Dark Chocolate Ganach Cheesecake

 

WHAT YOU NEED

Prep Time: 35 min.
Total Time: 6 hours (incl. refrigerating) Makes: 16 servings
MAKE IT

• 1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened • 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping(Do not thaw.) • 6 oz. BAKER’S Bittersweet Chocolate
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

HEAT oven to 325°F.
MIX graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
BAKE 55 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.
MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 to 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool 15 min.; slowly pour over cheesecake. Garnish with raspberries.
Size-wise
You’ll know it’s a special occasion when you get to enjoy a serving of this delicious cheesecake.

BAILEY’S IRISH CREAM MINI-CHEESECAKES

Yield: 24 mini-cakes Ingredients: 

For the crust: 
16 whole Oreo, finely ground in food processor 
3 tablespoons melted butter 

For the filling: 
16 oz (2-8-oz pkg) cream cheese 
1/2 cup sugar 
2 eggs 
1 1/3 cups sour cream 
3 Tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly 

For the ganache glaze: 
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 
1/2 cup heavy cream 
2 teaspoons light corn syrup 

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. 
 1. Combine the ground Oreos and melted butter into a bowl until well combined. Spoon into 24 mini cheesecake cups. Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat. If you have a small cup or container small enough, that works well. Partially bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. 
 2. In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in sour cream, Bailey's, and vanilla. 
3. Pour or spoon batter into cheesecake pan cups to fill to a little less than half of the cup. Then add the melted chocolate to the rest of the batter. Fill the cups to about 3/4 full. 
4. Bake for 25-28 minutes until cheesecake is cooked through. Remove to a wire rack to cool. 
5. Once the cheesecakes have cooled, loosen the edges with a plastic knife and remove them from the pan by pushing up on the removable bottoms. Arrange them on a piece of waxed paper and make the glaze.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• For Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 5 tbs butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1//4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• For Cheesecake:
• 4.4 oz chocolate bar, broken in pieces
• 3 8-oz cream cheese packs
• 1 cup of pumpkin puree
• 2 tbs sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tbs corn starch
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• For Topping:
• 1 cup of pecans
• Chocolate syrup

Instructions

1. ~ Grease a 9-inch spring form, set aside. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. For crust: Mix the ingredients for the crust, very well, until all evenly incorporated. Press graham cracker mixture into the pan, evenly, all over the bottom and about half way up the side.
3. Lay the chocolate pieces all over the crust, evenly.
4. For Cheesecake:
5. Start beating the cream cheese in a mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the vanilla extract, sour cream, and pumpkin puree.
7. Add the eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition.
8. Add sugar, spice and corn starch. Make sure that all ingredients are well combined.
9. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan with crust. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.
10. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool completely and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Turtle Cheescake Ball

 
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 cup chopped pecans - toasted
1/2 cup mini semisweet choc chips
1/2 pk dry vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup caramel topping plus little more for drizzling
Cadbury chocolate fingers, apples, graham crackers, Nilla wafers for serving 

 Directions

1. Cream together soften cream cheese & butter
2. Add caramel topping and beat well
3. Add brown sugar & icing sugar
4. Add vanilla & dry pudding mix, beat until creamy.
5. Fold in chocolate chips & pecans (toasted lightly in frying pan, let cool before adding to mixture)
6. Pat into a ball and refrigerate covered or in a container for one hour.
7. Place ball on serving platter, drizzle with caramel topping and few more pecans. Serve with chocolate wafers, Cadbury's chocolate fingers, Nilla wafers or sliced apples.

Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

1- 8 ounce brick cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
3 cups chocolate chip cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350°. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, mix the first four ingredients until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on med-high speed. Into an 8×8 inch greased baking dish, evenly press 2 cups cookie dough. Pour cream cheese mixture over top and spread to edges of dish. Break the remaining dough into small pieces and sprinkle over top of cream cheese mixture. Lower oven heat to 325° and bake bars for 35-40 minutes or until tester comes out (almost) clean. Let cool completely out on the counter before cutting into 16 equal pieces. Chilling in the refrigerater for one hour before removing cut bars prevents breakage. Refrigerate leftovers (if any!)

Nancy's Cheesecake

4 pkgs. cream cheese
2 c. sugar
6 eggs
2 pts. (4 cups) sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingreadients for 15 minutes.  Pour into graham cracker crust* which has been baked 8 minutes at 350° and cooled. Bake 60-75 minutes then turn off heat let stand in oven 45 minutes more.  DO NOT open oven door. It MUST be CLOSED at all times.  Refrigerate 6-8 hours.  Top with fruit, if desired.

*Graham Cracker Crust:
1 pkg. graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
2 TBSP sugar
Mix and bake in spring form pan.

Oreo Cheesecake

From Jill Westra


18 Oreos crushed (blender works best)
¼ cup melted butter
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Mix Oreos and butter and press in a greased 9” sprinform pan.  In a large bowl, cream remaining ingredients until well blended.  Pour into springform pan.  Break up 8 Oreo’s and drop on the top of the batter.  Bake for 45-60 minutes at 300 degrees.  Don’t bake till it cracks.  Cool to room temperature and chill in refrigerator before removing from pan.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

From Jill Westra
 
 
Crust
17 oreo cookies, finely crushed
¼ cup butter, melted
1Tablespoon sugar
 
Cheesecake
3 pkg cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3T unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ c buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
2 ounces red food coloring
 
Frosting
3 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup butter
2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Heavy duty foil
 
Stir together Oreo crumbs, melted butter, and 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a spring form pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare water bath: Fill large roasting pan (big enough for a springform pan to fit into) with about 1 inch of water. Place in oven and allow to preheat with the oven.
 
Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium – low speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and remaining filling ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined.  Pour batter into prepared crust.
 
Take out 2 sheets of heavy duty foil and layer them on top of each other.  Place spring form pan on the top of foil and wrap the foil gently around the pan and up the sides.  Make sure that there are no tears or holes and that the foil comes all the way up around the sides of the cake.  Carefully place the foil-protected pan into the water bath in a pre-heated oven.
 
Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees.  Bake for an additional 75 minutes or until the center is firm.  Turn oven off.  Let cheesecake stand in the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove cheesecake from oven.  Carefully remove cheesecake from water bath and place on wire rack.  Run a thin knife around the outer edge of the cheesecake.  Cool on rack for a couple hours, until the cheesecake becomes close to room temperature.  Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.  Remove the sides of pan.
 
Beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.  Spread over top of cheese cake, garnish with mint leaves, if desired.

Hawaiian Cheesecake

From Jill Westra

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup flaked coconut
2/3 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
3 pkg. cream cheese (softened)
½ cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup sugar
Two eggs
One egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon rind, finely grated.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers, ½ cup of the chopped nuts and ½ cup coconut.  Add in melted butter. Press into bottom and up the sides of a spring form pan.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Combine cream cheese, pineapple, lemon rind and sugar until creamy.  Add whole eggs, egg yolk and vanilla and beat on low until just combines. Stir in remaining chopped nuts.  Pour mixture into crust.
Place spring form pan into a shallow baking dish.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center appears nearly set. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before loosening crust from the sides of the pan. Let cool for an additional 30 minutes before removing sides of the pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
To serve, sprinkle with toasted coconut, macadamia nuts and pineapple slices if desired.

Neopolitan Cheesecake

From Jill Westra
 
1c chocolate wafer crumbs
5T butter (melted, divided)
3 pkg cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 squares (1 ounce each) semi-sweet chocolate divided
2-1/2 squares (2-1/2 ounces) white baking chocolate squares divided
1/3 cup mashes sweetened strawberries
2 tsp shortening divided
 
Combine crumbs and 3 T butter, press into bottom of ungreased spring form pan. Bake at 350 deg for 8 minutes; cool.  In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Divide into three equal portions, about 1-2/3 cup each. Melt 2 squares semi sweet chocolate; stir into one portion of the batter.  Melt 2 squares of white chocolate; stir into second portion.  Stir strawberries into remaining batter.  Spread semi-sweet evenly over the crust. Carefully spread with the white chocolate mixture, then the strawberry mixture.  Bake at 425 deg for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300 deg.  Bake 50-55 minutes, or until center is nearly set.  Remove from oven; immediately run a knife around the edge. Col; remove from pan.  Melt the remaining semisweet chocolate, remaining butter and 1 tsp shortening; cool for 2 minutes. Pour over cake.  Melt remaining white chocolate and shortening; drizzle over chocolate glaze. Refrigerate overnight. Yield 12-14 servings

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries:
1 pound large strawberries
8oz. block cream cheese – soft
3 – 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (depends on how sweet you want the filling)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or use almond, lemon, etc. )
Graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:
Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out inside with a paring knife if necessary. I found most of the strawberries already had a nice hollow center so that step was not necessary. If you want to stand your strawberries upright (like in the picture) slice a bit off the bottom. One strawberries are prepped set aside.
Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer or by hand. Add cream cheese mix to piping bag and fill strawberries. Once strawberries are filled dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. Devour and fall in love.
You could also drizzle or dip strawberries in chocolate if desired.
Enjoy!!!
You can store stuffed strawberries in the fridge although they taste best the day, or second after, they are made.