I love cheesecake – who doesn’t? The real thing takes a long time to make, however, and it can be very expensive with particular ingredients. That’s why this recipe is perfect – it’s less complicated and less expensive with the same great flavor. Simple to make, beautiful to serve, perfectly portioned, these cheesecakes make the very best party food.
To make cookie cheesecakes, preheat your oven to 350 and prep 24 muffin tins with paper or foil liners.
Mix:
- 2 packages of softened cream cheese, 8 oz. each
- 1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
- 2 t. vanilla
- 2 eggs
Into each muffin tin, place 1 cookie portion of a prepared dough; for example, 1 breakaway square of Nestle’s chocolate chip cookie dough.
I personally like sugar or chocolate chip the best. If you use chocolate chip, you may want to bake them for a minute or two less than what is directed as they can get a bit crispy.
Bake the cookie dough until it spreads across the bottom of the liners, about 10-12 minutes.
Immediately pour about 3 T of the cream cheese mixture over the cookies and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and remove each cookie-filled liner from the tin. Cool completely.
Here’s where you can be creative. The original recipe calls for cherry pie filling as a topper, but I’m not a cherry fan, so I like to top mine with fresh fruit.
For a decadent twist, use chocolate chip cookie dough, then top the cooled cheesecakes with a teaspoon of strawberry jelly, a fresh strawberry slice, and decorate with whipped cream and a chocolate chip.
For a lighter, more delicate flavor, use a sugar cookie dough and top the cooled cheesecakes with a teaspoon of peach jelly, a slice of fresh peach, and whipped cream to finish it off.
If you want a more stunning visual display, pipe on the whipped cream and remove the papers prior to serving. The paper comes off easily and flutes the edges of the cakes, making it look as if you’ve spent hours in the kitchen – when in reality this dessert comes together in minutes!
