Mini Oreo cheesecakes (aka Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes)

Let me see if I can post a recipe every single day of this week...or at least a picture post maybe??? Well this enthusiasm is nothing but some new prop stuff I picked up and I'm now figuring out ways to use it..talk about screwed up priorities huh? ..well that's me  folks:)

So I had some guests over for lunch last weekend and I spent whole of Saturday morning researching on easy-to-make, individual serving desserts. Came across a few mini cheese cake recipes and finally rounded it off to the Oreo cookie cheesecake because it meant I didn't have to crush the base with butter etc. and the mini versions meant lesser cleaning up since you could use muffin cases. 

They came out pretty well, except that the 1st batch I made on Saturday evening for the party, in between all that hungama and chaos (ya a husband who said he'd help around but just sat there strumming his guitar)  was a lil sharp with regard to taste, a lil salty too..which I think is because of the sour cream???? I actually don't know! But the 2nd batch, I made a day later (with much more calm and composure and without the annoying strumming of a Beatles song in the background) turned out great. I am posting both the versions here and personally my choice was the 1st set, but Ro preferred the second which was more like New York cheese cake on top, with and Oreo cookie crumb bottom. Take your pick. Either ways, its an excellent dessert, absolutely creamy and a great idea for fancy individual servings or even as a  bite size dessert.

Recipe 1, makes 7 muffin cups (adapted from here)

Oreo cookies for the base- 7 whole

Oreo cookies- 3, crushed or chopped into medium size pieces, both the cream and biscuit

Cream cheese- 227 gms (8 oz)

Granulated sugar- 1/4 cup

Vanilla extract- 1/4 tsp

Egg- 1 large, beaten

Sour cream- 1/4 cup

Salt- a pinch

Arrange the muffin liners in the muffin pan and place one whole cookie inside each muffin cup.

Using a hand held mixer or in a free standing mixer, using paddle attachment and on low speed beat the cream cheese till light and fluffy..about 2 minutes.

Add the sugar gradually, mix until smooth, and then the vanilla extract. All this on low speed.

Add the beaten egg, mixing well till combined.

Pour the sour cream and the salt and beat until everything becomes nice and creamy.

Using a spatula, fold in the chopped Oreos.

Spoon in the mixture into the cookie-laid muffin cups carefully. You can fill it up 3/4th or full.

Bake in an oven pre-heated at 135C for 20 minutes or till its just set.

Take it out and cool inside the muffin pan itself.

Once entirely cool, chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. I chilled it overnight.

Just before serving remove the muffin liner and then either invert it with the cookie on top, or  carefully lay it on serving plates, drizzle with some choco sauce if needed and serve with all ya love:)

Recipe 2, makes 6 muffin cups (loosely adapted from here)

(I fooled around with this one and it just sank like that)

Oreo cookies- 1/2 cup (about 6 to 7 cookies along with the cream, ground) .. I love my immersion blender for this:)

Butter- 20 gms (I used a lil less)

Cream cheese- 187 gms (approx. 6.5 oz)

Granulated sugar- 1/2 cup

Egg- 1 large

Vanilla extract- 1/2 tsp

Pre- heat oven to 170C

Lay the muffin cases with muffin liners

Mix the ground oreo's and butter together till slightly coarse.

Divide them equally among all the muffin cases, pressing them down firmly.

Bake them for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool while you get the filling ready.

Using a hand held mixer or in a free standing mixer, using paddle attachment and on low speed beat the cream cheese till light and fluffy..about 2 minutes.

Add the sugar gradually, mix until smooth, and then the egg, mixing well till combined.

Pour in the vanilla extract and mix till well combined, it should be nice and creamy.

Pour the filling on top of the pre-baked oreo cookie base till partially full and bake for 20 minutes till just about set.

Switch off the oven and let it cool inside, and then chill in the refrigerator till you are ready to serve them.

Notes: The second method fetched me only 5 cookies and i presume it is because the cookie layer was a bit too thick. You can make it thinner and you'd end up with six I guess.

I would reduce the butter a wee bit the next time.

You can double the recipe and make as many as you require.


PS: All you Beatles fans, I don't have anything against them, but listening to the same song all day, kinda gets to you after a while, especially when you are sweating it out near the hob and the other half is relaxing with a beer. I definitely need to imbibe some Lady Gaga music into him ;)