Mini Peppermint Cheesecakes

It's been a while since I've used my mini cheesecake pan. I meant to use it for Thanksgiving but never got around to it. That tends to happen a lot around here lately. I wonder why ;) Ok, I do know why- it's because we have an adorable almost 3 month old that loves attention and being held! Most days when I try to make something he'll sit happily in his bouncer or sleep in the Bjorn while I scurry around like a mad woman. He's so sweet and patient... and very observant. Other days he demands my full attention and wants to play elsewhere, which I am perfectly ok with! This past Tuesday he was content just hanging out in the kitchen so I got to work. I started by making an Oreo crust for the base, then a standard sour cream cheesecake for the filling. Then I added peppermint extract and a heaping scoop of peppermint baking chips and mini semisweet chocolate chips to give these their flavor. For the finishing touch I piped on homemade whipped cream and topped them with Candy Cane Kisses. They were perfect- a triple threat of sorts! Creamy, chocolatey and pepperminty. So very good!!!

Mini Peppermint Cheesecakes

Ingredients

Oreo Crust:

14 Oreo cookie halves (or 7 cookies with the filling removed)

1½ tbsp. melted butter

1½ tsp. sugar

Pinch of salt

Peppermint Cheesecake:

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

¼ c. sugar

1 (8 oz) package original cream cheese, room temperature

¼ c. sour cream, room temperature

¼ c. heavy whipping cream, room temperature

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. peppermint extract

pinch of salt

⅓ c. Andes peppermint baking chips

⅓ c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Whipped Cream:

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

½ c. heavy whipping cream, chilled

¹⁄₈ tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

12 Candy Cane Kisses for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray mini cheesecake pan* generously with baking spray.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind all ingredients for crust, except for the melted butter. The mixture should resemble slightly coarse crumbs. Remove mixture and pour melted butter over. Mix until crumbs are wet. Press evenly into the bottom of each hole. Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, salt, vanilla, and peppermint extract until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, heavy cream, mix, then add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add flour and mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in peppermint & chocolate chips. Pour mixture into cooled crusts, dividing evenly.

4. Place cheesecakes in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours (note: the cheesecakes will sink a little, this is normal).

5. To make the whipped cream, in the bowl of a stand mixer (preferably chilled) fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together all ingredients for approximately 2 minutes- cover and chill until needed.

6. To assemble, remove cheesecakes from pan and remove bottom plates. Pipe with whipped cream and top with kisses. Serve immediately!

NOTE: Although I've never tried making these in a cupcake tin, my recommendation would be to line the pan, double the crust and filling, and increase the bake time to 25-30 minutes (just wiggle the pan to be sure they are set before removing them from the oven).

Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 12 mini cheesecakes *using the Chicago Metallic Pan

Mini Pumpkin Loaves

Now that the weather has finally cooled off a bit, I'm in full fall baking mode (as much as I can be with a one month old strapped to me 24/7)! As you can probably tell, I'm a bit obsessed with pumpkin. Unfortunately for me Stephen isn't wild about it. So usually I make smaller portioned recipes or give away most of the pumpkin goodies I make. This time around I decided to make miniature pumpkin bread loaves and mix in my favorite toppings. With so much variety you really can't go wrong! I kept all of these beauties to myself, snacking on them throughout the day and eating them throughout the rest of the week. I think the flavor gets better and better as the days pass, the sweet spiciness of the bread becomes more vibrant. Now if you don't want to make so many different kinds, don't worry, you can do what you please, or if you don't have or want to use a mini loaf pan, you can aways bake the batter in a 9x5" pan which yields one standard size loaf. No matter what you decided to put in these or how you decided to bake them, I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I did!

Mini Pumpkin Loaves
Ingredients
1¾ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. sugar
½ c. brown sugar, packed
⅓ c. water
¼ c. oil
¼ c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Optional toppings:
chocolate chips

butterscotch chips

cranberries

cinnamon & sugar

chopped pecans

chopped walnuts

pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a miniature loaf pan* or one 9x5 inch loaf pan with baking spray. Lightly dust with flour, remove any excess by patting it upside down over the sink or a garbage can, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together applesauce, oil, and sugars. Mix until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, water, and vanilla, mix until smooth. Add in one egg at a time, mixing after each addition.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Now you can either mix in the "toppings" or actually put them on top, the choice is yours.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan, if desired, sprinkle additional toppings over the batter. Place in oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or 50-60 minutes for one standard loaf. The tops should be slightly dark, but should not be burnt! They will spring back after touched. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 20 minutes (or 45 for a standard loaf) before removing. Allow to cool on a wire rack for an additional 30 minutes before eating.

*NOTE: I used the Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch® Nonstick Mini Loaf Pan, if you are using larger mini loaf pans, please adjust the baking time as needed.
Adapted from allrecipes.com, Pumpkin Bread | Makes (8) 3"x4" miniature loaves or (1) 9"x5" loaf

GIVEAWAY: Mini Cheesecake Pan

Ahh! I can't believe we've reached 1,000+ fans on Facebook!!!
In celebration I'd like to give one lucky reader one of my favorite pans- the Chicago Metallic® 12 Cup Mini Cheesecake Pan. In case you don't know... I'm kind of obsessed with miniature cheesecakes! I've made Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes,  Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crusts, Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes, and Mini Coconut Lime Cheesecakes. They've all turned out beautifully thanks to this pan!

If you were to win, what kind of miniature cheesecakes would you bake up?

Just follow the guidelines below and check back on Monday, May 20th to see who won!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Funfetti Cupcakes

Looking for a last minute Easter treat? Well you're in the right place! This afternoon I decided to whip up a batch of homemade funfetti cupcakes- my favorite! I don't make them very often (mainly because of the amount of sprinkles that go into them), but when I do, I really enjoy them! As soon as they came out of the oven I couldn't help but taste test a mini one. They were perfectly moist and tender inside. I decided to frost mine with a vanilla buttercream and colored it green for a "grassy" look. Because I had some extra mini Cadbury creme eggs laying around I pressed a few into the frosting to finish them off. I think Starburst jelly beans would be really cute too or even a chocolate bunny! Enjoy and Happy Easter!!!

Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. cake flour
¾ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
¼ c. sour cream
¾ c. whole milk
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
¼ tsp. almond extract
½ c. rainbow jimmies

"Grassy" vanilla buttercream:
3½ - 4 c. powdered sugar
16 tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 tbsp. heavy cream
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
green food coloring (optional)

Garnish options:
Mini Cadbury eggs
Jelly bean eggs
Mini chocolate Lindt bunnies
Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard cupcake pans (or three minis) with liners, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla bean paste and almond extract. With mixing speed on low, add egg, then egg yolk, mixing until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup mix together sour cream and milk. With mixing speed on low, alternate dry and wet ingredients, mix until batter is smooth and homogeneous (being careful not to over mix).
4. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in sprinkles. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (8-12 for minis) or until the cupcakes spring back when touched and are slightly golden brown on top.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 25 minutes).
6. While cupcakes are cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter, salt, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy (2-3 minutes). With mixing speed on low, add heavy cream, then gradually add ½ c. powdered sugar at a time until the mixture becomes soft but firm enough to hold it's shape. Add food coloring (as little or as much as you want until it reaches a shade you like, I went for more of a pastel), beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Pipe on cooled cupcakes as desired. Garnish with festive candies or sprinkles.
Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, Homemade Funfetti Cake | Makes approximately 36 mini cupcakes or 18 standard size cupcakes

Mini Carrot Cake Loaves with Baked Cream Cheese Topping

I love carrot cake. Yes it can be hit or miss, but for the most part as long as raisins (and pineapple) are out of the picture, I'll gobble it up at any given chance! Since Easter is just around the corner I thought I'd make myself some little loaves to snack on over the next few days. Instead of topping them with a fresh cream cheese frosting, I opted for a cheesecake-like batter that would go on top prior to baking. I'm not a big frosting fan (I find it a little too sweet, especially for breads) but I love the texture of cheesecake, so it turned out to be a really good last minute decision! They baked evenly and the topping was perfectly set. I could't resist grabbing one and munching on it while I finished cleaning up the kitchen!

Mini Carrot Cake Loaves with Baked Cream Cheese Topping

Ingredients

1½ c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

⅓ c. oil

2 tbsp. applesauce

1 c. grated carrot*

2 eggs

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg

1½ tsp. vanilla

¼ c. walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

Cream cheese topping:

8 oz. (1 block) original cream cheese, room temperature

¼ c. powdered sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. vanilla bean paste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray and flour an 8-well mini loaf pan or 1 standard loaf pan, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugars, oil, applesauce and vanilla. With mixing speed on low, beat in one egg at a time. Add the grated carrot and mix until just combined.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped walnuts. With mixing speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
4. In a medium size mixing bowl (using a hand mixer or a sturdy spatula) beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg, salt and vanilla bean paste until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
5. Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared pan, then top with cream cheese mixture, making sure to spread evenly across the batter. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or about 1 hour for a loaf). The cream cheese should be lightly browned on top, and yes, it will crack! Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 30 minutes (longer for a large loaf). Remove from pan and allow to cool for 15 more minutes before serving.

*When grating the carrot use the bigger holes, this will help prevent the carrots from becoming mushy and juicy.

NOTE: I used my Goldtouch® nonstick mini loaf pan from Williams-Sonoma. 

Created using a Stephen + Natalie family recipe | Makes approximately 8 mini loaves or 1 standard size loaf

Mini Coconut Lime Cheesecakes

A few weeks ago I shared this recipe over at Lil' Luna and now it's time to share it with all of you! One of my favorite spring time flavor combinations is lime and coconut, it's sweet, zesty and refreshing! So I thought that I'd combine those flavors into delicious mini cheesecakes. I started off by using a toasted coconut graham cracker crust, filling it with a zesty cheesecake base, adding a swirl of lime curd and topping it off with coconut-infused whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes. Let me tell you, these were heavenly, and my husband agreed! I think this would be a great summer recipe too, especially served up with some toasted coconut ice cream or fresh lime sherbert. Mmm, I can't wait for summer!

Mini Coconut Lime Cheesecakes

Lime Curd:

Ingredients

4 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. sugar

2 eggs

5 tbsp. lime juice

2 drops green food coloring

1 drop yellow food coloring

Coconut Graham Cracker Crust:
Ingredients
5 graham crackers
2 tsp. sugar
4 tbsp. toasted coconut
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Zesty Cheesecake:
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 (8 oz) package original cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. sour cream, room temperature
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lime zest
pinch of salt

Coconut Whipped Cream:
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream, chilled
1/8 tsp. coconut oil (or more to liking)
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Begin by making the lime curd. In a small mixing bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, eggs and lime juice. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth (there may be small chunks, that's ok). Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook mixture until it begins to thicken- it should reach 170 degrees on a digital thermometer. Remove from heat, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator to cool completely.
2. Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray mini cheesecake pan generously with baking spray. While curd is cooling, in a food processor, grind up graham crackers, sugar and coconut flakes until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Remove and add in butter. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each well of the mini cheesecake pan and press firmly. Place into oven and bake for 6-8 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, lime zest and salt until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add vanilla, heavy cream, mix, then add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add flour and mix until just combined. Pour mixture into cooled crusts, dividing evenly.
4. Remove lime curd from refrigerator and add food coloring, mix until incorporated. Add about 3/4 tsp. of curd to the top of each mini cheesecake. Swirl gently. Place cheesecakes in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours (note: the cheesecakes will sink a little, this is normal).
5. To make the whipped cream, in the bowl of a stand mixer (preferably chilled) fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together all ingredients for 2 minutes- cover and chill until needed.
6. To assemble, remove cheesecakes from pan and remove bottom plates. Pipe with whipped cream and sprinkle with lime zest. Serve immediately!
NOTE: Although I've never tried making these in a cupcake tin, my recommendation would be to double the crust and filling and increase the bake time to 25-30 minutes (just wiggle the pan to be sure they are set before removing them from the oven).
Recipe inspired by Sprinkle Bakes, Key Lime Cheesecake Bars | Makes approximately 12 mini cheesecakes

Mini Sparkling Cider Cupcakes

For as long as I can remember when the ball dropped and the clock struck midnight, we'd crack open a few bottles of Martinelli's and sip to the new year. This year Stephen and I started a little early. I found miniature bottles of Martinelli's sparkling cider at the store and decided that they had to come home with me. On Sunday we drank a few and I poured a little into the vanilla cupcakes I was making. I've heard of Sprite cupcakes so I figured the cider would be just as good if not better. Turns out that it made little difference in the taste and texture of the cupcake, but it was still fun to experiment! I topped these minis with a vanilla bean buttercream spiked with sparkling cider and finished them off with sugar pearls. Everyone loved these festive little cupcakes! P.S. Thanks again to all of you readers/loyal followers- you have inspired me and have given me the extra push to be a better blogger! Thank you, thank you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for us!

Mini Sparkling Cider Cupcakes

Ingredients

1½ c. cake flour

1 c. sugar

½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 eggs

½ c. buttermilk

¼ c. sparkling cider

1¾ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. vanilla bean paste

For the sparkling vanilla frosting:

3-4 c. powdered sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 tbsp. whole milk

3 tbsp. sparking cider

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three miniature muffin or cupcake tins with liners. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. 

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt. With mixing speed on low, alternate between adding wet ingredients (buttermilk and cider) and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

4. Scoop batter into prepared pans, filling each ⅔ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they become lightly golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pans for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

5. While cupcakes are cooling, to prepare the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together butter for 1 minute until smooth. Add vanilla extract and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, with mixing speed on low, add milk and sparking cider. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy (it should be relatively stiff). Add more powdered sugar if needed.

NOTE: This recipe can make standard size cupcakes, just adjust the baking time to 18-20 minutes.

Adapted from Sur La Table, Mini Vanilla Cupcakes | Makes approximately 30 mini cupcakes