MINI CHERRY CHEESECAKES

MINI CHERRY CHEESECAKES
24 vanilla wafers
24 baking cups
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 egg
8 oz. sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling

• Place 1 vanilla wafer at the bottom of each baking cup.
• Combine cream cheese, egg, sour cream, sugar and almond and vanilla extracts in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
• Pour mixture into baking cups 2/3 full.
• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
• Allow to cool, and then place 1 Tbsp. pie filling on each mini cheesecake.

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES

3/4 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
2 tablespoons melted butter (no substitutes)
1 tablespoon sugar
12 chocolate kisses
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening

• Heat oven to 325 degree F.
• Line twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with foil liners.
• Combine crushed wafers, melted butter, and the 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl.
• Divide among lined cups; press into bottoms.
• Place one chocolate kiss, point up, in each cup.
• Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla just until blended.
• Beat in peanut butter.
• Carefully spoon about 1/4 cup mixture over kiss in each cup, making sure to keep the kiss centered on bottom of cup (cups will be full).
• Bake about 25 minutes or until filling is set.
• Cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack.
• Heat chocolate pieces and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.
• Remove cheesecakes from foil cups.
• Drizzle melted chocolate over cheesecakes.
• Chill 1 hour or until chocolate is set.
• Makes 12 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cover and chill up to 36 hours. Or, to freeze, do not remove from cups. Freeze up to 1 month. Let thaw in the refrigerator; drizzle with chocolate.

Appetizer Cheesecake

Appetizer Cheesecake

1 (6 ounce) box cheese crackers, crushed
2 cups sour cream
1 medium green pepper
10-12 green olives (1/2 c.)
1 small onion, quartered
1 stalk celery (1-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika

• Layer half of cracker mixture (crackers and sour cream, may have to add some butter to bind) in bottom of 9-inch spring pan.
• Blend all other ingredients in blender; pour into pan.
• Refrigerate at least 24 hours.
• Top with remaining crumbs.
• Garnish with olive slices, pimiento and parsley.
• Serve with an assortment of crackers.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

Filling
19 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemons, rind of, grated
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

Glaze
1 cup strawberries, mashed
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Crust: stir together graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
• Mix in butter thoroughly and press into a 9" springform pan.
• Bake 10 minutes.
• Cool
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees
• Filling: beat cream cheese in large mixing bowl.
• Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy.
• Add lemon peel and vanilla
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Pour into shell.
• Bake 1 hour or until center is firm.
• Cool to room temperature and then spread with the strawberry glaze.
• Chill 3 hours.
• Glaze: blend sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan.
• Stir in water and strawberries.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils
• Boil and stir for 1 minute.
• Cool thoroughly before spreading over cheesecake.
  

BERRY MARBLE CHEESECAKE

BERRY MARBLE CHEESECAKE

1/3 cup crushed graham crackers (about 5 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 8-ounce packages nonfat cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
1/2 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, (or eggs to equal 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup seedless red raspberry preserves

• Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
• For crust, stir together crushed graham crackers and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of a well-greased 8- or 9-inch spring-form pan.
• Set pan aside.
• For filling, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla, and, if desired, lemon peel in a large mixing bowl.
• Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
• Add the refrigerated or thawed egg product all at once, beating on low speed just until combined (do not over-beat).
• Stir in milk.
  Pour filling into crust-lined pan.
• Place spring-form pan in a shallow baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes for an 8-inch pan or 35 to 40 minutes for a 9-inch pan, or until center appears nearly set when gently shaken.
• Cool in spring-form pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Loosen crust from sides of pan with a thin-bladed knife or narrow spatula and cool 30 minutes more.
• Remove sides of pan; cool 1 hour.
• Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Top with nonfat sour cream and spoon on seedless red raspberry preserves; swirl with a spoon.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

CHEESECAKE SQUARES

CHEESECAKE SQUARES

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup whipping cream
16 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup ground almonds

• Combine coconut, butter and almond and press into 8 inch baking pan and chill.
• Use a blender with a 5 cup capacity to mix ingredients:
• Heat 1/2 of the cream until it is about to boil.
• Sprinkle gelatin on remaining cream [cold] and let stand 3 minutes.
• Add hot cream and blend at low speed until gelatin is dissolved, about 2 minutes
• Add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, and blend at high speed.
• Pour all but 1/2 cup over coconut crust in baking pan.
• Add cocoa to last 1/2 cup and blend then spoon over cheesecake.
• Chill until set firm.
• Yield: 8 servings.

Note: You may wish to swirl the chocolate layer gently with a knife to marble it with the cheesecake before chilling or you can leave it as two layers.

BROWNIE SWIRL CHEESECAKE

BROWNIE SWIRL CHEESECAKE

8 ounces (1 pk) brownie mix
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
16 ounces cream cheese -- softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips -- melted

• Grease bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.
• Prepare basic brownie mix as directed on package; pour batter evenly into spring form pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
• Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Pour over brownie layer.
• Spoon chocolate over cream cheese mixture, cut through cheese and chocolate mixture several times to achieve a marbled affect.
• Bake at 350 degrees F., 35 minutes.
• Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan.
• Chill.
• Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.