~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake "Cupcakes"... #7 in a series of desserts.



Cookies and Cream Cheesecake "Cupcakes" ...When I first saw these Oreo cheesecake bites, I thought they were really neat... bookmarked them immediately, just to make them for special occasions. I loved the idea of not making a crust, making individual small pieces, and not using a fork or spoon to eat them. These cheesecake "cupcakes" are pretty easy to make... a simple mix of cheesecake batter that is poured over a sandwich cookie, and baked at a low temperature to allow for a creamy cheesecake. So here is #7 in a series of desserts. Hope you enjoy...

Note: The bottom chocolate sandwich cookie does soften a bit and isn't as crispy... at least that's what I noticed with mine.

Tip: To make them even more decadent opt for frosting them with a chocolate ganache or whipped chocolate frosting. Or simply make a chocolate cheesecake batter...

You will need: adapted from Handle the Heat and originally from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped*
2 pounds [4( 8oz packs)] cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1-2 tsps vanilla extract
1-2 tsps grated orange/lemon zest, optional
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt
* you can use Oreos or any other brand you like.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F... and line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each liner. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer beat cream cheese on medium speed... until smooth of any lumps... and fluffy. You will need to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.
4. Add sugar gradually and continue to beat until combined. Beat in the vanilla and orange/lemon zest, if using.
5. Add beaten eggs, slowly and beat until combined... don't over beat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Add sour cream and salt. Beat on low just until combined.
7. Stir in the chopped cookies by hand.
8. Divide the batter evenly among cookie-lined cups. You will fill them almost to the top.
9. Bake until filling is set, about 22 minutes.... this may take a bit longer depending on your oven and how much you filled them. You may need to rotate pans halfway through baking. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
10. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (best overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

2 comments:

Mihaela said...

Ellie, I like this mini cheesecakes, this is a great idea for parties and gatherings. I tried to make cheesecake cupcakes this summer, and I added some sour cherry sauce on top, tried to swirl it a little. They baked nicely, but when I took them out of the oven, COLLAPSED!! we ate them like that, were delicious :))) with a big hole in the middle!

Ellie said...

Mihaela. I've been there myself:)... that's where the sauces/frosting come in handy:).

I found out a few things that help with the cracks and the sunken middle... and I am sure you know them, too. But one thing I tend to do is to take the cheesecakes out of the oven right away...they say it is better if you leave them in the oven (with the door ajar) so that the cheesecakes have ample time to cool down. The temperature difference from the oven to room temp is too drastic... the cheesecakes tend to cool too fast. That's then you get the sunken middle/cracks. I also learned that the cracks tend happen when i forget to butter the sides of the pans:). But like you said... they are still delicious:)!

I found these cheesecakes to be really easy to do...and the low temp. intrigued me. It worked... as far as there were no cracks:).