[Lady Sheherazahde's Wiccan Ways | Zahdé's Cooking Page]
Send comments or complaints to sheherazahde@yahoo.com
This page created 9/3/00 last updated 12/22/03

Tracy's Mini Cheese Cakes

For those who requested my "quichelet" recipe, here it is. First, I will list the original recipe, which is not mine. It is for real miniature cheesecakes, traditionally sweetened. I will then follow with my own variations, which include a low-carb version, a low-fat (ugh) version, and a savory horse doovers version (say it out loud, it's funnier).

Elaine's Mini-Cheesecakes

(N.B. This was the original recipe, given to me, from which the recipes which follow were developed.)
No matter which recipe you use, go slowly the first time you make this. Once you know exactly how your oven cooks, you will know just how long to cook this the next time you make it. And you will.

BASIC RECIPE
3 eight-ounce packages cream cheese
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
**((1 cup sugar))**

(((TOPPING IF DESIRED)))
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 jar maraschino cherries, halved

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Let cream cheese soften at room temperature. When very soft, beat in eggs one at a time, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Pour into mini-muffin papers in mini-muffin pans. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. ((This depends a LOT on your own oven. After 30 minutes, just keep checking them.) When the tops look dry and just a LITTLE cracked AND NOT BROWN, remove from oven. Combine sour cream and sugar. Place a heaping spoonful on each cheesecakelet and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the tops are set. (Jiggle the pan to see.) Remove when set. Cool. If desired, top with cherry halves. Makes 48 minis.

***Helpful hint: if you have a small pitcher into which to pour the batter after it is mixed, so much the better. Pour the "batter" from the pitcher into the individual cups.*** ===>I have a thingy that I got from a Stewart's Ice Cream Shop: the whoosit they put the sprinkles & nuts in for make-your-own-sundaes, an oversized "International House of Pancakes-ish" syrup pitcher, with the thumb lever that cuts off the flow. If you think you're going to make these a lot (which I do), try to track one of these down. I got mine by walking into my local Stewart's & asking the manager for one. Cost me $5, and worth every penny.

TRACY'S VARIATIONS:

LOW-FAT

For regular cream cheese, substitute:
3-eight ounce pkg non-fat cream cheese
For sour cream, substitute:
1 pint non-fat sour cream (try Farmland brand, it's great)

ATKINS LOW-CARB:

for dessert cheesecakes, substitute for the sugar ===> 1 cup SUGAR TWIN ONLY (other sugar substitutes lose their sweetness in high-temp baking.) Don't even try the sour cream topping. It does not work without the sugar. Deal with it.

an ingredient combo from below:
(These are appetizers, not dessert!!!!!) 1 cup grated hard or strongly-flavored cheese (cheddar, Parmesan, Reggiano, Asiago -->my personal favorite.)
1 cup well-drained, crumbled well-cooked bacon or ham.

{Vegetarian, Kosher}
1 cup grated hard cheese (see above)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
pinch basil
pinch oregano

1 cup grated hard cheese (see above)
1 cup finely chopped broccolini (you may substitute very finely chopped thawed frozen broccoli spears

{Kosher}
1 cup finely diced lox or smoked salmon

{Vegetarian, Kosher}
4-5 finely chopped shallots
1 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms.
Saute in several tablespoons of butter. Add a dash of sherry or marsala if desired.

{Vegetarian, Kosher}
1 cup finely grated cheese
1 cup Bac-Os (TM)

EXPERIMENT!!! If two things sound like they'd blend well, try it. NONE of these recipes were given to me; I just thought about what flavors would be good in an hors d'oeuvre.
REMEMBER: cream cheese + cheese + flavor= even if you don't like it, your dog will....If you have ANY questions about this or other recipes. feel free to e-mail me at chezelliott@webv.net