Sara Lee Original Cream Cheesecake*- Live Oak Recipe Swap

Ingredients:

Crust:

    1/2 cup fine Graham cracker crumbs
    1/4 cup granulated sugar
    1/2 cup butter, softened

(  I bought premade crust)


Filling:


    16 ounces cream cheese
    1 cup sour cream
    2 tablespoons cornstarch
    1 cup granulated sugar
    2 tablespoons butter, softened
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Topping:

    3/4 cup sour cream

    1/4 cup confectioners' sugar


Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine Graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter and mix well. Press the mixture firmly into an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. Press flat onto bottom only.

Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F for the filling.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, cornstarch and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the butter and vanilla extract and blend until smooth, being careful not to over-mix or the filling will become too fluffy and will crack when cooling. Pour the filling over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

Cool for 1 hour.

Mix the sour cream and confectioners' sugar. Spread the mixture over the top of the cooled cheesecake.


Chill or freeze until ready to eat.

* copycat recipe

Marilyn from Recipe Exchange- her daughter opened a new business in Live Oak - Bloom Esthetics and Wellness. I have go check it out!!! 

The pie was also a hit!

Papa Joe's Favorite Mini Cheesecakes

Joe was Gabe's gas supplier at the gas station. I sent a tin of cheesecakes with the driver and hoped Joe would enjoy them. 

He called Gabe as soon as the driver gave him the tin to tell him how much he loved them.

Every year Joe would make sure Gabe knew how much he loved the cheesecakes and wondered if I was going to make them again, which I certainly did.

Joe enjoyed cheesecakes for many years and it was a joy to make them for him.

Ingredients:

3 packages 8 ounce cream cheese

5 eggs ( room temp.)

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice


Topping:

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Set aside.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a stand mixer bowl add cream cheese

Add sugar and mix well.

Add one egg at a time, then the vanilla and lemon juice

Line muffin tins with Reynolds foil baking cups. 

Fill cups 3/4 full.

Place in preheated oven and bake 30 to 45 minutes. The top of the mini cupcakes will start to turn a light brown and crack.

Once done, remove from oven and let cool slightly.

When the mini cheesecake cool they will have a slight indention. Add the topping to each mini cheesecake. I usually add about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of the topping.

Once all the mini cheesecakes have the topping I place a cherry in the middle. It's an option and you can serve without the cherry.

Place the mini cheesecakes back in the oven for about 5- 7 minutes for the topping to set.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Put  in a large container and refrigerate.

These are delicious and has been one of my most requested recipes to make. 

Small Cheese Cake

I don't know why they call this a cheesecake. Cheesecake to me is a cake. This sure is a pie recipe. Whatever, it's fantastic!

Polly loves cheesecake and since it was her birthday thought this would make her happy. Her friend was dying to have a slice :-)

The recipe is from Rita's Recipes.



Ingredients:

CRUST:

1 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 T sugar
( I did the easy thing and bought a pre- made crust)

FILLING:

8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2  cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash salt (didn't use)
2 eggs


TOPPING:

1  cup sour cream
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

If you want easy- buy a premade crust. To make the crust crush the graham crackers. Good way is to add them to a food processor. Add the crushed crumbs to a large bowl and add the 1/2 of stick of melted butter and the 2 tablespoons sugar and mix well.  Press crumbs into a 9 inch pie plate.

For the filling add 8 ounces of soft cream cheese to a large bowl. With an electric mixer add the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, salt if you are adding it and beat until light and fluffy.Beat in one egg at a time. I always take the eggs out and let them come to room temp before adding them to the mixture. Don't over beat. 

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the graham cracker shell and bake for about 25 minutes.

While the pie is in the oven make the topping

Mix 1 cup sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

When the pie is done carefully remove it from the oven and spread the topping over the top of the "cheesecake" and pop it back in the oven for another minute.

Take it out after the minute and let it cool.

MINI CHEESECAKES WITH SPICY MOLASSES COOKIE CRUST

Thank you Paddi for adding your recipes to the blog! You are always a welcomed guest poster <3

 Paddi posted a wonderful Rum Raisin Bread recipe awhile ago  and if you missed it I hope you check it out.

On to Paddi's post.............

I made some Molasses Spice cookies the other day. They were a Martha Stewart recipe and the only thing odd was they had no ginger in them, just nutmeg and cinnamon. They turned out exactly like they were said to. They were good and I thought I would try another recipe that was exactly like this one except for the spices. The new one had ginger cloves nutmeg and cinnamon. Every single other ingredient was the same. Well they were flat and spread out all over the pan and looked like.... use your imagination. LOL They were however quite tasty and they didn't get hard and weird. So .... I have often jokingly thought to myself WWELD or What would Emeril Lagasse do? This has helped in the past with saves...I decided to cut the cookies with my smallest biscuit cutter and they then fit perfectly in the bottom of a standard size muffin tin. I first lined the muffin tins with cupcake liners and then added the cookies. I got out my Juniors Cheesecake cook book and turned to the chapters on Little Fellas. I have made even tinier little cheesecakes but this seemed a good size. The recipe said it would make 13. I put the first muffin tin into a pan filled with a bit of water to steam them and added water to the extra unused muffin tins. I also added some cranberry glaze to each and some strawberry Port Wine sauce to the others and swirled them with two toothpicks. I baked them and then after they cooled I froze them in the muffin tins that were put into a 2 gallon freezer baggy. Because I had 3 extra the first time I had to try on and OMG they are heavenly and a wonderful way to have dessert at a moments notice. Nothing will go to waste this way and I get to have a bite a cheesecake once in a while. I love cheese cake! 

Martha Stewart's Molasses Spice Cookies:

2 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar separated
3/4 cup butter softened 
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses

**** (the other recipe calls for 1 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 tea cloves and 1/2 tea nutmeg and 1 tea cinnamon)

Old Fashion Gingersnaps from my Taste of Home  Best Holiday recipes 2004 It called for a whole teaspoon of cloves but I halved it and added nutmeg.


1. In med bowl whisk flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt and nutmeg and set aside  .Put 1/2  cup sugar in a small bowl and set aside too. 

2. beat butter 1 cup sugar until combined. Beat in egg and molasses then slow down speed and add dry ingredients.

3. Roll into one inch balls and coat with sugar. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased  cookie sheet. Bake one sheet at a time @ 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes.

When the cookies are cool, use a small round cutter and cut some of the cookies into a round that will fit into the bottom of a regular muffin cup.

Line 13-16 regular size muffin cups with paper liners-the amount of cheesecakes you get depends on the size of your muffin pan. Add water to any unused muffin cups.  


Place a cut out cookie round in the bottom of each lined cup.  Set the pans aside.

Juniors Cheesecake cookbook

Basic Little fella (regular Muffin tin size)

2 8 oz cream cheese packages- softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
2 extra large eggs
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Oven 350

Cream one creamed cheese with 1/3 cup sugar. Add 2nd pkgs and 1/3 more sugar. Then add eggs, vanilla and whipping cream. don't overmix.

Fill each lined muffin tin with batter to the top. Add topping and swirl with two tooth picks. ( I have used choke cherry syrup, strawberry port wine Jelly, cranberry glaze, etc.)


Place muffin tin in a larger pan and fill with a bit of water. Bake 45 minutes.

Place the muffin tin in a larger pan and add a bit of water to come about 1" up the side of the muffin cups.  Bake @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.  Remove from the pans and chill thoroughly.

BASIC LITTLE FELLAS CHEESECAKE FOR FILLING

Cream Cheese Lemon Bars

Peaking around Susan's boards I saw THIS recipe. I love lemon and when I'm home I usually try quite a few recipes because Rita and Lewis love lemon also and I give most of what I've baked to them. Down here I have to look for people to bake for.

Recently I bought a bottle of Jack Daniels that was on sale. The lady asked me if I wanted glasses also. I asked was that part of the deal since the Jack was on sale. She gave me two nice glasses that I can sip my drink and light bulb moment! I can make her some bars!

This recipe was adapted and next time I know to buy more cream cheese. I gave a slice to my "no I don't like sweets" hubby and he liked it. I had to get it out of the house before I ate the whole pan!
 

1 box lemon cake mix (15.25oz)
1/3 cup butter or margarine - softened
1 egg
8 ounces cream cheese - softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 lemon - grated
2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a mixing bowl, blend dry cake mix, butter, and 1 egg.
2. Press into a 9 x 13 pan, ungreased.( I sprayed the pan, didn't want to take any chances)
3. Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
4. Gradually blend in the powdered sugar.
5. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice until smooth.
6. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and refrigerate it for later use.( I didn't think there was enough so I didn't refrigerate the half, spread the whole 8oz with the eggs and vanilla onto the cakemix base. I also don't think I would use vanilla next time, I'll try lemon extract)
7. Beat the remaining 2 eggs, add the vanilla, and then beat this mixture into the remaining cream cheese mixture until well blended.
8. Spread over the cake mixture.
9. Bake at 350° until set, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
10. Cool completely.
11. Spread the reserved cream cheese mixture onto the bars.( next time I'll take 8oz of the cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread that on top)  refrigerate until firm; then cut into squares and serve