Mini-Cherry Cheesecakes

What could be better than cherry cheesecake?  Perhaps mini-cherry cheesecakes, everything is always cuter in cupcake form.  My grandmother went to her high school reunion on Saturday and requested that I make some type of little dessert for her to take for everyone.  

The recipe I used is a condensed form of my usual go to cheesecake recipe from Barefoot Contessa.  After trying to look up other "mini-cheesecake" recipes I just decided to modify slightly what was already good.  A few years ago I probably would have just skipped the lemon zest in the recipe but I'm sort of obsessed with lemon zest in recipes and it make the cheesecake taste much fresher and not so heavy. 

Mini-Cherry Cheesecakes

Makes 18 cheesecakes

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 10 crackers)

3/4 stick of butter, melted

1 tablespoon sugar

Cheesecake: 

Two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

zest from one lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can of cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place paper liners in cupcake tins.  

Add the melted butter to the graham crackers and sugar and mix together.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each cupcake liner.  Using your fingers, press the crust down until it's fully covering the bottom and is flat.  Place in oven for 3 minutes then sit on a rack to cool.

For the cheesecake, mix together cream cheese and sugar.  Add the eggs and mix until it is well blended together.  Add lemon zest and vanilla and stir just until it is combined.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20 minutes or until edges are golden.

After you take them out of the oven the middle will sink a little bit and makes a perfect little cup for the filling.  These would be great with blueberry pie filling as well.  I wanted to make some with raspberries, strawberries, and chocolate but time got away from me.  Before delivering them to my grandmother I did test out one and although it was still a little warm it was very good.  I hope that they turned out well once they sat in the fridge for a while.  

Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake with Ganache

Everything a chocolate cheesecake should be.

Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake with Ganache

~Barefoot Contesssa

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the filling:

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee

1 3/4 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache:

1/4 pound semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust:
Place the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until combined. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, chop the bittersweet chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the espresso and stir until just melted. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

To make the filling:
Cream the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extracts and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, and the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.
Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door opened wide for 1 1/2 hours. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature, until completely cooled.

For the ganache:
Finely chop the semisweet chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the cream and stir until just melted. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving. Drizzle the ganache over the top of the cheesecake.

Cheesecake Brownies

I had a box of brownie mix, the good kind with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. That would have been boring so I made cheesecake brownies:

Cheesecake Brownies

Brownies:

I used Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie mix.

Cheesecake Topping:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, at room temperature

3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 bar (.75 ounces) semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and butter in large bowl until creamy and smooth, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add eggs, cream and flour, beating just until combined. Add the vanilla extract. Pour cheesecake mixture over the chocolate layer.

Place chocolate in microwave-safe cup. Microwave in 20 second intervals until melted, stirring between each.

Drizzle melted chocolate over the cheesecake layer. Drop pan on counter to burst any air bubbles in the cheesecake layer.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheesecake layer is set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Then chill several hours or overnight before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Raspberry Cheesecake

Raspberry Cheesecake

~Barefoot Contessa(she's a genius)

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)

1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons

(3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar 5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the topping:

1 cup red jelly (not jam), such as currant, raspberry, or strawberry

3 half-pints fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 225 degrees F and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

To make the topping, melt the jelly in a small pan over low heat. In a bowl, toss the raspberries and the warm jelly gently until well mixed. Arrange the berries on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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I made this for my Christmas party with my freinds. This is the third cheesecake recipe I have tried and it is maybe my favorite. Then again I said that about the first two...but this is a good basic cheesecake that can be paired with a variety of toppings.

The baking part is a little complicated. When I first put it in at 450 degrees I watched it to make sure it wasn't going to burn the top. The cheesecake rose quite a bit and I was thinking how ugly it was going to look. Once the heat is turned down I finally realized it wasn't going to burn and it did not get any darker on top. Once it cooled in the fridge it settled back down and was flat on top.

The topping was easy to make and I used strawberry jelly. You could not really taste the difference so I'm sure any red jelly would be fine. This is a really dramatic cheesecake. My friends and I couldn't wait to cut into it. It isn't like most American cheesecakes and the filling is very light and fluffy but still has that great cheesecake flavor. The lemon zest is a must! Don't leave it out because it adds a lot of freshness to the filling. I can't wait til I have an occasion to make this again!!!

Honey Ricotta Cheesecake

I really like honey. I like cheesecake. This recipe combines the two and it was a very successful first attempt at making a real cheesecake. After spending graduation money on a food processor instead of things for my future classroom I wanted to be really ambitious and make something more complicated. I've always heard that cheesecakes are tricky and have to be done specifically to come out right. When I went shopping for the ingredients and found the biscotti in the cookie aisle I couldn't decide between traditional biscotti which is almond flavored or lemon biscotti. I finally got the lemon and it really turned out well for a crust. I'm sure the plain biscotti would be just as good or any other kind. It didn't seem that bad. The only thing was nearly scalding myself trying to get it out of the oven with the pan of hot water. I already have scars on my arm from other baking mishaps but I wasn't really wanting any more. I cooked it the exact time it specified and it was very golden on top with some darker spots not burnt. And most importantly it didn't crack! If it cracks it is supposedly overdone. So that was exciting for my first cheesecake experience. I spent all afternoon working on the cheesecake and was pretty sad when I read the very last part of the recipe that said you had to keep it refrigerated for 8 hours. The next day for lunch I finally got to try it and I drizzled some honey over it for dramatic effect. So first cheesecake verdict? Maybe one of the best things I've ever made. The lemon biscotti crust held up well against the ricotta/cream cheese combination filling. It was creamy but not mushy. The honey made it just the right amount of sweetness without being too rich. I was not at home on Friday night and when I got back Saturday afternoon there were only 2 pieces left. When my brother got home he even hugged me over it. His friend (who told me was from New York and knew cheesecakes) even complimented me. It went so fast that I'm kinda sad more people didn't get to eat it but I'm sure I'll make another soon. I can't believe I just wrote so much about a cheesecake...

Honey Ricotta Cheesecake
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

8 ounces purchased biscotti
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup orange blossom or clover honey
1 tablespoon orange zest
4 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the honey and orange zest. Add the eggs and pulse just until blended.

Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour and 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold).

Transfer the cake to a rack and cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into wedges and serve.