Recipe: Mini Blueberry Cheesecake Tarts

It was National Cheesecake Day, and since I wasn't able to go out and buy a cheesecake dessert from one of my favorite local bakeries in town, I decided to make some at home. Luckily I had one box of cream cheese and some leftover lemons, so I browsed the internet for a cheesecake recipe that I could make using the ingredients that I had on hand.  I came across this one that I decided to try, with a few modifications, and they turned out great!

First I made the crust using Keebler Graham Cracker Crumbs, following this recipe from the Kellog's website. I cut the recipe in half since I knew I would be making only half of the cheesecake tart recipe (since I only had one box of cream cheese), and also added a dash of cinnamon. 

After making my crust mixture, I put a spoonful of the mixture in each muffin liner, then used the spoon to packed it down.  

Then I made the cheesecake part by combining one box of 1/3 fat cream cheese, 1/4 cup of sugar, one egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and fresh lemon juice from 1/2 of a lemon.  I used my hand mixer to mix these ingredients together.

I filled each muffin liner (with the crust) to the top, and baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After removing them from the oven, I topped each tart with a dollop of blueberry pie filling (the recipe called for Cherry Pie filling, but I only had blueberry) and placed the tarts in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.  

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Cookie Butter & Cocoa Swirl Cheesecake Bars

A friend of mine gave me a jar of Cookie Butter & Cocoa Swirl, so I decided to make Cookie Butter & Cocoa Swirl Cheesecake Bars!

It was such a hit the first time I made it, I've made it several times since for get-togethers. 

It's super easy to make too!

Cookie Butter & Cocoa Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

• 9 graham crackers, crumbed
• ½ stick butter, melted
• 2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, room temp
• ¾ c sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• ⅓ c Cookie Butter & Cocoa Swirl

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325F. 
• Mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.  
• Pour into 8x8 parchment-lined baking pan and gently pat down evenly.
• Bake for 5 mins. 
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  
• Mix in eggs and vanilla. 
• Pour cream cheese mixture onto baked graham cracker crust.
• Warm cookie butter in microwave for 30 seconds on high.
• Drop cookie butter by spoonfuls onto cream cheese layer and swirl with knife.  
• Bake 30 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting into bars.

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Black and White Cheesecake Squares

I've had the recipe for Black and White Cheesecake Squares from the Martha Stewart Magazine for years, and it's one a favorite of mine to make.

Although it is a little time consuming (you need to refrigerate the dough), I just love the chocolate and cream cheese combo!

It's such a decadent dessert!

Black and White Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients:

• 2 c + 2 T flour, divided
• 3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 c sugar 
• 3 large eggs, divided
• 2 1/2 t vanilla extract, divided
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

Directions:

• Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. 
• In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. 
• Mix in 2 eggs and 2 t vanilla.
• Add in flour mixture.   
• Reserve 1 cup of dough and cover and refrigerate.  
• Press remaining dough into bottom of parchment-lined 9x13 pan. 
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
• Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
• Spread over cooled base; crumble reserved dough on top. 
• Bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes.  
• Cool before cutting into bars.

You can view the original recipe here.

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Golden OREO Cheesecake Bars

I love Golden OREOs.  They are my favorite kind of OREO!

It's dangerous when I have a package of Golden OREOs in the house - I could easily devour the entire thing.  Not in one sitting, of course, but I hardly ever have them in the house because I love them so much!

However, I recently gave in and bought a package, and to ensure I don't eat the entire package myself, I decided to make some Golden OREO Cheesecake Bars, which required the use of almost the entire package of OREOs!

I'm sure I could've used all of the OREOs, but I wanted to save a few just so I could indulge on later...

Two of my favorites combined - Golden OREOs and Cheesecake.  YUM!!

My family loved the bars!

Golden OREO Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients:

Crust:

• 20 Golden OREOs, crushed
• 2 T butter, melted

Cheesecake:

• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 c sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 T sour cream
• 1½ t vanilla extract
• 10 OREOs, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine crushed OREOs and butter. 
• Press onto bottom of parchment-lined 8x8 baking pan. 
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
• Stir in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. 
• Fold 3/4 of the chopped OREOs, then pour the batter over the prepared crust.  Top with remaining chopped OREOs.
• Bake for approximately 40 to 50 minutes. 
• Let cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into bars.

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Cheesecake with a Brittle Crust and Topping

After I received samples of Island Lava to review, I decided to make some cheesecake!

I used the Brownie Mac Island Lava for the crust, and the Coconut Tree Island Lava for the topping, but you can mix and match the brittle flavors however you please!

It turned out so yummy!  Next time I'll need to double the recipe!

Cheesecake with Brittle Crust and Topping

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c Brownie Mac Brittle, crushed
• 4 T butter
• 2 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 c Coconut Tree Brittle crumbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Mix together the Brownie Mac Brittle and butter; spread evenly on bottom of lined 9x9 pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Mix together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
• Pour over crust.
• Sprinkle Coconut Tree Brittle crumbs on top of cheesecake layer.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until set.
• Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting into squares.

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Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars were amazing. This recipe for Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars from Heat Oven to 350 recipe is slightly different from these Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars, as this recipe asks for cider vinegar (the original also asks for butter-flavored shortening, but I just used all butter instead).

It was super good, but next time I think I'll use my own chocolate chip cookie recipe since it uses a little less sugar.

But OMG - if you love chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake, try this dessert - it is DELICIOUS!!!

Happy baking!

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (recipe credit Heat Oven to 350)

Ingredients:

• 1 c butter
• 1 c brown sugar 
• 1/2 c granulated sugar 
• 2 t vanilla extract 
• 3/4 t salt 
• 1 T cider vinegar
• 1 large egg 
• 1 t  baking soda 
• 2 c all purpose flour 
• 2 c chocolate chips 
• 1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 t  vanilla extract 

Instructions:

• Make the cookie dough by creaming together the butter, sugars, vanilla, vinegar, and salt.  
• Mix in the egg, baking soda, flour, and chocolate chips. 
• In a separate medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
• In bottom of a 9x13 prepared pan, spread half of the cookie dough mixture.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie dough, and top with remaining cookie dough. 
• Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 35-45 minutes. 
• Cool completely and store in the refrigerator. 

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Recipes for National Cheesecake Day (July 30, 2016)

National Cheesecake Day is just around the corner! Celebrate with friends and family by baking this easy recipe by Kraft called "Cupid's Cherry Cheesecake".  

All you need to bake these cherry cheesecakes are:

Box of Nilla Wafers (regular size, not the minis)

2 Boxes Cream Cheese

Sugar

2 Eggs

Muffin liners

1 Can of Cherry Pie filling

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Line your muffin tray with liners.  Place one Nilla wafer in each liner.

Using a mixer, cream 2 blocks of cream cheese with 3/4 cups of sugar. Add eggs one at a time.

Fill each liner with the cream cheese mixture, about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes




Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the cheesecakes sit in there for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecakes to cool completely.  Top with Cherry pie filling (blueberry or strawberry pie filling also works!).  Enjoy!

Be sure to refrigerate your leftover cheesecakes (if there are any!).  You can also serve them cold, which is my personal preference!

Click here for the original recipe!

Here are a few other awesome cheesecake recipes to try, posted by Gem, the queen of bar recipes:

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

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Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

The first time I made these Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars (recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction), they immediately became my favorite cheesecake bar dessert.  The combination of the (eggless) cookie dough atop a rich, creamy cheesecake layer, and a graham cracker crust, was simply divine!

I recently made them again for a get-together, and decided to drizzle some chocolate on the top just because the cookie dough layer didn't turn out too nice (even the first few times I made it, it never looked like the one from Sally's Baking Addiction).

In any case, the bars were still super delicious.  If you love cheesecake and cookie dough - you have to try this recipe!

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars (recipe credit Sally's Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
• 5 T melted butter

Cookie Dough:

• 5 T butter, softened
• 1/3 c packed brown sugar
• 3 T sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 3/4 c flour
• 1 c chocolate chips

Filling:

• 10 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 t vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix crust ingredients and spread mixture into bottom of parchment-lined 8x8 pan.
• Bake for 6 minutes.
• Let cool.
• Mix butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth.
• Stir in the flour and mix until combined. 
• Stir in chocolate chips. 
• In a separate medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. 
• Stir in the egg and vanilla.
• Pour the cheesecake filling onto crust. 
• Add dough on top of cheesecake layer. 
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Refrigerate before cutting into squares.  

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