Peanut Butter and Jelly No Bake Cheescake

 I was provided with products from Nielsen Massey in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Summertime has always been the time of year when most of us start looking for nostalgic flavors. There's just something about the warmer weather that makes us all want to recapture our more innocent days, right? I mean... now more so than ever before, for sure. I've definitely been dreaming of the days when I could freely run through my backyard soaking wet from the pool, when I made makeshift picnics on the grass with my dogs, and when I expertly choreographed elaborate production numbers to the soundtrack of The Little Mermaid. Oh, to have that much endless energy once more...

The bad thing about trying to make nostalgic treats in the summer time is having to turn on the oven. I know the last thing I want to do when I'm already cranking my AC to the max is to add flame to the fire by turning on my oven, even if I am hard core craving brownies or chocolate chip cookies. Thank goodness for who ever invented no-bake desserts. Many of them are familiar staples of backyard BBQ's this time of year; from the lowly fruit infused Jell-O ring to the elevated trifle.

When I think of no-bake desserts, there's only one thing that comes to mind: Cheesecake. A cold, sweet, creamy dessert that can be customized in a million different ways so that you never get bored of it? Yes please! So when my friends at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas challenged me to come up with a summertime no-bake dessert, I knew I had to go with a no-bake cheesecake. But not just any no-bake cheesecake! Mine would evoke the ultimate childhood memories of summer with the single greatest flavor combination of all time: PB&J.

The secret to getting this idea to work was to find a way to flavor the cheesecake without adding extra moisture, as that would completely ruin the texture and prevent it from setting up. That was why I decided powdered flavorings were the way to go; namely powdered peanut butter and pulverized freeze dried strawberries. I was so thrilled with how both of these ingredients really came through in the end result, and the addition of the Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Extract to the cheesecake base really helped those flavors shine. I did decide to add a layer of actual jelly/jam, but full disclosure if you want to attempt this recipe, that decision did interrupt the structural integrity of the cake a bit. If I was to do it again, I might opt to put the jelly on top instead, as the contrast of the sweet preserves with the tart strawberry powder and the slightly salty peanut butter is utter perfection. But it was totally worth the struggle to cut a clean slice when I saw that ooey gooey jelly oozing out from the center of the cake!

Be sure to let me know if you try making this cake on your own, and also feel free to let me know your favorite childhood flavor combos in the comments below!

PB&J No Bake Cheesecake

Crust: 

About 2 packets of Graham Crackers, crushed into course crumbs
3/4 a cup of melted unsalted butter
a pinch of salt

Filling:

3 8oz packages of cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Extract
2 cups of Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon of salt
4 oz of freeze dried strawberries, pulverized into a powder
(optional) about 10 oz of strawberry jam, store bought or home made 

To make the crust, put the graham crackers and salt into a small bowl. Melt the butter, then combine it with the graham cracker mixture. Quickly press the graham crackers into a non stick 10 inch spring form pan, making sure the bottom is very compact, but not too thick. Press any excess up the sides of the pan. Place the whole thing in the freezer.

To make the filling, add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla into a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and a little fluffy. Add in the yogurt and continue to beat until everything is well incorporated. In a separate bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and whip until peaks begin to form. Split the whipped cream in half and add the peanut butter powder to one half and the strawberry powder to the other half. Whip both again to incorporate completely. Add half the cream cheese mixture to each bowl of whipped cream and fold gently to combine.

Remove the crust from the freezer. Add the peanut butter filling and smooth out the top. If doing the jelly in the middle, add it now in a even layer across the peanut butter filling. Add in the strawberry filling and smooth out the top. Cover the whole thing in plastic wrap, then leave to set in the fridge over night. 

NOTE: To get a clean slice, place the cheesecake into the freezer at least an hour before serving. Run a large knife under hot water, then use it to cut the cake. The crust is very delicate, so be prepared to scoop up crumbs. I think they look nice sprinkled on the top!

Honey Cake and Lavender Earl Grey Cream with Bee K’onscious Artisanal Honey

I was sent products from Bee K'onscious free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Convoluted story time: I've been watching the Emmy Made in Japan Youtube channel for many many years. I love all the quirky recipes she attempts, and I especially love her open mindedness to even the most ridiculous sounding flavor combinations and unusual (AKA non-Western) ingredients. Emmy also often attempts to make every day grocery items, like condiments or different types or bread or noodles, from scratch, so it was no surprise when she decided to start raising her own chickens and become a bee keeper. I'm personally not a big fan of bees, but watching her foray into bee keeping and everything that goes into honey production is downright thrilling. All this is to say that I have a new found appreciation for the complexities of honey production and extraction. Much like wine, honey's flavor and texture is dependent on so many things; the season, the weather, of course the pollen available, but even the happiness of the bees in the hive!

When a company called Bee K'onscious reached out to me recently about their line of artisanal raw honeys, I couldn't help thinking of all the drama I'd watched Emmy go through with her bees in order to collect fresh, raw, beautiful honey. Bee K'onscious is based in Denver, but their honeys come from small bee keepers in California, Montana, and Brazil. Each bottle is single source, meaning it can be traced to a single bee keeper via a QR code on the bottle. Since the honey is raw and unfiltered, it retains all of the natural nutrients and anti bacterial properties a lot of over processed honeys loose along the way. Being raw and unpasteurized also means the honey can sometimes come crystallized, which might throw some people off. However, crystallized honey is just as delicious and can be more easily used as a spread on things like biscuits and pancakes. If you would rather have a more liquid honey, that's no problem! Simple dip the jar into some hot water and the honey will transform into liquid gold.

The honey I received from Montana Clover honey, and it had a lovely bright floral flavor without a cloying, lingering sweetness. As I've been baking a lot of bread recently, I really enjoyed spreading it on warm toast with a little local strawberry preserves. I actually really enjoyed it in it's crystallized form, as it added a nice bit of texture! However, I wanted to find a nice summery recipe in which I could really show off how delicious and delicate this honey is.

After going through many, many recipes in which honey was used more as a sweetening agent rather than a flavoring component, I settled in this simple recipe from King Arthur Flour. For some reason, I just think the combination of the whole wheat flour and the all purpose flour really helps the honey shine, and the fact that there is no additional sugar means this cake has just the right amount of sweetness. To compliment the simplicity of the cake and the floral flavor of the honey, I made a version of my Earl Grey pastry cream, but with a lavender Earl Grey and a touch of purple food coloring for funzies. I then topped the cake off with some fresh strawberries and blackberries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. the result was a delectable treat that could be easily enjoyed for a decadent breakfast or a light dessert! I even crumbled up some of the cake and layered it into a mason jar along with the berries and pastry cream to take on a responsibly socially distant picnic.

If you are a honey aficionado, or you would like to become one, I would highly encourage you to check out Bee K'conscious. Not only are they an ethical and sustainable small business, the very nature of honey production is environmentally positive as can be! Keep an eye out for more honey sources from them as they expand their product line to include single source honeys from all over the world!

Learning to Pipe Buttercream Flowers in the Time of Quarantine

I was sent product free of charge from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Well, it's been a crazy few months since my last post. Back then, things were just starting to go into lock down mode. Now, we're all adjusting to our new normals, whether that is ordering takeout a few times a week to keep our friends in the hospitality industry afloat, buying meal kits from our favorite small businesses and, vendors, and farmers, or doing a hell of a lot more baking than any one person should probably be doing.

Speaking of baking, if you've been following my Instagram, you'll know I have fallen full force into the quarantine baker role. Bread, butter mochi, chocolate chip cookies. Just all the carbs. So much carbs. Thing is, as good as my baking skills have gotten, my presentation skills are still kind of lacking.

That is one of the reasons I still love visiting bakeries, like my neighbors, Life's Sweet Inc. Ever since this dessert wonderland opened last year, I've been obsessed with everything Melissa, the owner, makes. Every time I walk in the door, I am immediately hypnotized by all the delicious sweets on display in her pastry case. Better yet, if you stick around her shop for any length of time, you are bound to see one of her gorgeously decorated cakes making it's way out the door. Every single time, I marvel at how beautiful and precise her buttercream piping skills are.

Sadly, it's businesses like Melissa's that have been hit the hardest during the COVID-19 crisis. Small, independent, neighborhood restaurants, bakeries, and specialty shops all over the country have been forced into making horrible decisions about whether to remain open for carry out/delivery and place their staff at risk while fighting with greedy delivery platforms, or closing up completely and putting all their faith in the unstable and confusing government loan programs. But through everything, Melissa has stayed flexible and positive by keeping her bakery and cafe going through an ingenious pickup window system. I have made it a point to try and visit places like her shop at least once a week, because I am now so addicted to her ever changing lineup of sweets and perfectly prepared breakfast and lunch fair that I cannot imagine my neighborhood without her. I will single handedly keep her in business, if that's what it takes!

My buddies over at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently released a new instructional video over on their Better Your Bake page about how to pipe buttercream roses and hydrangeas. Well, since I have been wanting to step up my decorating skills, this was a perfect opportunity to start learning, especially since I have never ever tried piping before! But, I wanted to see just how close I could get to professional quality flower piping using the instructional video alone, so I roped Melissa into helping me. I ordered some of her impossibly moist mini cupcakes and had her put her signature piping on top of half of them, and I would try my best to replicate her work. How did I do? Well, before you scroll all the way down, take a close look at the next picture and see if you can determine which of us piped which cupcake:

Not bad for a beginner, hu? In case you couldn't tell, that's mine on the right and Mel;issa's on the left. Preparing the two toned piping was much easier to do than I thought it would be, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Now, after I started practicing my piping, I realized that I was using tips that were a bit smaller than Melissa's, but I think I still achieved the same effect. Now, as for the roses... well, it's gonna be pretty obvious who the beginner piper was here!

Yeah, I didn't quite master the height and definition of Melissa's work, but at least after a few tries, I did manage to get something that vaguely looked like a rose! Oh, and by a few tries, I mean two batches of buttercream worth of tries!

Rose attempt number 1

Rose attempt number 2

In the end, the piping was a bit easier than I expected it to be, but it's definitely something that is going to take lots of practice to master. There is a lot of muscle memory and nuance involved, and getting the buttercream to just the right consistency and temperature is crucial (that's why I used Nielsen-Massey's tried and true buttercream recipe to give myself the best chance at success).

So, what do you think of how my beginner's piping compared to that of a professional? And let me know in the comments below what skills you have been learning while you've been stuck at home! Stay safe, everybody! And don't forget to support local small businesses and independent restaurants in any way you can!

Springtime Passion Fruit Panna Cotta with Nielsen Massey Vanillas

I've always heard that panna cotta is the lazy chef's fancy dessert. You'll see this thick, creamy, molded custard dessert on menus quite often, mostly because it requires very little cooking or baby sitting. Just heat, mix, and leave it in the fridge. Lazy or not, I love it. I am an unrepentant dairy addict, so if you offer me something creamy, most likely I'm gonna be ok with it.

This year, I have promised myself to be more adventurous when cooking at home and try things I've never done before, so I decided it was time to give the panna cotta a go. Now, the secret to making a perfect panna cotta is having a perfect base recipe to layer flavors on top of. That's one of the reasons this dessert is one of my favorites; it's versatility. It can be fruity, it can be chocolaty, it can be floral, it can be boozy, or any combination one could dream of.

When I started to build my panna cotta recipe, I knew immediately that I wanted to flavor the base with Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste. This stuff is a staple in my baking cabinet, mostly because it adds the touch of those little vanilla speckles that always make a dessert feel more elevated. They even recently released a new version of the Vanilla Bean Paste, made with Tahitian vanilla, which carries fruity and floral notes (as opposed to the Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, which is more rich and creamy in flavor).

Since my vanilla of choice was a little more on the fruity side, I chose to make my first ever panna cotta a passion fruit panna cotta. Instead of making my own passion fruit curd, I opted for one I already knew was great, but maybe next time I'll be brave enough to try making one from scratch!

I was almost shaking when I un-molded my little rounds of creamy goodness for the first time, but they turned out PERFECTLY! Fruity, floral, just a touch of sourness, and a silky smooth texture that makes you never want to stop eating them. Don't like passion fruit? You can literally use this base recipe with any kind of flavor! Fruit jams, infused syrups, spice blends... the possibilities are literally endless!



Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup passion fruit curd
2 tablespoons Nielsen Massey Tahitian Vanilla Bean Paste
1 envelope un-flavored gelatin
2 tablespoons any sweet white wine (can also use white grape juice)

Add two tablespoons of white wine to a small sauce pan and sprinkle gelatin over the surface of the liquid. Leave to bloom.

Add heavy cream, half and half, and sugar to a medium sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a soft boil, then take off the heat. Add in the passion fruit curd and the vanilla bean paste and whisk slowly to combine.

Heat wine and gelatin mixture over a medium heat. Remove immediately once gelatin is completely dissolved. Very slowly, pour the gelatin mixture into the cream mixture while whisking. Once everything is combined, pour into small ramekins (should fill about 4-8, depending on size). Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour (over night is best).

To un-mold, unwrap the ramekins and run a thin knife blade along the edge. Dip them into a bowl of hot water for a few seconds, then invert them onto a plate. Garnish with fresh berries and serve.

Mocha Latte Brownies with Java House Cold Brew

I was sent products free of charge by Java House in exchange for an honest review.

Well hello there, my poorly neglected blog audience! I know it's been a hot minute since I last posted here. But what with the Insatgrams and the Twitters and such, I've needed to take some time off from this poor old blog to really understand what it is I liked about food blogging in the first place. And you know what? The truth is that I really missed discovering new things that give me the culinary tingles. So let's talk about one of those things, shall we?

I've been a big cold brew fan for a while now. This is mainly due to two factors: 1) I've become an absolute coffee addict in my 30's, and 2) I have a decent amount of regular acid reflux. Cold brewed coffee is less acidic than hot brewing, and I find that the smoother flavor generally appeals to my particular palate. From big chain coffee houses to my local cafe, whenever there's cold brew on offer, I'm very likely to order it.

I've tried cold brewing at home, but I can never seem to get a strong enough flavor for my liking. Generally, I end up having to buy a really expensive super dark roast just to get any sort of enjoyment out of it, and if I should want to add a splash or milk or a little flavor, the coffee just disappears into nothingness. This is why when Java House reached out and asked if I would like to try their liquid cold brew concentrate pods, I immediately said yes.

The Java House cold brew pods come in four varieties: Sumatran (dark roast), Colombian (medium roast), Ethiopian (light roast), and Decaf (medium roast). They are sized to fit into any K-Cup coffee machine, so you can actually enjoy them hot, cold, or anywhere in between. The cups contain a perfectly portioned amount of liquid cold brew concentrate, so you just need to add water to them (or shoot them straight, if you want to. I won't judge you. Actually I will. Add some water, you heathen). You actually don't even need a K-Cup machine to enjoy them because you can literally just crack them open and pour them into a mug or over ice. Or, if you're me, you can add them to some bourbon cream liquor and start your morning off right with a Kentucky Coffee Cocktail.

I very much liked the versatility of these little suckers, and the flavor on all the roasts was top notch. Of course, my favorite was the dark roast. Because I like my coffee black as my soul. But the others were perfectly enjoyable. If you happen to be down the K-Cup isle of your local grocery store, I would highly encourage you to pick up a box of these and give them a try.

Because I can't just make a cup of coffee and be happy, I decided I wanted to try using some of the Java House cold brew in a recipe. I've heard that adding coffee to brownies brings out the chocolatiness, so I did some experimenting and OH MY GOD. Best idea EVER! A basic brownie suddenly became the fudgiest little hunk of deliciousness to ever come out of my oven. Once again, I can't leave well enough alone, so I decided to pay homage to the coffee by giving my brownies a frothy topping to mimic the foam on a latte. This turned out so incredibly well that I am halfway tempted to quit my day job and start selling these suckers on a street corner like Famous Amos did with his cookies. Seriously, if you're a choco-holic like me, you have got to try these!

Mocha Latte Brownies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Java House Cold Brew Liquid Pods (any roast, but I prefer the Colombian for this)
1 cup flour

Topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 packet of unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Java House Liquid Cold Brew Pod (I prefer the Ethiopian for this)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 9x9 square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, and cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Add vanilla, cold brew pods, and eggs and again stir until smooth. Lastly, add in the flour and combine into a thick, smooth batter. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the top feels completely solid. Let cool to room temperature.

For the topping, add the heavy whipping cream to a pre-chilled bowl and whip with a stand or a hand mixer until the volume has doubled and soft peaks have begun to form. Set into the fridge to keep cold. In a small sauce pan, add the Java House cold brew pod and 2 tablespoons of cold water, then sprinkle the gelatin on the surface of the liquid and let sit for about 2-3 minutes. Heat up the liquid over medium heat. Once the gelatin is completely dissolved, add the sugar and stir until no more granules are left. Remove from heat. Bring out the chilled whipped cream and begin whipping again with a stand or a hand mixer. Slowly stream in the gelatin mixture. The cream will deflate some, but should begin to look foamy and glossy. Quickly spread the cream over the top of the brownies in an even layer, then cover the dish and set in the fridge to set up for a few hours or over night. Cut and serve.

Summer Ice Cream Favorites and Fluffy Japanese-style Pancakes

It's no secret that my sweet tooth is my worst enemy. Back before Christmas, I gave the whole Keto lifestyle a try, and it was absolute torture. Now, I hear you saying that giving up sugar and carbs just before Christmas is a stupid idea. And you'd be right. But I wanted to test drive the lifestyle and see if it was something I could easily fall into after all the holiday excess.  Needless to say, I never did find my footing. I went running back to sugar like it was a boyfriend I had broken up with for all the wrong reasons, and now we're talking about getting engaged.

My number one weakness is ice cream, especially during the summer months. I will take all comers, from cookies and cream to strawberry cheesecake to mint chocolate chip. So when Hudsonville (a Michigan-based ice cream company I have loved for years) offered to send me some of their best selling flavors, I had no choice but to say yes.

The Mackinac Island Fudge was a new one for me, and I was an instant fan. It has ribbons of the rich buttery fudge that is the signature treat of Mackinac Island in Michigan. To my mind, this was the perfect ice cream to build a sundae with, because it already had the classic flavor profiles we all know and love, but with more interesting textures. It's not quite chocolate syrup, not quite chocolate flakes, but somewhere perfectly in between.

I was honestly surprised how much I liked the The Traverse City Cherry Fudge. I've never been a big fan of cherry ice creams, as they often have an overly artificial flavor to them and can lean extremely sweet. This one, however, had an amaretto ice cream base, which gave the diced cherry pieces a more sophisticated air. The chocolate wasn't heavy handed either, but was perfectly proportioned so as to make it a co-star and not the main attraction.

Lastly was the classic French Vanilla. As much as I love the flavor of a true, rich vanilla ice cream on it's own, I knew I wanted to find a special use for this one. Since I've always got brunch on the mind, I flashed back to the greasy spoon diners of my youth, who used to serve waffles and pancakes topped with a scoop an vanilla ice cream. I had also been wanting to try my hand had making some souffle pancakes, made internet famous by any number of Japanese cafes, where the locals and tourists wait for hours, just to try their fluffy texture.

Going through my cabinets, I zeroed in on one of  the new Nielsen Massey Organic Extracts. This new line features some of their classic extracts (peppermint, orange, lemon, and almond) with all the flavor and high quality of their other extracts, but now formulated with all organic ingredients. Since I am constantly experimenting with my Nielsen-Massey products, I wanted to give one of these new extracts a trial run. The orange one suddenly jumped out at me and the word, "Creamsicle," floated into place in my brain, like a long awaited block on a Tetras board. Creamsicle Souffle Pancakes. I needed to make them a reality right away.

Creamsicle Souffle Pancakes

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 egg yolks
6 tbsp cake flour (sifted)
1 tbsp of melted butter
1 tbsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste
1 tbsp Nielsen Massey Organic Orange extract
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp melted Hudsonville French Vanilla Ice Cream

Toppings;
Hudsonville French Vanilla Ice Cream
Candied Orange Peel
Orange Blossom Honey

Place all of the egg whites into a medium metal or glass bowl (do not use a plastic bowl!) and set in the fridge to chill until just before ready to use.

In a large bowl, add the egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, orange extract, butter, and melted ice cream. Sift the cake flour into the bowl and stir to combine until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.

Add sugar and cream of tartar to your chilled egg whites, then use a hand mixer to whip until they reach the stiff peak stage. Add one third of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and carefully fold until most of the swirls are gone. Add in the second third and repeat. Add in the last of the egg whites and repeat until completely combined.

Place a non stick skillet over medium heat. To achieve perfectly round, higher pancakes, you can use ring molds sprayed with cooking spray. For a more rustic shape, simply spoon the batter in small globs into the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, then carefully flip the pancakes (they will appear uncooked on top, but this is ok). Cook for another minute, or until both sides are evenly browned.

Plate and serve immediately. Should yield 4-5 pancakes.






Products were supplied to me by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post, but all opinions are my own.

Recipe: Mini Cottage Cheese Cheescakes with Muuna Cottage Cheese

When I was a kid, cottage cheese was one of those things I'd forget I liked. There was always some in the fridge, but my go-to snacks usually involved carbs and sugar and cartoon animals. Then, I'd spy my mom having a few spoonfuls on a Sunday morning and I'd insist on being given some as well, and then I would usually eat it non stop for weeks on end until I once again forgot I loved the stuff. Sometimes we mixed jam into the cottage cheese or crushed pineapple. Once, I slept over at a friend's house and found out that they mixed apple butter into theirs. It was a revelation and to this day is still one of my favorite things to add into cottage cheese.

These days, I'm kind the same way. I forget that cottage cheese is delicious for long swaths of time, then I rediscover it, eat tons of it, and then repeat the cycle. It's a strange thing that I don't entirely understand, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I have to buy the stuff in such large containers. Eventually, I'll finish one off and I just get out of the habit of buying it.

Recently, I was sent three of Muuna Cottage Cheese's new flavors, all of which come in individual cups, sort of like yogurt. I really liked that the serving size was built into this particular cottage cheese, as it spared me from having to guess at how much I wanted to spoon out for myself from those larger containers. The three new flavors were Black Cherry, Raspberry, and Vanilla, all of which I highly approved of. Again, much like a yogurt, the fruit comes at the bottom, ready to be mixed through the extra creamy cottage cheese. This was another advantage over the larger tubs because if I wanted to take some into the office with me for a little protein boost, I didn't have to worry about bringing a jam jar along as well. Even though these were packed with flavor, their sugar levels were still pretty low (9 grams per cup),

Speaking of sugar...

I'd heard about making cheesecake with cottage cheese before, but I'd never tried it myself. I figured that since these cups were already flavored, they might be ideal to give this kind of healthy(ier) dessert a try. I knew I wanted to make the cheesecakes individually sized, just like the cups, and I knew I wanted to give them a chocolate crust. Originally, I wanted to try making the crusts with crushed cereal, but when Trader Joe's failed me (WTF, Trader Joe's at Diversey and Clark? No chocolate cereal? Why?!?!), I picked up a package of brownie crisps instead, and that ended up working out rather well. The result? A surprisingly smooth, light, and flavorful dessert that tastes exactly like it was made with full fat cream cheese!

Definitely pick up some of Muuna's new flavors if you're a fan of cottage cheese, and let me know if you give this recipe a try!

Mini Cottage Cheese Cheesecakes

2 individual cups of Muuna Cottage Cheese, any flavor
1/3 cup of low fat sour cream
1 large egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 package (5 oz) of Brownie Crisps
1/4 a cup of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, crush the brownie crisps as fine as you can get them (you can either smash them in a plastic bag or grind them in a food processor). Add the melted butter to the crumbs and mix well, then distribute them evenly into the bottoms of a non stick muffin tin and press them flat.

Add the cottage cheese and sour cream into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the egg, sugar, and flour, and blend again until the batter is completely mixed.

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the muffin tin cups, filling all the way to the top of each cup. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the filling is no longer jiggly and the cakes are slightly golden around the edges.

Let the cakes cool to room temperature, then refrigerate them over night so that they set completely.

Run a pairing knife dipped in hot water along the sides of the muffin tin to loosen the sides of the cakes, then serve and enjoy.

This recipe should make about a dozen and a half cakes, depending on the size of your muffin pan.


Thank you to Muuna for sending me the cottage cheese free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the brands I partner with.