No Bake Cheesecake Cookie Cup

I made baked cheesecake cups before back in the old days.  Today I wanted to try the no bake version.  I had some ginger snaps in my pantry and it worked well as a base for my cheesecake cookie cups.  I used a fat free blueberry nonfat yogurt which I was hoping for a light tint of blue hue for this cheesecake cup, but guess not.  The yogurt itself was fairly white in color and when mixed with the cream cheese mixture, well as you can see, the end color result of this cheesecake cookie cup.

This recipe yields 9 cheesecake cups and feel free to decorate the top with fresh blueberry or blueberry preserved for colors contrast.  This is one easy dessert to make and kids friendly too.

~Yield 9 cheesecake cups

Ingredients:

9 ginger snaps cookies (as base)

0.125oz unflavored gelatin

1/8 cup boiling water

1 (8oz) cream cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup fat free blueberry nonfat yogurt (or any yogurt of your choice)

9 paper baking cups

Method:

1.  In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, use an electric beaters to blend together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Use a spatula and fold in yogurt.  Set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, add in the gelatin and add boiling water.  Stir until gelatin dissolves thoroughly.

3.  Pour the gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture and mix until incorporated.

4.  Arrange the baking cups in a muffin tray and add one ginger snap into each cup.  Top with 2 Tbsp. of cream cheese mixture into each.  Divided equally.

5.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.  Optional:  You can top the cheesecake cup with blueberry preserved, or fresh blueberry before serving.

No Bake Strawberry Yogurt Cheese Cake

I saw this easy no bake cheese cake recipe while browsing the Albertson's ad. online.  What attracted me to this recipe was that yogurt was used instead of sour cream.  Most of the no bake recipe that I came across used sour cream, which was not in my shopping list.  So, I was glad to find this recipe.

Just liked the name implies, no baking required, just mixed all the ingredients together, add in gelatin and let it set in the refrigerator.  It was not bad at all, I quite liked it, especially it was so easy to make.  Definitely can be a dessert that I would bring to a potluck. 

Happy Easter!!

I'm also submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #6 Say Cheese (April 2011) hosted by Jean of Noms I Must.

Recipe inspired by Albertson's monthly ad.

Ingredients:

1 envelope (0.25oz) unflavored gelatin 

1/4 cup boiling water

2 (8oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup strawberry yogurt (or any flavored you prefer)

Raspberries preserved, as needed (optional)

1 prepared 8" graham cracker pie crust (or make your own)

Method:

1.  In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, use an electric mixer to blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Fold in yogurt.

2.  In a small bowl, empty the gelatin and add boiling water.  Stir until gelatin dissolves thoroughly.

3.  Fold in the gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture until incorporated.

4.  Pour mixture into the pie crust.   Drop tsp. of raspberries preserved on top and try to swirl it with a toothpick.

5.  Cover with a cling wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours.  Slice and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

I wanted to try a pumpkin cheesecake ever since I tried it few years ago.  It was a store bought frozen kind and it was so good, the memory just stick with me.  I actually prefer the duo version where there was part white and part pumpkin cheesecake.  However, it sort of ended out this way.

You can use graham crackers instead of ginger snap cookies if you like.  Omit the nuts if you prefer. 

Look at my crack cheesecake!!!  This was my first cheesecake and it cracked badly.  Note to self, never offer to bring a whole cheesecake for a party or potluck because you never know how it would turn out.  If you have great tips on baking a non-crack cheesecake, feel free to share with this cheesecake amateur here.  :-)

Recipe adapted from Kraft Foods with slight modification.

Make an 8-inch cheesecake:

Ingredients:

19 ginger snaps

1/8 cup walnuts  (1/8 cup is half of 1/4 cup)

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 pkg. (8oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup (7.5 oz.) can pumpkin

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 325'F.

2.  In a food processor, add in ginger snaps and walnuts, process until fine.  Pour in the melted butter and pulse a few times to mix.  Pour into a 8-inch springform pan and press at the bottom of the springform pan evenly.

3.  In a large bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and sugar until well blended.  Add in pumpkin, spices and vanilla, beat well.  Lastly, add eggs, one at a time and beat until blended.  Pour into prepared crust.

4.  Lined a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place under the cheesecake to catch any drip.  Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set.  ( I baked mine for 60 minutes and my cheesecake cracked, my friend told me I might be over baked, so if you are making this, check your cheesecake at 45 minutes, 50 mins. and so on) How to know if the cheesecake is done?  You gently shake the pan, if the cheesecake is done, the edge should be slightly puffed and it will be set except for a small area in the center that will be soft and jiggly.  Do not insert a knife into the center as this may cause the cheesecake to crack during cooling.

5.  Loosen cake from rim of pan, cool before removing rim.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Cheesecake Cups

I loved to buy cream cheese when it was on sales, just for the "just in case" I need it moment. Then, often time because of my laziness, the cream cheese will left untouched. I really need to do something before the cream cheese past the expiration date and I found this mini cheesecake cups very easy. I used my roasted edamame cookies as base for these cheesecake cups, if you asked me, any round cookies would do. Then prepare an easy cheesecake mix and it was all set. I would recommend you to decorate the cheesecake cups as you desired as it will make it prettier and more presentable. ;) This is definitely an easy party dessert or treat for little kids. I like the bite size serving too!


Plain ones



Ingredients: (Yield 12 cheesecake cups)

Base:
Round cookie of your choice (Nilla wafers, chocolate chips, butter cookies, etc.)

Cheesecake topping:
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, soften
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg


With strawberry preserved

Method:

1. Lined paper cups in muffin pan. Add in round cookie of your choice.

2. In a mixing bowl, add in cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, beat with an electric mixer until blended. Add in egg and mix until blended. Spoon cream cheese on top of each cookie cups, divide among 12.

3. Bake at preheated 350'F for 13-15 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Decorate with gels, sprinkles, fruit preserved, chocolate syrup, whipped cream if desired. Store in refrigerator.