hours
To create swirls, drag the blade of a paring knife through the chocolate and pumpkin mixtures several times to make a marbled pattern.
Makes 16.
FOR THE CRUST
20 chocolate wafer cookies, (half a 9-ounce package) (I used 1/2 pkg of oreos with some of the creme filling removed)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
2 packages bar cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
In a food processor, blend cookies with sugar until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup crumbs); add butter, and pulse until moistened.
Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press gently into bottom. Bake until fragrant and slightly firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Place cream cheese in food processor; blend until smooth. Add sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, flour, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; process until combined. Set aside.
Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted. Add 1 cup pumpkin mixture; stir to combine. Set aside.
Pour remaining pumpkin mixture into prepared pan. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture; swirl. Bake until cheesecake is set but jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool in pan. Cover; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). Using overhang, transfer cake to work surface. With a knife dipped in water, cut into 16 squares.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from Tyler Florence via the Food Network
Prep Time: 25 min Inactive Prep Time: 3 hr 0 min Cook Time: 35 min Level: Easy
Serves: 10 bars
For the base: Butter, for greasing

2 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

9 graham crackers

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the filling: 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

2 lemons, zested and juiced

About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
For the base:
Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.
For the filling:
Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar

Coming Tomorrow- PB&J Muffins

TWD- Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Tall and Creamy Cheesecake was chosen by Anne Strawberry. You can find the recipe over at her blog. I almost didn't get any pictures of this one and had to settle for a half eaten piece, of which the top layer of cheesecake had been eaten and more sauce was added on top. I almost had to beat people and banish them from the kitchen, when I was making this so it could cool and rest in the fridge overnight. Cheesecake is popular around here. I decided to flavor the batter with key lime juice (which I had in the freezer from my last key lime cheesecake experience), lime zest and I made a fresh strawberry sauce. It was our Christmas dinner dessert and everyone loved it. I also made it with all sour cream and did away with the water bath. Yummy! Go check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll to see all the other delectable cheesecake variations!

Strawberry Sauce from Southern Living

1 1/4 cups fresh strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.

Come Back Tomorrow for- Asparagus, Ham, and Fontina Bread Pudding and Hot Chocolate with a serious kick!