Thursday, May 5, 2011

I Love Minis

_MG_5804.jpgI love anything that comes in small sizes. Perhaps that is why I always make cupcakes instead of regular cakes. This mini cheesecake is fabulous, if you're a cheesecake kind of person!
_MG_5798.jpgWhat I also love about making them in these little jars is that they travel well if the need arises to take them somewhere. Adorable, aren't they?
_MG_5764.jpgBesides the cheesecake itself I love a graham cracker crust on a cheesecake and it's really easy to make. Just ground up graham crackers, add a little sugar, and some melted butter. It must be the butter. Butter makes everything wonderful!
_MG_5766.jpgScoop some graham cracker mixture into your cute little jars.
_MG_5767.jpgUsing a little kid's tupperware cup, press the graham cracker mixture into the jar to flatten it out.
_MG_5770.jpgThen, using the scoop that I use for cupcakes, put a scoopful of the cheesecake batter into each jar.
_MG_5771.jpgPlace your jars in a 9x13 inch pan. Fill the pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cheesecakes.
_MG_5774.jpgI had two extra jars, so I put them in a smaller pyrex. See the water? That's an important step, so don't leave it out. Then stick those cuties in the oven to bake.
_MG_5776.jpgVoilá! Pull them out of the oven and they should be firm on the sides and slightly jiggly in the middle.
_MG_5778.jpgPull the cheesecakes out of the pan and place them on a rack too cool.
_MG_5780.jpgLet them cool. Then place them in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
_MG_5783.jpgAdd your favorite toppings and they'll be ready to eat!
_MG_5789.jpgIf you're going to a picnic or something just place the lids on them and you're set to go. No mess to worry about and no slicing needed later. Perfect, right?
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Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 8oz packages cream cheese softened
2 large eggs
1/4 heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons butter, melted


Toppings:
Fresh Berries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with sugar and butter. Press 2 tablespoons of mixture into each jar.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for your water bath.

With the paddle attachment on your stand mixer mix the cream cheese and sugar together. Then add one egg at a time until well blended scraping down bowl as needed. Add heavy cream and vanilla.

Pour batter in jars 3/4 full. Place jars in a large pan and pour boiling water into the large pan until halfway up the sides of the jars.

Bake 25-30 minutes. The edges will appear set, while the center may still be a bit jiggly. 

Carefully remove the cheesecake jars from the water bath and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once they have cooled completely, place them in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Top with berries and serve!
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4 comments:

Tamsyn said...

Oh my goodness, these sound so yum and look divine as well!! I can't wait to try making them.

Bree Soncrant said...

This might be a dumb question...but where can I get the canning jars? I've seen them at the grocery store, but they are really expensive there. Any suggestions?? :) I really want to make these!!

Unknown said...

I've been given most of our canning jars from the little old ladies at our church. We've bought some from Craigslist too. I have a friend who has found some at Goodwill too. Good luck. Yes, they are expensive in the store.

Erin said...

Love. It.

I will be making these sometime. Like you said, they would be perfect for a picnic!