APPLE PIE CHEESECAKE FOR TWO

This is a wonderful (and super easy) dessert to top off that romantic Valentine dinner for two (and you can make it all ahead of time!!).  It is a creamy cheesecake, topped with a warm apple pie filling and cold whipped cream........best of the best!!

Preheat your oven to 325°F, and line a mini-loaf pan (6"x3"x2") with foil, then lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

CRUST
1/4  cup graham cracker crumbs
2    teaspoons sugar
2    teaspoons melted butter
1    tablespoon chopped pecans
pinch of cinnamon

Mix well and press into the bottom of your prepared mini-loaf pan.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons flour
1 large egg white

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until very smooth; mix in the flour and egg white and beat just until smooth (takes just a second).

Spread the filling, evenly, over the crumb crust. Set the mini loaf pan inside an 8" or 9" cake pan and fill the bigger pan with some HOT water (hot water should be about 1" deep). Bake 28-33 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 33 minutes). The cheesecake should be just "set" and barely jiggle when you tap on the side of the loaf pan.

Remove from oven and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 or 3 hours (or overnight).

APPLE PIE TOPPING
This topping should be put on the cheesecake just before serving. You can serve it warm (which is how we like it) or cold.

2 large sweet apples (see note)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Melt butter and water in a medium saucepan and then add everything else. Saute on low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until apples are tender. Thicken the sauce with a slurry of 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.

You can use this topping after it cools down a little, or if you want to serve it cold, just store it in the fridge.

When it's time to serve, grab the ends of the foil in the mini-loaf pan and lift the cheesecake out.  Cut the cheesecake in half and place on dessert dishes; top each one with a large serving of apple pie filling (warm or cold). Top with sweetened whipped cream.

Enjoy!!

 

 

NOTE: Use any good eating apple. If you use something really tart, like a Granny Smith apple, just add a little extra sugar.

THANKSGIVING MINI DESSERT

We just love mini desserts, don't you? No extra plates and forks (we use napkins), no "commitment" to a big slice of something; instead two or three different mini-desserts is more to our liking.

Todays recipe is a combination of two of my favorite holiday treats. It has a bottom layer of moist, spicy pumpkin CAKE and a top layer of rich and creamy CHEESECAKE; what could be better for your holiday buffet table?

 

CAKE LAYER

 

1/2  cup Libby pumpkin puree (NOT the pre-spiced kind)

3/4  cup all purpose flour

1 1/2  teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Mix the flour, spice, salt and baking soda and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, egg, sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth, then add the dry ingredients from the first bowl. Whisk just until well mixed and set aside.

 

CHEESECAKE LAYER

 

(2) 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

2   large egg

4 teaspoons all purpose flour

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

 



Beat the cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth, then add the egg, flour, sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth, but don't over beat.

ASSEMBLY

Super simple: place cupcake papers in cupcake pan and very lightly mist them with cooking spray.

Put a small amount of cake batter into each paper and make sure it covers the bottom. Top with cheesecake filling(dividing evenly between the 24 desserts).

Bake in pre-heated 350° oven for 25 minutes or until set (my electric oven takes exactly 25 minutes).

Cool to room temperature then chill for at least a couple hours.

NOTE:  These little gems can be made two or three days ahead of time which is a huge help during the holidays. As a matter of fact, they taste even more moist after a couple days in the fridge.  Just make sure that you store them chilled in an airtight container.

NOTE: This cake batter raises nicely, so don't put too much in the bottom of each one...sort of spread it around but not too terribly thick or you will get all cake and less cheesecake.

CHEESECAKE BROWNIE CUPCAKES

This recipe is a delightful combination of a brownie layer baked under a vanilla cheesecake layer; do I have your attention yet? 

They are delicious and seriously going onto my holiday dessert tray this year. If you like chocolate (duh!!) AND you like cheesecake (double duh!!) you will love these quick and simple treats.

 

Brownie Layer
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup flour

Heat chocolate, cocoa and butter (I use my microwave) just until melted, then stir well and set aside to cool while you do the next step.

In another medium size bowl mix sugar, egg and vanilla till smooth; add melted chocolate/butter and flour and stir just until it looks well mixed (I do this by hand - no mixer); set aside.

Cheesecake Layer
8 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Using electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla and continue mixing until creamy smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pan with 12 foil liners. If you don't have foil liners, you can use paper liners, but you will have to mist them with a little vegetable spray.

Put a very lightly rounded tablespoon of brownie batter in each cupcake foil and roughly spread it around a little.

Top the brownie layer with the cheesecake mixture, dividing it equally between the 12 cupcakes.
 
Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven but do not remove from the cupcake pan. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill in fridge (still in pan) for several hours.

I topped these little gems with a ganache (but you don't have to).  To make that, I just mixed a large handful of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup very hot (but not boiling) heavy cream, stirring until thick and smooth.

These are also very pretty at holiday time, topped with cherry pie filling and a swirl of whipped cream; it's sort of an individual black forest cake idea.

MINI MAPLE CHEESECAKES

We love the world of mini desserts these days; with an "empty nest", mini desserts are an easy better way to battle the mega-calories that a big ole' cheesecake in the fridge tempts us with.

Picky-picky husband LOVES all things maple, so I've been on a search for a maple cheesecake for a long time. This recipe is a combination of several other recipes combined with my own personal tweaks. WE
are very pleased with the results; they are sweet, smooth to the tongue, maple-y and super easy to make.

CRUMB CRUST
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter

Mix until well combined; I do this in a plastic food bag (saves on clean up). 

Preheat your oven to 275° and put paper cupcake liners in a cupcake pan.

Put a slightly rounded tablespoon of crumb mixture into each paper liner and press down.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1/3 cup REAL maple syrup (I've never tried pancake syrup)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour

Beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy and well mixed. While the mixer is running, drizzle in the maple syrup (scrape the sides of the bowl down if necessary).

Beat in the egg, extracts and flour until smooth.

Pour over the crumb crusts, filling almost to the top.

Bake at 275° for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. 

NOTE: My electric oven took 35 minutes to bake these because my maple syrup and egg were cold (right out of the fridge). If you bring the syrup and egg to room temperature before making these, it would probably only take 30 minutes to bake.

NOTE: I've never used artificial pancake syrup in these little cheesecakes, so I can't tell you if that will work or not, although I'm guessing it would (it just wouldn't taste as good).

NOTE: This recipe made 10 little cheesecakes.

EASY MINI CHEESECAKES

Picky-picky husband has decided he loves cheesecake. Not just any cheesecake (that's part of his picky-picky-ness), but he loves miniature cheesecakes. I think it is because he can just snag one out of the fridge without plate or utensils.

This recipe for mini-cheesecakes is extremely quick and easy and since you can use any flavor of jam, it is quite versatile. If you don't want to add the jam, just leave it out!!

CRUST
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix these three items until everything is moist and crumbly.
Place paper cupcake liners in cupcake pan (recipe makes 24 miniature cheesecakes).  Place a scant tablespoon of the crumbs in the bottom of each paper liner and tamp down a little.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

(3) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs

Beat the softened cream cheese for 2 minutes; it should be very creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for about 30 seconds.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (on low) in between each egg.

If you are going to use jam in these cheesecakes (it is completely optional), put a rounded tablespoon of cheesecake batter on top of each graham cracker crust. Swirl a little of your favorite jam over the batter, like this:

Top this with another heaping tablespoon of cheesecake filling and then put another swirl of jam on the top surface.

Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes (my electric oven takes 25 minutes).

Leave the baked cheesecakes in the pan and cool to room temperature. After they are at room temperature, put them in the fridge to chill for at least a couple hours before serving.

MINI BUTTERSCOTCH CHEESECAKES

Whether you are a small family or "empty nesters" like us, this scaled down recipe for mini-butterscotch cheesecakes is a handy one.

I started scaling down full sized dessert recipes because we got tired of eating the same dessert several nights in a row. This recipe (depending on how big you make them) will give you 5 or 6 cupcake sized cheesecakes.

Preheat oven to 325°F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
Mix crust ingredients and divide evenly between 5-6 paper liners (press crumbs down to make flat crust inside paper liners).

CHEESECAKE BATTER:
1/2 cup butterscotch baking chips
4 ounces regular cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 eggs slightly beaten (room temperature)
1 teaspoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rum extract (see note)

Melt butterscotch baking chips (I use my microwave) just until they are melted and smooth, don't overheat. Set aside to cool down a little.

Beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth (1 minute or so?). Beat in the melted (and cooled) butterscotch chips and sugar until well mixed. Add the egg, flour and extracts and beat until smooth, but don't over beat.

Pour the batter over the crust and fill paper liners about 80% full, or almost to the top. When these cheesecakes are done baking, they will look domed, but as they cool, they will lose that "dome".

Bake for 25-30 minutes (my electric oven takes 30 minutes). Of course it will depend on how much you fill up the paper liners and how hot your oven runs. Just bake them until they are set.

Cool in the pan for half hour or so, then put them (still in the pan) in the fridge to chill for a few hours. Remove paper liners before serving.

NOTE: If you don't have rum extract, just double the vanilla.

MINI PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKES

Chocolate glazed, mini peanut butter cheesecakes, what could be better? My family loves cheesecake and I've made a bagillion of them over the years, but I've never quite mastered cutting them cleanly, especially when serving a crowd. These mini cheesecakes are the perfect solution for Easter this year.

CRUST
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup melted butter
pinch of cinnamon

Mix crust ingredients well, set aside

FILLING
(2) 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup creamy style peanut butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 eggs

Line cupcake pan with paper liners (this recipe makes 18 cheesecakes). Spoon a little of the crust crumbs into each paper liner and press down. Set aside and preheat your oven to 350°F

In a large bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth.

While beating, sprinkle in the flour and then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth.

Fill the paper liners almost full (I use an ice cream scoop for this).  Bake in 350°F oven for 20-23 minutes. My electric oven took 23 minutes.

Cool to room temperature, then top with chocolate glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
6 tablespoons melted butter
6 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
6 tablespoons boiling water
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the cocoa into the butter until smooth. Add the boiling water and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk till smooth.  Pour over the cooled cheesecakes and put in the fridge to help the glaze "set".

Store cheesecakes, covered, in the refrigerator until time to serve.