Just recently I posted a recipe for an amazing New York Style Cheesecake Tart and it’s such a great dessert! Well, I played around with a few ideas and came up with this delicious Chocolate Cheesecake Tart! If you have had a chance to try out my Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes, you will love these as well!

What is This Cheesecake Like

• Difficulty – This is probably medium difficulty due to the fact it has three components and total time is almost 3 hours (including cooling time).
• Taste – A crisp cookie base followed by a creamy and decadent chocolate cheese cake filling and topped with fresh chocolate whipped cream and raspberries.
• Serving – It will serve between 8 – 10 people depending on how large/small you would like your slice.

Ingredients

• Chocolate chips – I used semi sweet chocolate chips as the main chocolate part for the cream cheese mixture.
• Cookie crumbs – You can use any kind of cookie/biscuit crumbs for the base. Graham crackers, Digestive biscuits, Oreo cookie crumbs or vanilla wafers will all work great. I used a cinnamon wafer biscuits and crushed them up.
• Butter – Melted butter is added to the cookie crumbs to make the cheesecake base.
• Cream cheese – I used full fat regular cream cheese.
• Egg – An egg is used as the binding ingredient in the cheesecake layer.
• Sugar – I used granulated white sugar for both the cream cheese filling and a little for the chocolate whipped cream topping.
• Cocoa powder – Cocoa powder is used in both the cream cheese filling and the chocolate whipped cream topping.
• Whipping cream – I used heavy cream, also know as whipping cream for the top of the cheesecake.
• Raspberries – Fresh raspberries are used to top the cheesecake.

NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Grease an 8 x 4 inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Set aside.
2. Melt chocolate chips – Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler set over medium heat. Stir a few times while they melt. Remove from heat and set aside co cool.
3. Prepare the cookie base – In a medium bowl combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Firmly and evenly press the crumbs into the tart tin and press them up the sides making sure it’s pressed in firmly.
4. Make cheesecake filling – In the bowl of your electric mixer combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg and two tablespoons of the cocoa powder. Mix on high speed until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until combined, about one more minute.
5. Bake – Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie crumb base. Evenly spread out with a spatula. Place the tart tin on top of a large baking tray and bake between 30 – 35 minutes. The cheesecake will be done when it’s still wobbly in the centre.
6. Cool – Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Leave to cool for about 2 hours or until completely cooled.
7. Whip the cream – Place the whipping cream in a large bowl with the remaining sugar and cocoa powder. Whip on high speed until the cream stiffens and becomes fluffy. Careful not to over mix.
8. Decorate – Remove the cheesecake sides and place the cake on a serving plate. Evenly spread over the chocolate whipped cream and top with fresh raspberries.
9. Serve and/or store – This can be served straight away. It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about four days.

Recipe Tips

• Tips for whipping cream – Make sure everything is cold. The cream, the bowl and the beaters. So keep everything in the fridge until you are ready to beat the cream. Then when you take it out, immediately beat the cream. You want to mix it until it start to stiffen up. Don’t over mix or you will curdle the cream. As soon as soft peaks start to form stop whipping the cream. Then it’s done and ready.
• Bake on a baking tray – I like to place the tin on a baking tray. This just makes it much easier getting it in and out of the oven. It does not affect the baking time.
• Allow to cool – It’s important to allow this tart to cool for about 2 hours so it set’s properly before cutting.

Substitutions

• Cookie base – You can really use any kind of cookies you like for the base. I used cinnamon wafer biscuits because I really like their flavour and texture. I’m aware they are not available to everyone, so use Graham wafers, Oreo cookie crumbs or vanilla wafers. They all work.
• Fresh raspberries – You can use any berries that you like for this recipe. Feel free to use strawberries, blackberries or blueberries.
• Mint garnish – I used mint leaves to garnish the cheesecake tart, this is totally optional.

Serving and Storage

• Serving – This is best served after you take it out of the fridge for 30 – 45 minutes.
• Storage – It will keep in the fridge for about four days. And cheesecake does freeze well. But I would avoid topping it with the cream if you are planning to freeze it. I made many cheesecakes in advance and froze them. The best way to defrost a cheesecake is in the the fridge not on the counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

New York Style Cheesecake Tart

Everybody needs a great cheesecake! This New York Style Cheesecake Tart is easy to make and requires very few ingredients. Deliciously light with a hint of sweetness. Make it the the next time a cheesecake craving hits.

Check out this recipe

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

This Chocolate Raspberry Torte is a wonderful combination of a rich and dense cake layer filled with a fresh raspberry filling and topped with light and airy whipped cream!

Check out this recipe

Raspberry Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

These Raspberry Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies are the perfect treat for all brownie lovers. A dense brownie layer topped with a light cream cheese layer and filled with fresh raspberries. Great on their own or even topped with whipped cream!

Check out this recipe

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Chocolate Cheesecake Tart

A decadent Chocolate Cheesecake Tart is perfect when you don't want to make a big cheesecake but are looking for a fantastic dessert. A biscuit layer with a decadent chocolate cheesecake layer topped with a fluffy chocolate whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

cool time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, raspberry desserts

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 456kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup cookie crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Grease an 8 x 4 inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Set aside.
• Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler set over medium heat. Stir a few times while they melt. Remove from heat and set aside co cool.
• In a medium bowl combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Firmly and evenly press the crumbs into the tart tin and press them up the sides making sure it's pressed in firmly.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg and two tablespoons of the cocoa powder. Mix on high speed until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until combined, about one more minute.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie crumb base. Evenly spread out with a spatula. Place the tart tin on top of a large baking tray and bake between 30 – 35 minutes. The cheesecake will be done when it's still wobbly in the centre.
• Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Leave to cool for about 2 hours or until completely cooled.
• Place the whipping cream in a large bowl with the remaining sugar and cocoa powder. Whip on high speed until the cream stiffens and becomes fluffy. Careful not to over mix.
• Remove the cheesecake sides and place the cake on a serving plate. Evenly spread over the chocolate whipped cream and top with fresh raspberries.
• This can be served straight away. It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about four days.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Cheesecake Tart

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 456 Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 20g125%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 9g

Cholesterol 101mg34%

Sodium 197mg9%

Potassium 190mg5%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 1034IU21%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 64mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Chocolate Cheesecake Tart appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

This cheesecake, honestly, is easy. Many cheesecakes require copious amounts of cream cheese and overnight chilling in the fridge. This is one you can make in the morning and enjoy in the afternoon. It’s great for small dinner parties or family dinners. It’s also great just for you!

What’s This Tart Like

• Difficulty – This is probably medium difficulty due to the fact it has three components and total time is almost 3 hours (including cooling time).
• Taste – Just like a New York Cheesecake, but smaller. A crisp cookie base followed by a creamy cheese cake filling and topped with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.
• Serving – It will serve between 8 – 10 people depending on how large/small you would like your slice.

Ingredients

• 10 oz cream cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup digestive biscuits crushed
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 1 cup whipped cream whipped
• 1 cup strawberries sliced
• mint leaves for garnish optional

NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8 x 4 inch tart tin with a removable bottom
2. Prepare cake base – In a medium sized bowl combine the digestive crumbs with the melted butter. Firmly and evenly press the crumbs into the tart tin and press them up the sides making sure it’s pressed in firmly.
3. Make filling – In the bowl of your electric mixer, mix the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg. Continue to mix until smooth. Evenly pour over the crumb mixture.
4. Bake cheesecake – Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Cheesecake will be slightly wobbly when removed from oven. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours.
5. Whip cream – Place the cold whipping cream in a bowl and whip on high speed for 2 – 3 minutes until peaks form
6. Decorate cake – Remove the sides from the cheesecake and place on a board or plate. Top with whipped cream, and sliced strawberries.
7. Serve or store – Cake will keep in the fridge for about 4 days.

Recipe Tips

• Tips for whipping cream – Make sure everything is cold. The cream, the bowl and the beaters. So keep everything in the fridge until you are ready to beat the cream. Then when you take it out, immediately beat the cream. You want to mix it until it start to stiffen up. Don’t over mix or you will curdle the cream. As soon as soft peaks start to form stop whipping the cream. Then it’s done and ready.
• Bake on a baking tray – I like to place the tin on a baking tray. This just makes it much easier getting it in and out of the oven. It does not affect the baking time.
• Allow to cool – It’s important to allow this tart to cool for about 2 hours so it set’s properly before cutting.

Substitutions

• Cookie base – You can really use any kind of cookies you like for the base. I used digestive biscuits because I really like their flavour and texture. I’m aware they are not available to everyone, so use Graham wafers or vanilla wafers. They all work.
• Fresh strawberries – Don’t use frozen strawberries for this recipe because they contain too much liquid. However, you could substitute fresh raspberries or even mango if you like.
• Strawberry garnish – I had small strawberries, so they were perfect for topping this dessert. If your strawberries are big, just slice them up for the garnish. Additionally, you could leave it off all together.

Serving and Storage

It will keep in the fridge for about four days. And cheesecake does freeze well. But I would avoid topping it with the cream if you are planning to freeze it. I made many cheesecakes in advance and froze them. The best way to defrost a cheesecake is in the the fridge not on the counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

These Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups are the perfect after dinner dessert for summer. biscuit layer followed by a vanilla cream cheese filling and topped with lightly sweetened strawberry whipped cream.

Check out this recipe

Berry Topped Lime Cheesecake

This Berry Topped Lime Cheesecake is a smaller version of my traditional New York Style Cheesecake. It's perfect for small dinners.

Check out this recipe

Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes

Summertime is the best time to make the most out of fresh seasonal cherries. I did just that with these Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes. This is a perfectly proportioned decadent dessert that will leave you satisfied and not feeling like you're missing the whole cheesecake.

Check out this recipe

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New York Style Cheesecake Tart

Everybody needs a great cheesecake! This New York Style Cheesecake Tart is easy to make and requires very few ingredients. Deliciously light with a hint of sweetness. Make it the the next time a cheesecake craving hits.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Cool Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: cheesecake, strawberries

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 286kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

• 10 oz cream cheese
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• 1 Cup digestive biscuits crushed
• 4 tablespoons butter melted

For the topping:

• 1 cup whipped cream whipped
• 1 cup strawberries sliced
• mint leaves for garnish optional

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8 x 4 inch tart tin with a removable bottom
• In a medium sized bowl combine the digestive crumbs with the melted butter. Firmly and evenly press the crumbs into the tart tin and press them up the sides making sure it's pressed in firmly.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, mix the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg. Continue to mix until smooth. Evenly pour over the crumb mixture.
• Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Cheesecake will be slightly wobbly when removed from oven. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours.
• Place the cold whipping cream in a bowl and whip on high speed for 2 – 3 minutes until peaks form
• Remove the sides from the cheesecake and place on a board or plate. Top with whipped cream, and sliced strawberries.
• Cake will keep in the fridge for about 4 days.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

New York Style Cheesecake Tart

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 286 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 77mg26%

Sodium 219mg10%

Potassium 113mg3%

Carbohydrates 21g7%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 734IU15%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 58mg6%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by and Hope to see You Soon!

The post New York Style Cheesecake Tart appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

I’m a huge fan of all things lemon! If you love lemon too, you’ll love these cheesecake bars. And other lemon desserts like Mini Lemon Cheesecakes and Lemon Cream Cheese Danish are some of my favorites that never disappoint!

What’s are These Cheesecake Squares Like

• Difficulty – These cheesecake bars are a little time consuming but not difficult. If you follow all the steps in the recipe card, you won’t find them difficult at all!
• Taste – These cheesecake bars are a sweet and decadent treat. the crumb base is buttery with a creamy cheesecake filling and a very sweet and zesty lemon topping.
• Serving – This recipe makes 16 cheesecake bars. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily adjust the serving size.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for these cheesecake bars are broken down into three different groups.

Lemon Curd

• Eggs – I always use large eggs at room temperature for baking.
• Sugar – Granulated white sugar works great for making lemon curd.
• Lemon juice – I used fresh squeezed lemon juice for this recipe.
• Butter – Unsalted butter is used to add a little extra richness to the lemon curd.

Crust

• Cookie crumbs – You can use any kind of cookie crumbs that you like.
• Butter – Unsalted melted butter is added to the cookie crumbs to make a base for the cheesecakes bars.

Filling

• Cream cheese – It’s best to bring the cream cheese to room temperature so there are no lumps.
• Sugar – Again, I used granulated white sugar.
• Flour – A small amount of all purpose flour is added to the cheesecake layer to add stability.
• Eggs – Large eggs at room temperature.
• Whipping cream – Whipping cream is also called heavy cream. It’s added to the cheesecake mixture for richness.
• Vanilla extract – This enhances the flavour in the cheesecake.

NOTE, The full recipe and ingredient list can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Instructions

1. Prepare baking pan – Grease and line with parchment paper an 8 x 8 inch deep sided baking pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
2. Make the lemon curd – First, make the lemon curd. In a stainless steel bowl placed over simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly. This is really important, otherwise you risk the chance of it curdling. Continue to stir until it becomes thick. This will take between 5-10 minutes. Once it has reached a lovely thick and creamy texture, immediately remove from heat. Put through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut in the butter and give a good stir. Set aside.
3. Make the crumb base – Make the crust by combining the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the prepared 8 inch square pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
4. Make the filling – In the bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. This will only take a couple of minutes. As you are mixing, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour the filling.
5. Finish cheesecake squares – Spoon the lemon curd over the top. Using a sharp knife, make swirls through the lemon curd.
6. Bake – Bake between 50 – 55 minutes until the cheesecake is baked through and a little wobbly in the centre.
7. Cool – Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about one hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting.
8. Serving – Keep chilled in the refrigerator until serving.

Recipe Tips

• Make ahead lemon curd – The Homemade Lemon Curd can be made and stored in the fridge up to one month before using.
• Firmly press the cookie crumbs – Make sure to press the cookie crumbs into the baking pan. If not, they will crumble apart after baking.
• Allow to cool – It’s important to refrigerate the cheesecake squares for about 2 hours before cutting.

Substitutions

• Homemade lemon curd – You could use store bought lemon curd no problem. And for a flavour change your could substitute lime juice or orange juice to make the curd for a completely different flavour.
• Biscuit base – I used digestive cookie crumbs. Alternatively you could use graham wafer crumbs, vanilla wafers or any other cookie crumbs that you like. You could also made a shortbread base. Find the recipe for a shortbread base in the Apple Pie Crumble Bar recipe.

Storage

• In the Refrigerator – Put your lemon cheesecake bars in an airtight container and store them in your fridge. They will keep up to about 4 days.
• In the Freezer – Place the cooled cheesecake bars in an airtight container and store them in the freezer up to three months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lemon Curd Cookies

Sweet and buttery Lemon Curd Cookies. A soft and chewy thumbprint cookie filled with sweet and creamy lemon curd. These are the perfect cookies to enjoy through spring and summer!

Check out this recipe

Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

Brighten up January with these deliciously beautiful Mini Lemon Cheesecakes! Perfectly proportioned, fresh and lemony cheesecakes will brighten even the gloomiest of January days. Take a look!

Check out this recipe

Lemon Cream Cheese Danish

This Lemon Cream Cheese Danish is everything you need right now. Using puff pastry with a cream cheese and Lemon Curd filling, it's delicious. Then topped off with a sweet glaze to make it just a little bit extra.

Check out this recipe

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Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

These are the most delicious Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd. Made with a biscuit base, a creamy cheesecake layer with swirled in Homemade Lemon Curd! They are a perfect dessert bar.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Cool time3 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: cheesecake, lemon desserts

Servings: 16 Bars

Calories: 271kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

Lemon Curd

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter

Crust:

• 1 cup cookie crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter melted

Filling:

• 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Grease and line with parchment paper an 8 x 8 inch deep sided baking pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
• First, make the lemon curd. In a stainless steel bowl placed over simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly. This is really important, otherwise you risk the chance of it curdling. Continue to stir until it becomes thick. This will take between 5-10 minutes. Once it has reached a lovely thick and creamy texture, immediately remove from heat. Put through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut in the butter and give a good stir. Set aside.
• Make the crust by combining the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Stir to combine. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the prepared 8 inch square pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
• For Filling: In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth. This will only take a couple of minutes. As you are mixing, scrape down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour the filling.
• Spoon the lemon curd over the top. Using a sharp knife, make swirls through the lemon curd.
• Bake between 50 – 55 minutes until the cheesecake is baked through and a little wobbly in the centre.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about one hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before cutting.
• Keep chilled in the refrigerator until serving.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd

Amount Per Serving (1 cheesecake bar)

Calories 271 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 102mg34%

Sodium 168mg7%

Potassium 73mg2%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 23g26%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 653IU13%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 0.5mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope to See You Soon!

The post Lemon Cheesecake Bars with Lemon Curd appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

You know it’s fall when the smells of apple cinnamon are wafting from your kitchen. And that’s just what you’ll get if you make these beautiful Mini Apple Pies. Much like my Mini Apple Cinnamon Crumbles, or even the Mini Pumpkin Pies, these are perfect for fall entertaining and Thanksgiving. You can bring them to a holiday event or a potluck. Don’t forget the ice cream!

Don’t miss Delicious Apple Desserts for Fall! More than a dozen great desserts from pie to cheesecake, muffins and more!

What Are These Little apple Pies Like

• Flavour – These little pies are much like a Classic Apple Pie, just much smaller. They have a flaky pastry and are filled with a spiced homemade apple filling.
• Make ahead – You can make the pasty up to two days before and the apple pie filling can be made up to about 3-4 days in advance.
• Great for entertaining – These are the perfect little after dinner desserts. The portions aren’t big, so after a dinner they wouldn’t be too much.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• Apples – I used 7 golden delicious apples for this recipe which was approximately 1 1/2 lbs and equivalent to about 6 cups of diced apples.
• Butter – is used to make the sweet syrup that the apples are cooked in on the stove top.
• Brown sugar – adds sweetness to the apple pie filling.
• Spices – I used both cinnamon and nutmeg to give these apples a great flavour.
• Vanilla extract – helps enhance the flavours in most baked goods.

For the pastry:

• Flour – I like to use all purpose flour for making pastry
• Salt – Helps flavour the pastry
• Sugar – I used granulated white sugar to add a little sweetness to the pastry.
• Butter – Unsalted cold butter is the best kind of butter to use when making pastry.
• Water – A little cold water is added to the pastry.
• Egg – I used just a whisked egg to brush the pastry before baking.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Make the pastry – In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter and mix with your fingers until you have a fine bread crumb texture. Start pouring in the water a little at a time, mixing with your hands as you go. It will start to come together quite quickly. Once the dough stays to together you won’t need to add any more water. Gently knead the pastry and fold it over on to itself a few times. Divide into two balls, wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
2. Prepare the apples – Peel, core and dice the apples into about 1-inch pieces.
3. Cook the apple pie filling – In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. When it starts to bubble add the apples. Stir well to coat them completely. Reduce heat to low, cover and stir occasionally until they are fully cooked. This will take about 20 minutes. The apples will be soft and golden when done. When they are just about cooked, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and give a good stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Cut the pastry circles – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and remove your dough from the fridge. On a floured surface roll out each dough ball until it about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 inch circle cutter, cut out all of your circles for the pastry bottoms.
5. Make a lattice topping – Cut the second pastry sheet into 1/2 inch strips. Then cut the strips cross ways to about 4 inches in length. These strips will be used to make the lattice topping.
6. Put the pies together – Gently press the pastry into each tin. Fill each pastry case with the filling and top with a lattice topping. To make the lattice topping, use four strips of pastry, like you see in the photos.
7. Bake – Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush the lattice topping with the egg wash and sprinkle over a little sugar. Bake between 15 – 20 minutes or until golden and the pastry is fully cooked and flaky. Allow to cool in muffin tins. Remove when cooled.

Recipe Tips

• Making the pastry – Make sure to use cold water and don’t over work the pasty. Flaky pastry need to be folded several times and just kneaded down a bit. Don’t skip these steps!
• Make ahead tips for pastry – The pastry can be made in advance and even stored in the fridge until later in the day or the following day. Just make sure you wrap it properly.
• Allow to cool in the muffin tins – After your pies are baked, allow them to cool completely in the muffin tins. This is a flaky pastry and will fall apart if you try to remove them before they have cooled completely.

Substitutions

• Apples – For this recipe I used golden delicious apples. But really you can use royal gala, honeycrisp, granny smith and more. You can even use a mix of apples if you like.
• Spices – I kept it simple and used cinnamon and nutmeg. You could add a touch of cloves and even ginger if you like. But I would only use a dash of each as they are very strong flavours.
• Pastry – I made my own homemade shortcrust pastry for this recipe and it’s pretty easy to make. If you want to make things even simpler, you can use store bought shortcrust pastry.
• Lattice topping – I liked to make the lattice for these little pies because it’s cute. However, if you find this step a little time consuming, just use a cookie cutter to make a shape. You could use leaves, stars or any other shapes that you might like.

Serving and Storage

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with vanilla ice cream, fresh whipped cream or Homemade Caramel Sauce.

Storing the Apple Pies

• At room temperature – These little pies will keep on the counter fresh up to two days.
• In the fridge – Store these in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. it’s best to bring them to room temperature or warm then up before serving.
• In the freezer – Yes, you can freeze these individual pies. Allow them to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container and they will keep up to two months.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Mini Apple Pies

These cute little Mini Apple Pies are the perfect fall treat. Made using a home-made shortcrust pastry filled with a decadent apple filling and topped with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. A great after dinner fall dessert.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Chill Time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: apples, holiday desserts, pie, thanksgiving recipes

Servings: 12 pies

Calories: 354kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs apples peeled, cored and diced
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla

For the pastry:

• 2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
• 1 Cup butter
• 1/4 Cup cold water more if needed
• 1 Egg for brushing the pastry
• 2 tablespoons white sugar for sprinkling on top of the pies

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter and mix with your fingers until you have a fine bread crumb texture. Start pouring in the water a little at a time, mixing with your hands as you go. It will start to come together quite quickly. Once the dough stays to together you won't need to add any more water. Gently knead the pastry and fold it over on to itself a few times. Divide into two balls, wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
• Peel, core and dice the apples into about 1-inch pieces.
• In a medium skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. When it starts to bubble add the apples. Stir well to coat them completely. Reduce heat to low, cover and stir occasionally until they are fully cooked. This will take about 20 minutes. The apples will be soft and golden when done. When they are just about cooked, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and give a good stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and remove your dough from the fridge. On a floured surface roll out each dough ball until it about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3 inch circle cutter, cut out all of your circles for the pastry bottoms.
• Cut the second pastry sheet into 1/2 inch strips. Then cut the strips cross ways to about 4 inches in length. These strips will be used to make the lattice topping.
• Gently press the pastry into each tin. Fill each pastry case with the filling and top with a lattice topping. To make the lattice topping, use four strips of pastry, like you see in the photos.
• Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush the lattice topping with the egg wash and sprinkle over a little sugar. Bake between 15 – 20 minutes or until golden and the pastry is fully cooked and flaky. Allow to cool in muffin tins and remove once cooled.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Mini Apple Pies

Amount Per Serving (1 mimi pie)

Calories 354 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 370mg16%

Potassium 184mg5%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 683IU14%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 23mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Mini Apple Pies appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Admittedly, these are not the prettiest bar cookies I’ve ever made. But friends, they are worth the sticky caramel mess because they are delicious! These bars are made from scratch using a cookie base of your choice and a cheesecake filling and then topped with Homemade Caramel Sauce. I mean, it doesn’t get a whole lot better!

What Makes These Bars Great

• Crowd plaeser – The fall season is here and the holiday season just around the corner. These bars will make any cheese cake fan quite happy.
• Great make ahead treat – These are a great bar cookie that you can make in advance and even freeze ahead of the holiday rush.
• Delicious ingredients – This bar cookie has all the flavours wrapped up. A crisp cookie base. A delicious creamy filling and a sweet caramel topping. Perfect.

Ingredients

For the base

• 1 Cup cookie crumbs, finely crushed
• 1/4 Cup butter melted

For the filling

• 16 oz cream cheese equal to two packs
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 Cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping

• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup butter unsalted
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp salt

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Instructions

For the base

1. In a medium sized bowl combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Press firmly to ensure they don’t fall apart. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For the filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f/180 degrees c. Grease and line and 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Add the cream cheese, sugar and flour to the bowl of your electric mixer. Mix on high speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. As you are mixing, scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
4. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and evenly pour over the filling.
5. Bake for approximately 45 – 50 minutes. Open the oven door and turn off the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 15 more minutes.
6. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled, at least an hour.

For the topping

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add all the sugar at once and start to stir. Stir the sugar until it starts to clump together and turn light brown.
2. Continue to stir the sugar until it completely melts and becomes rich brown in colour. The entire process of stirring the sugar will take about 10 minutes.
3. Immediately add the butter and stir vigorously until it’s completely melted. This will take about a minute. It will quickly thicken the butter melts.
4. In a slow steady stream, add the cream. Whisking as you pour. Leave it to come to a boil. This will take about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
5. Caramel sauce will thicken as it cools. Pour slightly cooled caramel sauce over the cheesecake bars. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. Cut into equal squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe Notes

• For the cookie base – Be sure to press the cookie base firmly into the baking dish. If you don’t, the base may fall apart or crumble after baking.
• The cream cheese filling – Baking time may vary between 40 – 50 minutes. You are looking for it to be set but still a little wobbly in the center. Allow a full hour for the cheesecake to set before topping it with the caramel sauce.
• Caramel topping – I’ve written an entire post on How to Make Caramel Sauce. I strongly suggest you check out that post for tips if this is your first time making caramel sauce.

Substitutions

• Cookie base – i used Digestive Biscuits for this recipe. You can use Graham Wafer Cookies, Vanilla Wafers or any cookie of your choice.
• Cream cheese filling – I don’t recommend many changes to the filling. You could change the vanilla extract for a different flavour like almond extract or even orange extract.
• Caramel topping – I made a Homemade Caramel Sauce for these cookie bars. I strongly recommend you use it too! You could just drizzle it over if you prefer less. You can also add it as you serve it so you can choose how much you prefer.

Serving and Storage

• Serving suggestions – Honestly, these bar cookies are amazing just as they are. However, you can dress them up and serve them with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Store in the refrigerator – These bar cookie have to be stored in the refrigerator. They will be too soft and the caramel will melt if left at room temperature for too long. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week.
• In the freezer – Alternatively, you can store these in the freezer up to two months. You can freeze them with or without the caramel topping.

Frequently Asked Questions

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US CustomaryMetric

Caramel Topped Cheesecake Squares

These Caramel Topped Cheesecake Squares just might be the best cookie bars. A crisp biscuit layer, followed by a cream cheese filling and topped with decadent caramel sauce. Perfect fall baking.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Cool and chill time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: bar cookies, caramel recipes, cookies

Servings: 25 squares

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the base

• 1 Cup cookie crumbs
• 1/4 Cup butter melted

For the filling

• 16 oz cream cheese equal to two packs
• 1/2 Cup granulated white sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/4 Cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping

• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/3 cup butter unsalted
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the crust

• In a medium sized bowl combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Press firmly to ensure they don't fall apart. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For the filling

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees f/180 degrees c. Grease and line and 8 x 8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Add the cream cheese, sugar and flour to the bowl of your electric mixer. Mix on high speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. As you are mixing, scrape down the sides as needed.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
• Remove the crust from the refrigerator and evenly pour over the filling.
• Bake for approximately 45 – 50 minutes. Open the oven door and turn off the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 15 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled, at least an hour.

For the topping

• In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add all the sugar at once and start to stir. Stir the sugar until it starts to clump together and turn light brown.
• Continue to stir the sugar until it completely melts and becomes rich brown in colour. The entire process of stirring the sugar will take about 10 minutes.
• Immediately add the butter and stir vigorously until it's completely melted. This will take about a minute. It will quickly thicken the butter melts.
• In a slow steady stream, add the cream. Whisking as you pour. Leave it to come to a boil. This will take about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Caramel sauce will thicken as it cools. Pour slightly cooled caramel sauce over the cheesecake bars. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
• Cut into equal squares. Refrigerate leftovers.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Caramel Topped Cheesecake Squares

Amount Per Serving (1 square)

Calories 200 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Trans Fat 0.2g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 51mg17%

Sodium 159mg7%

Potassium 38mg1%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 0.2g1%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 500IU10%

Vitamin C 0.04mg0%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You soon!

The post Caramel Topped Cheesecake Squares appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Hello friends! It’s been a slow week on the blog and I have recipes waiting to write and I’m trying to get as much done as I can right now. I somehow injured my right hand (no idea how) and I’ve been unable to type this week….eeek. Not great for a blogger, right? Today, it’s feeling somewhat better so I’m bringing you these Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups. A perfect summer dessert.

I’m a huge fan of mini desserts like these cheesecakes, Single Serve Pumpkin Pies, my Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes, Fruits of the Forest Mini Bundt Cakes and so much more. If you love mini desserts be sure to check out the post for Ten Decadent Individual Desserts.

Ingredients

For the cheesecake filling

• 10 oz cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the base:

• 1 cup digestive biscuits graham crackers or digestive biscuits
• 4-5 tablespoon butter melted

For the topping:

• 1 cup whipped cream
• 1 cup strawberries
• 12 extra strawberries for decorating
• 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

REMEMBER, The full recipe and ingredients can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

There are several parts to this recipe, so I’ve broken it all down into smaller steps. Yes, it’s a more involved recipe with many steps, but not difficult at all. just make sure to read through all the steps carefully and take a look at the step-by-step-photos to help you out if needed.

• Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

Prepare the biscuit layer:

• Combine biscuit crumbs and butter – In a medium sized bowl combine the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter. Mix well to combine. Equally divide the biscuit crumbs between the 12 muffin tins. Press firmly into each tin.

Make the cheesecake filling:

• Prepare the cheesecake filling – In the bowl of your electric mixer, mix the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg. Continue to mix until smooth. Evenly pour into the muffin tins. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are set in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
• Cool cheesecakes – Remove from the tins and transfer to the fridge to set completely. Remove after about an hour and remove the paper liners.

Whip the strawberry whipped cream:

• Chill cream – Pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium sized bowl, cover and refrigerate for one hour.
• Make the strawberry filling – Place the strawberries in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds until you have chopped up strawberries. Alternatively, place the strawberries on a chopping board and finely chop them up using a large knife. Place the chopped strawberries in a fine strainer placed over a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir well. Allow the strawberries to drain for about 10 minutes. Discard the strawberry juice. (or use it as a syrup for anything you like, it’s delicious!)
• Whip the cream – Remove the heavy whipping cream from the fridge and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until it’s thick and you get stiff peaks. This will take 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to over mix or the cream will curdle (*see notes at bottom)
• Combine cream and strawberries – Fold the strawberries into the whipped cream. Gently fold in the strawberries to combine. Don’t over mix or you will deflate the whipped cream.
• Finish the cheesecakes – Place the strawberry whipped cream into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch fitted nozzle (your choice of design). Pipe strawberry whipped cream on top of each mini cheesecake. Top with a small fresh strawberry.
• Serve or store – Place the mini cheesecakes in an airtight container and store in the fridge up to three days. Serve cold.

Baking & Preparation Tips

• For the biscuit layer – I placed a heaping tablespoon of the biscuit mixture into each cup. Make sure to firmly press the crumbs into the paper liners. If they are not pressed firmly into the cups they will fall apart after baked.
• Cream cheese filling – this is very easy to make and requires very little skill. Just make sure to incorporate the ingredients correctly and mix until really smooth.
• Whipping cream (IMPORTANT) – When whipping cream, it’s very important to start with everything cold. This means the cream, the bowl and the beaters. I like to place everything in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before whipping the cream. If you have a very hot kitchen, I’d recommend keeping it in the fridge up to an hour before whipping. When whipping the cream, keep a close eye on it. If you whip it too long, it will deflate and curdle. You will know the cream is done when it becomes stiff.
• Preparing the strawberries – I sued a large knife to cut my strawberries really small. You could do this in a food processor. You are not looking for a liquid (just a finely chopped strawberry). When the strawberries are chopped, put them through a fine strainer to get as much liquid out as you can. Excess liquid will cause the whipped cream to deflate.
• Putting together the strawberry whipped cream – Gently fold the strawberries into the whipped cream. Fold only until combined. Don’t over mix.
• Time saving tips – Place the cream in the fridge to chill while you are making the cheesecakes. Once the cheesecakes are baked and need to set in the fridge, you will be able to whip the cream and make the strawberry topping.

Substitutions

• Cookie base – you can really use any kind of cookies you like for the base. I used digestive biscuits because I really like their flavour and texture. I’m aware they are not available to everyone, so use Graham wafers or vanilla wafers. They all work.
• Fresh strawberries – Don’t use frozen strawberries for this recipe because they contain too much liquid. However, you could substitute fresh raspberries or even mango if you like.
• Strawberry garnish – I had small strawberries, so they were perfect for topping this dessert. If your strawberries are big, just slice them up for the garnish. Additionally, you could leave it off all together.

How To Serve These Cheesecakes

These make a fantastic after dinner dessert. I often make small desserts for after dinner because they are the perfect size after a big meal. Alternatively, you could eat two..lol. And they are so beautiful, they would make a great addition to a celebration like a bridal shower, a baby shower, a birthday, graduation or any special day you can think of . I mean just look at these pretty little cheesecake cupcakes!

Frequently Asked Questions

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US CustomaryMetric

Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

These Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups are the perfect after dinner dessert for summer. biscuit layer followed by a vanilla cream cheese filling and topped with lightly sweetened strawberry whipped cream. And as an extra bonus, they are only 200 calories per cheesecake cup.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Chill time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: cheesecake, strawberries

Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes

Calories: 199kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the cheesecake filling:

• 10 oz cream cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the base:

• 1 cup digestive biscuits graham crackers or digestive biscuits
• 4-5 tablespoon butter melted

For the topping:

• 1 cup whipped cream
• 1 cup strawberries
• 12 extra strawberries for decorating
• 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

Make the biscuit layer:

• In a medium sized bowl combine the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter. Mix well to combine. Equally divide the biscuit crumbs between the 12 muffin tins. Press firmly into each tin.

Make the cheesecake filling:

• In the bowl of your electric mixer, mix the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg. Continue to mix until smooth. Evenly pour into the muffin tins. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until they are set in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Remove from the tins and transfer to the fridge to set completely.
• Remove after about an hour and remove the paper liners.

Make the strawberry whipped cream:

• Pour the heavy whipping cream into a medium sized bowl, cover and refrigerate for one hour.
• Place the strawberries in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds until you have chopped up strawberries. Alternatively, place the strawberries on a chopping board and finely chop them up using a large knife. Place the chopped strawberries in a fine strainer placed over a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir well. Allow the strawberries to drain for about 10 minutes. Discard the strawberry juice. (or use it as a syrup for anything you like, it's delicious!)
• Remove the heavy whipping cream from the fridge and whip on high speed with an electric mixer until it's thick and you get stiff peaks. This will take 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to over mix or the cream will curdle (*see notes at bottom)
• Fold the strawberries into the whipped cream. Gently fold in the strawberries to combine. Don't over mix or you will deflate the whipped cream.
• Place the strawberry whipped cream into a piping bag with a 1/2 inch fitted nozzle (your choice of design). Pipe strawberry whipped cream on top of each mini cheesecake. Top with a small fresh strawberry.
• Place the mini cheesecakes in an airtight container and store in the fridge up to three days. Serve cold.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

1. For the biscuit layer – I placed a heaping tablespoon of the biscuit mixture into each cup. Make sure to firmly press the crumbs into the paper liners. If they are not pressed firmly into the cups they will fall apart after baked.
2. Cream cheese filling – this is very easy to make and requires very little skill. Just make sure to incorporate the ingredients correctly and mix until really smooth.
3. Whipping cream (IMPORTANT) – When whipping cream, it’s very important to start with everything cold. This means the cream, the bowl and the beaters. I like to place everything in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before whipping the cream. If you have a very hot kitchen, I’d recommend keeping it in the fridge up to an hour before whipping. When whipping the cream, keep a close eye on it. If you whip it too long, it will deflate and curdle. You will know the cream is done when it becomes stiff.
4. Preparing the strawberries – I sued a large knife to cut my strawberries really small. You could do this in a food processor. You are not looking for a liquid (just a finely chopped strawberry). When the strawberries are chopped, put them through a fine strainer to get as much liquid out as you can. Excess liquid will cause the whipped cream to deflate.
5. Putting together the strawberry whipped cream – Gently fold the strawberries into the whipped cream. Fold only until combined. Don’t over mix.
6. Time saving tips – Place the cream in the fridge to chill while you are making the cheesecakes. Once the cheesecakes are baked and need to set in the fridge, you will be able to whip the cream and make the strawberry topping.

Nutrition Facts

Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

Amount Per Serving (1 mini cheesecakes)

Calories 199 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 53mg18%

Sodium 147mg6%

Potassium 76mg2%

Carbohydrates 16g5%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 492IU10%

Vitamin C 7mg8%

Calcium 39mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Who grew up with Pumpkin Pie? I know it’s a huge dessert choice for so many households, but not ours. I don’t ever remember seeing a pumpkin pie at any event at our house ever. Lots of Apple Pie, Blueberry, Partridgerry (do you know that that is?) and even peach. But never pumpkin. I remember tasting my first Pumpkin Pie at a relatives house when I was well into my late teens. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan at all. I guess it just wasn’t a flavour I was used to at all. And, for the record, I used to be picky…hahaha.

Anyway, time moved on and I found a love for all things Pumpkin. Have you seen my Meringue Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake? A show stopper dessert for the holiday season this year! My Pumpkin Spice Roll Cake is also a great option. M

So as this fall started to draw in, I knew I wanted to share a Pumpkin Pie recipe with you all. If you follow my blog at all, you’ll probably notice that I love mini desserts! From Mini Apple Pies, to Black Forest Cheesecakes. to Mini Bundt Cakes, there’s no shortage of individual sized desserts here on the blog.

It became quite clear to me quickly that I wanted to share Mini Pumpkin Pies. I didn’t even have to give it a second though. So let’s take a good look at this great fall and holiday dessert that you’re all going to love.

Here’s Everything We Need To Make The Single Serve Pumpkin Pies

For The Pie Crust

• Plain flour
• Butter cold and unsalted
• Salt
• Cold water

For The Pumpkin Filling

• Pumpkin puree
• Granulated white sugar
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Eggs
• Milk

For The Topping

• Whipped cream to serve

REMEMBER, The full recipe and ingredients is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Make The Pie Crust

• Combine the flour, salt and cold butter – In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and cold butter. It’s best you cut the butter into small cubes to make it easier to incorporate.
• Mix together – mix together with your fingers until crumbly land starting to stick together.

• Add cold water – this recipe calls for 1/4 cup of cold water. Start by just adding half of that and mixing it in with your hands. When the dough is sticky, it’s ready. You may not need the entire 1/4 cup of cold water.

Form Dough and chill

• Form the dough into a ball – remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball. It should be slightly sticky.
• Flatten and wrap – flatten the dough out to about a 3 inch thick disk. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Baking Tip! This Dough can be made up to three days before using. Just keep it in the fridge tightly wrapped until use.

Make The Filling

• Combine all filling ingredients – in a medium sized bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
• Whisk – you don’t need an electric mixer for this, you can just use a hand whisk. Just whisk long enough until the filling is smooth and combined. Just about 2 minutes or so.

BAKING TIP! This filling can be make up to two days before hand and refrigerated until using.

Make The Pastry Cups

• Roll out pastry – on a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry. Roll it to about a 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut circles in the pastry – using a 4-inch cookie cutter (or the bottom of a glass), cut out 10 circles. You will probably need to scrape up the scraps and re roll to make all 10 pastry casings.
• Press pastry into muffin tins – Push each pastry circle into the muffin tin. Repeat for all pastry shells.

Fill & Bake The Pies

• Fill the pastry shells – evenly pour the filling into all the pasty shells.
• Bake – Bake the pies for about 18 – 22 minutes until they are cooked through
• Cool in trays – allow the pies to cool completely in the muffin tins. They will be difficult to remove if they are hot or even warm.
• Remove the pies – Use a sharp knife to run around the edge of each pie. Place on a wire rack cooling rack.

What Makes These Mini Pumpkin Pies So great

• There is no blind baking for the crust!
• Kids will enjoy making these with you.
• The baking and cooking time is super quick compared to a big pie.
• These can be a hand held dessert so great for holiday parties.
• Perfectly portioned and under 200 calories per serving!

Make Ahead Tips for These Mini Pumpkin Pies

We all know that entertaining and the holidays can be really busy. So the last thing anyone wants to do, is make dessert last minute. So, here’s all my make ahead tips for these Mini Pumpkin Pies.

• Make ahead pastry – you can make this pastry three days before using. Just tightly wrap and store in the fridge.
• Pumpkin Puree – if you are choosing to make your own Pumpkin Puree, you can make it a week ahead and store it in the fridge. Or you can freeze it for up to a month.
• Prep Filling – This can be done and refrigerated up to two days before using.
• Make ahead pies – yes, you can make them the day before and store them in the fridge. Don’t top with whipped cream until the day your are serving them. For best results, remove from the fridge an hour before serving and top with cooled whipped cream just before serving.

What’s a Great Way to Serve These Mini Pumpkin Pies

I think they are the perfect fall dessert. But you know they would be great for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Okay, our Canadian Thanksgiving has passed but for our friends down under, there’s still time.

Hope you enjoy the recipe friends and get a chance to make them some time this fall. They really are a great dessert. Fall really is the best baking season in my opinion and I even dedicated a entire post to Delicious Apple Desserts for Fall. Happy baking friends!

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US CustomaryMetric

Single Serve Pumpkin Pies

These Single Serve Pumpkin Pies are the perfect after dinner dessert. Individually portioned and the perfect bite after a big meal.

Prep Time50 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Chill time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: desset, pumpkin recipes, single serving desserts, thanksgiving, thanksgiving desserts

Servings: 10 Single Serve Pumpkin Pies

Calories: 186kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For The Pie Crust

• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup butter cold and unsalted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup cold water

For The Pumpkin Filling

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk

For The Topping

• 1/2 cup Whipped cream to serve

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the Pie Crust

• In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt and cold cubed butter. Mix together with your fingers until it crumbly. Slowly pour in the cold water. Mix together until it forms a dough.
• Form the dough into a ball. Flatten to a 3 inch disk and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the Pumpkin Pie filling

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, salt, milk and eggs.
• Mix together with a hand whisk until combined and smooth. About 2 minutes.
• Remove pastry from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 4 inch cookie cutter, cut out 10 circles.
• Place each pastry circle into a greased muffin tin. Repeat for all.
• Evenly pour the pumpkin filling into each pastry casing.
• Bake in a preheated 375 degree f/190 degree c oven for about 18 – 22 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the muffin tins on a cooling rack.
• Use a sharp knife to run around the rim of muffin tins to loosen the pies. Remove and transfer to a cooling rack.

For the whipped cream

• Place whipped cream in a bowl with the sugar. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. About two minutes.
• Pipe the whipped cream on top of the cooled pumpkin pies.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Single Serve Pumpkin Pies

Amount Per Serving (1 single serving pumpkin pie)

Calories 186 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 213mg9%

Potassium 74mg2%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 2901IU58%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You soon!

The post Single Serve Pumpkin Pies appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

What is a Galette

Have you ever made a Galette? I love making them because they are much easier than a pie! As much as I love a great Classic Apple Pie, an easier Galette deserves it’s spot on the dessert table as well.

A galette is a an open faced pastry and fruit filled dessert that is baked on a baking sheet. They are easy to make and traditionally use short crust pastry. But for this recipe, I’m making it even easier by using store bought Puff Pastry.

Don’t miss Delicious Apple Desserts for Fall! More than a dozen desserts from pie to cheesecake to strudels to danishes and more!

Why Use Puff Pastry

Puff Pastry has it’s many uses and I always have it in the freezer. When you want to make a dessert or appetizer in a hurry, it becomes your best friend. You just need to thaw it out and then it’s ready to use.

You can usually find Puff Pastry in the freezer or the chiller section of your local supermarket. It usually comes in prerolled rounds or rectangles. Sometimes you will find it in block form. If this is the case, you just roll it out to it’s desired shape.

Here’s What We Need to Make The Puff Pastry Apple Galette

• Round sheet of puff pastry
• Apples
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Corn flour
• Lemon juice
• Egg

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How To Make This Galette Using Puff Pastry & Apples

• Peel & core the apples – I like to cut the apples as thin as I can for this recipe. Otherwise they won’t cook properly. So think really thin slices!
• Add apples to a large bowl – mix with the cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch. Mix well to combine.

How To Assemble The Galette

• Unroll Puff Pastry sheet – lay the sheet on top of parchment paper. Place it directly on top of the baking tray. This will make it very easy to bake and you won’t have to move it after your formed it.
• Arrange apples in the center – I just kind of mound them all in and then spread them out leaving a 2 inch border like shown below.

• Fold the edges in – Like shown in the picture, fold all the edges in the entire way around. The idea is that is is a rustic tart, so you are not looking for perfection like in a pie.
• Brush the edges and sprinkle with sugar – Brush the entire pastry rim with the egg wash and then sprinkle over remaining sugar.
• Add butter to the filling – dot the little cubes of butter all over the apples. Don’t skip this as it adds so much flavour to to the galette.
• Bake – place in the oven in the lower 2/3rds of the oven between 30 – 40 minutes. the edges will be crisp and puffed up. The apples will be soft and golden.

Freshly Baked Apple Galette

Straight out of the oven and ready to enjoy. It’s best to let it sit for about 30 minutes before cutting into it. This will allow enough time for the juices to thicken in the galette. The edges will be very crisp as well as the base. The apples should be really soft.

Tips for Getting The Apple Galette Just right

• Don’t over stuff the Galette – over stuffing will most likely not allow the base to bake properly and you could end up with it being soggy.
• Use cooking apples – Apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work really well.
• Cold puff pastry and cold butter is key – Cold puff pastry is easier to work with and bakes better in the oven.

Can I Make My Own Pastry For This Apple Galette

Yes, you can easily make your own Shortcrust Pastry or Puff Pastry. I kept this recipe really simple by using store bought Puff Pastry.

What’s Great To Serve with the Galette

This is great on it’s own or with ice cream, fresh whipped cream, Greek yogurt or or an elevated dessert, my Homemade Caramel Sauce. You just can’t go wrong with any of these options.

Your Perfect Easy Thanksgiving Dessert

Dessert doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. As much as I love my Meringue Topped Pumpkin Cheesecake, it’s a lot of work. So something like this Apple Galette could be prefect on your Thanksgiving table if you are short on time. Everyone will love it and they won’t even miss the pie!

Happy first day of fall friends and embrace with something delicious today! Let me know what you think of the Galette if you get a chance to make it and don’t forget to check out all the other Apple desserts on the blog by searching “apples” in the search bar.

Happy baking and I’ll be back in a couple of days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s Some More Fall Dessert’s You’ll Love

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Puff Pastry Apple Galette

Kind of like an Apple Pie without all the work. This Puff Pastry Apple Galette is my take on the traditional French Tart. By using store bought puff pastry and a simple homemade apple filling, this comes together quickly. A wonderful fall dessert for any day of the week or even special occasions like Thanksgiving.

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: apple desserts, galette, puff pastry, thanksgiving desserts

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 8 Apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 10 inch sheet Puff Pastry thawed
• 4 tablespoon granulated white sugar divided
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter cold, cut into small cubes
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 egg whisked for the egg wash

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees f/180 degrees c. Have ready a large baking sheet.
• Peel, core and thinly slice the apples.
• Place the apples in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of the sugar, cinnamon, corn starch and lemon juice. Stir to combine
• Unroll the thawed puff pastry and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Put it on top of the baking tray.
• Cover the puff pastry with the apples, allowing a 2-inch border. Fold the sides over the top of the apples.
• Dot small pieces of the cold butter over the top of the apples.
• Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with remaining sugar.
• Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until apples are cooked and the pastry is puffed and golden.
• Remove from oven and allow to set for about 30 minutes before cutting. Will keep for two days.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

• Don’t over stuff the Galette – over stuffing will most likely not allow the base to bake properly and you could end up with it being soggy.
• Use cooking apples – Apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp work really well.
• Cold puff pastry and cold butter is key – Cold puff pastry is easier to work with and bakes better in the oven.

Nutrition Facts

Puff Pastry Apple Galette

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 182 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 36mg12%

Sodium 60mg3%

Potassium 208mg6%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 25g28%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 304IU6%

Vitamin C 9mg11%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Puff Pastry Apple Galette appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Last week I ended up buying a ton of cherries. Our local supermarket had a huge deal on and I just couldn’t resist. I mean, in the summer, what’s better than fresh cherries. I honestly had no real plans for the cherries expect for eating them fresh. After six years of writing recipes, I only one fresh cherry recipe on the blog, Cherry Chocolate Chip Blonides. As each summer arrives, I plan cherry recipes and then it never happens. So this time around, I surprised myself with these MIni Black Forest Cheesecakes. Are they a quick dessert? Ah, no, but they sure are a delight!

What are These Mini Cheesecakes Like

• Difficulty – Because of the time involved in making these cheesecakes, I would say they are about a medium difficulty. I used homemade cherry filling, but you could use store bought for time saving.
• Taste – These mini cheesecakes are amazingly chocolatey, rich and decadent! They are over the top but not too sweet.
• Serving – This recipe makes 12 individual cheesecakes. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can easily scale the recipe up or down.

Here’s Everything We Need To Make The Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes

Cherry Filling

• Fresh cherries
• Sugar
• Cornstarch

Biscuit Base

• Cookie crumbs
• Melted butter

Cheesecake Filling

• Cream cheese
• Whipping cream
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Cocoa powder
• Chocolate chips
• Vanilla extract

Topping

• Whipping cream
• Chocolate shavings

Make The Cherry Filling

Making the cherry filling is relatively easy. The biggest work here is pitting the cherries!

• Pit the cherries. You can do this with a cherry pitter. If you don’t have one of those, use a chopstick to push the cherry through. It works, but it is time consuming.
• Add the cherries to a saucepan with cornstarch and sugar. Combine in a saucepan, stir well and put over medium to high heat and bring to a boil. If you notice they are too dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Turn the heat down, cover and leave to cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

CAN I USE FROZEN CHERRIES FOR THIS RECIPE? Yes you can. Just make sure to allow them to thaw before cooking them.

Prepare the Cookie Base for The Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes

• Combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Stir to combine really well.
• Arrange paper liners in muffin tins. I used a large size.
• Add a heaping tablespoon of the crumbs to each paper liner. Firmly press into the bottom of each paper liner and set aside.

You can use any kind of cookie crumbs you like, I used Digestive. Oreo cookie crumbs or Graham wafer crumbs would be great as well.

Make The Cheesecake Filling

• Whip the cream cheese. Do this in your mixing bowl. Just whip it for a minute until it’s smooth.
• Combine the cocoa powder and sugar, in a small bowl. whisk to combine. Add this to the cream cheese and mix on high speed until completely combined, about 2 – 3 minutes.

Melt Chocolate and add to mixture with Eggs and Cream

• Melt the chocolate chips, I do this in a double boiler over simmering water. It takes just about a minute or two. You can do it in a microwave if you prefer. Allow the chocolate to cool for a few minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla to cream cheese mixture. Add the eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla extract.
• Mix in cooled melted chocolate. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and mix well until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and mix on high for about a minute.

Pour the Mixture Over The Base and Bake

• Evenly fill all the cups, Make sure to do this as evenly as you can so they are all pretty much the same size. They will fill all the way to the top
• Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, They will be a little wobbly in the center when fully baked. Remove from oven and put the trays on a cooking rack to cool for about an hour.

Whip Cream and Finish off The Cheesecakes

• Whip the cream in a large bowl, do this on high speed until the cream starts to get thick and fluffy. Stiff peaks will form and this will take about 2 – 3 minutes.
• Decorate the cheesecakes, spoon or pipe the whipped cream onto the cheesecakes. Spoon over the cherries and top with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings.

TIP FOR WHIPPING CREAM, Make sure the bowl, the beaters and the cream is cold. This will help prevent the cream from splitting or curdling.

Enjoy The Cheesecakes

Fact, these are amazing! An indulgence that you need to experience too. Yes friends, these are a bit of work. Essentially there are four layers to get through….I know! But, it goes much quicker than you might think. And the proof is in the eating and you just won’t be disappointed.

Can I Make These In Advance

• Cherry Filling, can be made and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to three days before use. You can freeze it in a freezer friendly zip lock bag as well. If freezing, allow to cool completely before freezing.
• Cheesecake, you can make this the day before serving easy. Bake and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Are There Any Substitutions That Can Be Made

• Cookie Crumbs, I used Digestive cookie crumbs. I know this is probably an uncommon choice. You can use Oreo cookie crumbs, Graham Wafer crumbs or any other type of cookie you prefer.
• Cherry Topping, I made my own as you will see in the recipe. It’s fantastic! But you can use store bought Cherry Pie Filling to make it easier.

How To Best Store The Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes

Once you have made and assembled the cheesecakes, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. IMPORTANT, take them out of the fridge about a half an hour before serving for the best taste.

And I know summer is only just getting going, but these would also be a great dessert to serve around the holidays. Yes, I said THE HOLIDAYS….hahaha! In fact, after I finished photographing these, I instantly thought fall and winter not summer. That being said, they are perfect with seasonal cherries.

These mini cheesecakes reminded me a big of my Strawberry Filled Chocolate Torte, which is a pretty good thing. I also have a recipe for a Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake which is great for summer.

Enjoy the cheesecakes friends and I’ll see you all soon with something fresh for summer. Happy cooking!

Here’s Some More Mini Cheesecake Inspiration

• Apple Pie Cheesecakes
• Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
• Blueberry Compote Cheesecakes

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US CustomaryMetric

Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes

Summertime is the best time to make the most out of fresh seasonal cherries. I did just that with these Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes. This is a perfectly proportioned decadent dessert that will leave you satisfied and not feeling like you're missing the whole cheesecake. A crisp biscuit layer followed by a rich and creamy cheesecake filling, topped with fresh cherry filling and whipped cream. A great after dinner treat to enjoy any time of the year.

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: black forest cake, cheesecake, cherries

Servings: 12 Mini Cheesecakes

Calories: 385kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the Cherry Filling:

• 2 cups cherries pitted
• 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
• 2 tsp cornstarch

For the Cookie Base:

• 1 cup cookie crumbs your choice, I used digestive cookie crumbs
• 4 tbsp butter melted

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 12 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp chocolate shavings

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the Cherry Filling

• In a medium sized saucepan, add the pitted cherries, sugar and cornstarch. Give a good stir and set over medium to high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and allow too cook down for about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside.

For the Cookie Base

• Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Stir well to combine.
• Evenly add the cookie crumbs to the muffin tins. About a heaping tablespoon each. Firmly press down and set aside.

For the Cheesecake Filling

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F/163 degrees C.
• Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, stir a few times while they melt. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Combine the cocoa powder and the sugar in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, add the cream cheese and mix on high for a minute. Add the cocoa powder and sugar and mix until well combined, about 2 minutes.
• Add teh eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix on high for about a minute. Add the cream and beat on high for another minute.
• Evenly fill all the tins with the mixture. Bake for about 18 minutes until they are baked but still a little wobbly in the centers.
• Remove from oven and place on a wire cooling rack for about an hour to cool.
• Once cooled, they can be wrapped and chilled in the refrigerator.

For the Topping & Assembly

• Place the whipping cream in a cold bowl and beat on high until it forms peaks. This will take about 2 – 4 minutes.
• Remove paper liners from cooled cheesecakes. Top each one with whipped cream, cherries and chocolate shavings.
• Ready to enjoy!

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

1. If the cherries are too dry while cooking, add a few tablespoons of water.
2. You can substitute frozen cherries instead of fresh.  Thaw before cooking.
3. Any kind of cookie crumbs can be used for this recipe.  Graham wafers or Oreo cookie crumbs would work well.
4. I used unsweetened whipping cream for the topping. If you prefer it a little sweeter, add a tablespoon of sugar to the whipping cream, stir well.  Cover and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before whipping.
5. These will keep up to three days in an airtight container in the fridge.
6. For best results, remove from the fridge about half an hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes

Amount Per Serving (1 cheesecake)

Calories 385 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 7g

Cholesterol 104mg35%

Sodium 186mg8%

Potassium 157mg4%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 943IU19%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 70mg7%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You soon!

The post Mini Black Forest Cheesecakes appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Hello friends! I’d love to know how it is just about Halloween? Which really means Christmas is days away right? And can we all just blink and get on to 2021 where surely there will be big bright rainbows. I live in hope.

I know things are super quiet on the blog. I’m still wading my way through all the behind the scenes stuff of fixing my blog 2020. Fingers crossed I only have about four more weeks left of it and then the focus can 100% go back to food. Which is what we’re all here for in the first place.

Don’t miss Delicious Apple Desserts for Fall. More than a dozen great desserts from pie to cheesecake, muffins and more!

And with food in the forefront, can we just take a minute to admire these perfect little Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes. If you love cheesecake, (and why wouldn’t you!), these are for you. A buttery cookie base, topped with a creamy cheesecake filling and finished off with spiced fall apples. Sounds like the perfect fall dessert to me.

And I a sucker for all things mini, like my Mini Chocolate Topped Raspberry Cheesecakes or Mini Lemon Cheesecakes filled with Homemade Lemon Curd, yum!

You’ll want to keep these in mind for the holiday season that’s ahead. These are easy to make, quick baking time and cooling time is much less than a big cheesecake. So, take a look at these delicious little bites of fall.

Ingredients for The Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes

Okay, so let’s start with getting ALL of our ingredients in front of us. If you follow me, you know I can’t state enough how much more easy your baking will go if you have everything in front of you before you start. Including all the mixing bowls, pans, spatulas, mixers…etc. Yes, all of it. and always read the full recipe before starting. You never know what surprises will be in store for you…hahaha

FULL RECIPE IS ALWAYS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE POST IN THE RECIPE CARD

Make The base For the Cheesecake

First thing we’re going to do is make the base for the mini cheesecakes. You just simply combine the cookie crumbs with the butter and then stir to combine.

Put a tablespoon in each paper liner in your muffin trays.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom. If you fail to do so they will crumble when removed after baking.

Make The Filling

The filling is easy. Just combine the cream cheese, egg, vanilla and sugar to a mixing bowl. Mix on high speed for a couple of minutes until combined, smooth and light and a little fluffy.

Evenly spoon batter into the prepared pans on top of the cookie crumbs.

Bake for around 15 minutes in a preheated 350 F degree/180 C degree oven.

They should be slightly wobbly in the center. They will set as they cool. Leave to cool completely

Make The Apple Topping

The best part!

While the cheesecakes are baking, get started on this. Peel, core and dice the apples small like you see here.

Now everything is going to start smelling great. In a medium or large skillet set over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Give a good stir and allow it to completely melt and slightly simmer. This will take about 3 – 4 minutes.

Add the apples and stir to coat really well. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and allow even cooking. Cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until the apples are completely cooked.

NOTE: If the apples start to stick during the cooking process, just add a few tablespoons of water and stir well.

Topping The Cheesecakes

Let the mixture cool completely before you top the cheesecakes. If you want to hurry up this process, you can put the filling in the fridge and it will cool quicker.

Just simply spoon the apple filling on top of the cheesecakes and then you are ready to dig in to this deliciousness!

Why Make Mini Cheesecakes

I’ve been asked before, “Why make mini cheesecakes and not just a big one?”. There’s a few great reasons for this and I’ll tell you mine. And as much as I love a big ol’ cheesecake, sometimes the mini ones are just what’s needed and here’s why.

• Not only are the portions smaller, this recipe uses far less ingredients than a big cheesecake.
• Baking time is just 15 minutes
• Cooling time is only an hour
• They are perfectly sized for a small dessert which is great for serving after dinners.
• You can make it just a few hours before serving. Whereas with a big cheesecake it takes overnight to set properly.
• And they are just cute!

Sometimes, the task of making a big cheesecake seems daunting and that’s when mini cheesecakes come to the rescue. Much like my Mini Blueberry Compote Cheesecakes, these are a huge hit.

If You Like These Cheesecakes, Here’s some More Apple Dessert Ideas You Might Like to Take A Look at

• Mini Apple & Cinnamon Crumbles
• Apple Pie Crumble Bars
• Classic Apple Pie
• Apple Crumble
• Easy Apple & Cinnamon Turnovers

These cheesecakes are great on their own or dressed up with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

Well friends, thanks for your patience this year with my on and off regular postings. Like I said, I am truly nearing the end of getting all the stuff done that Google likes to see. Then it’s full on back to food. That being said, I have been in the kitchen these past few weeks testing new recipes. Now, I just need the time to get them written out.

Happy Thursday and I’ll be back really soon with something delicious to share. Promise!

Happy cooking and enjoy the mini cheesecakes.

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US CustomaryMetric

Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes

Rich and creamy cheesecake topped with apple pie filling! These Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes make the perfect fall dessert. A great make ahead dessert for Thanksgiving or small dinner parties.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: apples, cheesecake, Chocolate , Dessert,, thanksgiving

Servings: 12 MIni Cheesecakes

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For The Base

• 1 Cup digestive biscuits crushed
• 4 tablespoons butter melted

For The Cheesecake Layer

• 12 oz cream cheese 1 1/2 packs (based on 8 oz packs)
• 1 large egg
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 Cup sugar

For The Apple Topping

• 6 medium Apples peeled, cored and diced small
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons water * see recipe below

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl combine the digestive crumbs with the butter. Equally divide the biscuit crumbs between the 12 muffin tins. Press firmly into each tin.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, mix the cream cheese on high speed until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla and egg. Continue to mix until smooth. Evenly pour into the muffin tins. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until they are almost set and slightly wobbly in the center. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
• Make the apple topping while the cheesecakes are baking. In a large skillet set over medium to high heat, add the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir until it starts to bubble and toss in the apples. Stir to coat all the apples. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If they start to stick while cooking adding a tablespoon of water. Apples should be soft and a nice golden brown colour. Remove from heat
• Evenly spoon the apple filling ontop of the cooled cheesecakes. Serve straight away, or can be refridgerated to serve later.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

1. When making the biscuit layer, it’s important to firmly press the crumbs into the baking pan. If not, they will crumble after being baked.
2. I used golden delicious apples and they were medium sized and fairly firm.  If the apples start to stick to the pan during cooking, add a little water and stir well.
3. It’s best to cook the apple filling while the cheesecakes are baking in the oven.
4. Allow cheesecakes and apple filling to cool completely before assembly.  If not, the filling will likely soften and melt the cheesecake filling somewhat. 
5. These will keep in the fridge up to 3 days.

Nutrition Facts

Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes

Amount Per Serving (1 Mini Cheesecake)

Calories 261 Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 182mg8%

Potassium 152mg4%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 20g22%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 627IU13%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Mini Apple Pie Cheesecakes appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.