Kitchen Diaries: Mini Cheesecakes With Sour Cream Topping

I love cheese. I think cheese makes any dish yummy and cheese in a dessert is no exception! Whoever thought of putting cheese in desserts, thank you!

I had several mishaps while making these but it was all good and I ended up making more than two dozen mini cheesecakes. The different layers for the cheesecakes are pretty easy to put together, but it was cooking them that was difficult. Armed with just a mini cupcake maker it was very tedious having to put the individual servings in and out of the maker since the recipe requires separate cooking for each layer. I was running out of space to put the trays and cooling racks!

Making the crust

Instead of just a regular graham crust I decided to add some oats into the mix for some texture. I used pre-crushed graham crackers because I figured it was a bit impractical to use the food processor just for crushing the crackers for the recipe. I was too lazy to crush them manually, too, so that was out of the question, haha.

Oats and graham

I used our 1/8 teaspoon measure spoon to transfer and press down the crust mixture since the liners are so small. Mishap # 1 was I ended up with a lot of leftover crust. I should have made the crusts thicker for each cheesecake or just made less crust mixture or made more cheesecake and topping.

Cheesecake filling

The cheesecake filling is just plain basic cheesecake. Next time I'll probably put in some lemon juice or lemon zest to add a little more flavor.

Sour cream topping

If you're not a fan of anything sour you can skip making this topping. You can use canned fruit topping from the supermarket or make your own from scratch. You can also just have plain cheesecake, which still tastes awesome, but you need to make a bit more of the cheesecake mixture.

Cheesecakes ready to cook

Topped with sour creamy-goodness

Mishap # 2 happened when I cooked the first batch of cheesecakes. Instead of removing the cheesecakes from the cupcake maker after cooking the cheesecake layer I just opened up the lid and poured the topping onto the still-cooking cheesecakes and closed the lid. This resulted in the topping boiling over and making a mess in the cupcake maker. Hassle! So to resolve the issue I remove the cheesecakes from the cupcake maker after cooking the cheesecake layer to let it set and cool a bit before pouring in the topping.

The recipe below can also be used for making a full-sized cheesecake in the oven, but you need to adjust the cooking times since the times indicated in the recipe are meant for a cupcake maker.

Mini Cheesecakes with Sour Cream Topping

Makes a lot of mini cheesecakes (more than a dozen)

Crust: (already adjusted down measurements for crust because of mishap #1)
Graham crackers, crushed	1 1/8 cups (around 10-13 crackers)
Oatmeal, quick-cooking (not instant)	1/2 cup
Butter, melted	3/4 stick or 6 tablespoons
Brown sugar	3 tablespoons
Cheesecake:
Cream cheese	16 ounces (2 whole packs)
Eggs	2
White sugar	1/2 cup
Vanilla	1/2 teaspoon
Sour Cream Topping:
Sour cream	2 cups or 1 pint
White sugar	1/3 cup

* I made the crust first and cooked in the individual liners. After cooking the crust I prepared the cheesecake and topping mixtures.

1. CRUST:
1. If using whole crackers crush crackers first in a food processor. You can also crush them manually by putting the crackers in a zip lock bag and crushing with a rolling pin.
2. Mix the crushed graham crackers, oatmeal, butter, and brown sugar in a bowl until well combined with a crumbly texture.
3. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the liners with your finger or the back of a spoon.
4. Cook crust in the cupcake maker for 4-5 minutes. Remove, set aside and cool.
2. CHEESECAKE:
1. Place the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and whip with a mixer until smooth and fluffy on medium speed (Note: Don't beat on high! We want dense and not fluffy cheesecakes.).
2. Add eggs one by one and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Finally, add vanilla and mix until fully combined.
4. Pour mixture on top of cooked and cooled crust. Fill about 2/3 if making topping and 3/4 if just having plain cheesecake.
5. Cook cheesecakes for 8-10 minutes.
6. Remove from cupcake maker and set aside for a minute or so.
3. TOPPING:
1. Combine sour cream and sugar in a bowl.
2. Beat until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour topping over cooked cheesecake layer, filling the liner until just below the rim.
4. Place cheesecakes back in the cupcake maker and cook, again, for 3-5 minutes.
4. After cooking final layer, let cheesecakes cool completely.
5. When cooled, place in airtight containers and place in the fridge to chill for a few hours before eating.

I have around 3 of these for dessert. My parents enjoyed eating them with their coffee in the morning.

Addicting little things

I was a bit traumatized by this cheesecake experience and it will probably be a while before I try another cheesecake recipe in the cupcake maker. But, next time I'm thinking of trying Nigella's London cheesecake recipe or a red velvet cheesecake recipe. Mmm, we'll see!