Tag Archives: cheesecake recipes

Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

I love making bite size portions of food, especially dessert. It’s a great way to indulge in dessert without the guilt. Try making these little chocolate cheesecakes, they are rich and moist, drizzled with a little swirl of chocolate and then covered with a dusting of cocoa powder “snow”, they look as delicious as they taste. These are easy to whip up and look like a lot more effort then they take to prepare. Indulge in these tasty little bites today.

From by the bay wishing you sweet mini food memories!
Maryann
blog mini cheesecake

Mini Chocolate  Cheesecakes

Makes 24 pieces


Crust:
9 ounces chocolate wafer cookies
½ cup melted unsalted butter

Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons sour cream

4 tablespoons chocolate syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla

Topping
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  To make crust use food processor to finely grind the wafers, then add the melted butter and process until moist. Take out and divide between  two 12 cup mini muffin tins. Press the mixture down and push up along the sides using your fingertips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To make the filling : Use  the food processor to combine the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Make sure to scrape down the mixture with a spatula from the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and continue to beat. Next add the sour cream, vanilla and chocolate syrup until all is well blended and smooth.

Pour the cheese mixture into a cup and pour into the cups – filling each almost to the top.  Place the muffin tins onto a baking sheet and place in the oven in the center rack. Bake for 15 minutes until set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least  3 hours. To top, place chocolate into microwave for 30 seconds. Mix and place into microwave another 30 seconds. Remove and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Using a spoon, dip into the chocolate and shake over the cheesecakes , creating thin lines of chocolate, place back into the refrigerator to harden another 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and gently lift each cup out of the tins using a knife or small spatula and serve immediately of place covered back into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Star Spangled Desserts

blog 4th table

Article first published as Star-Spangled Desserts on Technorati.

I love holidays! The 4th of July is no exception. I enjoy creating wonderful memories with my friends and family gathered together by the bay for a special celebration! We gather in early evening , sitting out of doors sharing a meal focused on food made on the grill. When dusk arrives, we have dessert and watch fireworks from the deck over the bay, as each town adds some spectacular colors to the sky. The desserts need to be as special as the firework displays in the sky. Here are a few of my favorite star spangled desserts to try for your own celebration.

From by the bay wishing you the happiest 4th of July food memories!
Maryann



blog berry crisp


Red and Blue Berry Firework Crisp
Serves 4 to 6
Topping
1/2 cup  unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup crushed store bought oatmeal cookies
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling
4 cups mixed berries – raspberries and blueberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon raspberry liquor

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place all ingredients for topping in a bowl and mix well. In a a shallow baking dish add the berries , cornstarch, sugar and liquor. Mix well. Cover the berries with topping. Place dish on a baking
sheet in to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Serve at room temperature as is or serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

blog red velevet cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake
Crust:
2 cups chocolate wafers
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Filling
20 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons melted chocolate
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 tablespoon vanilla

Topping
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fine sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F. Take a 9 inch spring form pan and line with aluminum foil wrapping the outside twice. It’s important to keep water out when cooking with bain marie. To make crust use food processor to finely grind the wafers, then add  sugar and melted butter and process until moist. Take out and place in bottom of spring form pan. Press down with fingertips to cover the bottom of pan. Bake the crust until set about 12 minutes. Cool crust.

To make the filling : Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar. Make sure to scrape down the mixture with a spatula from the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs and continue to beat. Next add the vanilla until all is well blended. Take a bow and add 1/3 of the batter. To the batter add the melted chocolate and food coloring.

Pour the chocolate cheese mixture onto the cooled crust in the spring form pan. Next pour on top the remaining batter.  Place the pan into a roasting pan add hot water to the roasting pan until it’s half the height of the spring form pan. Place in oven and bake for 50 minutes. In themeantime, make sour cream topping by combining the sour cream, sugar and vanilla. After the cheesecake has baked for 50 minutes remove from oven and spread the sour cream topping evenly across the top. Place back into the oven for another 10 minutes,. At this point the cheesecake should be set. Take out of the oven. Remove carefully from the bath. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cover with foil and place in refrigerator over night to set.