Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

These Mini Oreo Cheesecakes are a super quick and easy cheesecake dessert. They’re made with an Oreo cookie bottom, a creamy Oreo cheesecake filling and are topped with sweetened sour cream and more Oreo cookies.

Servings: 12 Mini Oreo cheesecakes (or 24 mini-muffin sized ones)

Equipment

1 12 ct. muffin pan

12 muffin liners

1 large mixing bowl

1 electric mixer, whisk or flexible spatula for mixing

Ingredients

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

12 oz. (339 g) cream cheese, room temperature (blocks, not in a tub)

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, room temperature

2 large eggs (US), room temperature

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

½ cup Oreo cookies, crushed (about 4 whole Oreo cookies)

12 whole Oreo cookies

Mini Oreo Cheesecake Topping

½ cup (120 g) sour cream

1 tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ cup Oreo cookies, crushed or coarsely chopped for topping about 4 whole Oreo cookies

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 12 ct. muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on low until smooth. On low, beat in the sugar for about 2 minutes. The texture of the cream cheese will become smoother as the sugar works into the cream cheese. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.

3. With the mixer on low, beat in each egg until well combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl if needed. Do not overmix the filling once the eggs are added in. Stir in the crushed Oreo cookies until well combined. I like to do this step by hand.

4. Place a whole Oreo cookie at the bottom of each cupcake liner. Fill each cupcake well with filling.

5. Bake the mini Oreo cheesecake cupcakes for 14 - 16 minutes.

6. Remove the muffin pan to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and transfer the mini Oreo cheesecakes to the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours.

7. When it’s time to serve the Oreo cheesecake bites, make the sweetened sour cream topping. In a small mixing bowl, stir the sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract together until well combined.

8. Top each of the mini Oreo cheesecakes with a dollop of sweetened sour cream and more crushed Oreo cookies.

Homemade Cake Pops

Ingredients

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk)

Frosting

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 and 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

2–3 teaspoons heavy cream or whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coating

24 ounces candy melts (or white chocolate bars)*

sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a

medium bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk

attachment, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until creamed, about 2

minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined. Scrape

down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the dry ingredients and milk to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix on low

speed until combined. Give the thick batter a quick stir with a spatula to ensure there

are no large lumps at the bottom of the bowl. Pour and spread the batter evenly into the

prepared pan. Bake for 30–36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes

out clean. If the top begins browning too quickly in the oven, loosely tent with a piece of

aluminum foil.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.

Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment,

beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’

sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and mix on low speed to combine. Increase to

high speed and beat for 3 full minutes.

Crumble the cooled cake into the bowl on top of the frosting. Make sure there are no

large lumps. Turn the mixer on low speed and beat the frosting and cake crumbles

together until combined.

Scoop 1 Tablespoon (about 20g) of cake/frosting mixture and roll into a ball. Place balls

on a lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or freeze for 1 hour to set the shape.

Re-roll the chilled cake pop balls to smooth out, if needed. Place the tray back into the

fridge, as you’ll only work with a couple at a time.

Melt the chocolate or candy melts in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (best for dunking!) in

the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment, until melted and

smooth. You can also use a double boiler on the stove, if you prefer.

Coat the cake balls: Remove just 2 or 3 cake balls from the refrigerator at a time. Dip

the end of a lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into the coating, then insert the coated end into

the center of the cake ball. Only push it about halfway through the cake ball. Dip the

cake ball into the coating until it is completely covered. Make sure the coating covers

the base of the cake ball where it meets the lollipop stick. Very gently tap the stick

against the edge of the measuring cup to allow excess coating to drip off. Decorate the

top with sprinkles and place upright into a styrofoam block or box (as explained in the

blog post). Repeat with remaining cake balls, working with just a few out of the

refrigerator at a time. The cake balls must be very cold when dipping!

Coating will set within an hour. Store cake pops in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.



Make Ahead Instructions: Make the cake 1 day ahead of time. Cover and keep

at room temperature. You can store the undipped cake balls in the refrigerator for up to

2 days or freeze them for up to 6 weeks. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator, then continue

with step 9. You can also freeze the finished cake pops for up to 6 weeks once the

coating has fully set. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.


Coating: You can use candy coating/candy melts, or chopped white chocolate. I

typically use Ghirardelli brand white chocolate melting wafers. Semi-sweet, bittersweet,

or milk chocolate baking bars work, too. Coarsely chop the chocolate and place it in a

microwave-safe bowl or glass liquid measuring cup, along with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable

oil to help thin it out. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each 20

seconds, until melted and smooth. Keep warm over a double boiler.

Spatchcock Chicken

Ingredients

Ingredients for Spatchcock Chicken Recipe:
4 1/4 lb whole chicken *
1/2 tsp salt (we used sea salt)
1/8 tsp black pepper

Ingredients for Flavored Butter:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
1 Tbsp olive oil plus more to drizzle
1 Tbsp parsley finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt plus more for vegetables
1/8 tsp black pepper

Ingredients for 1-Pan Chicken Dinner:
2 lbs medium red potatoes scrubbed and quartered
3 medium carrots peeled and quartered
8 oz Brussels sprouts trimmed and halved

Instructions

(Preheat oven to 425˚F after step 4). Place chicken breast-side down with the wings/ neck facing towards you. To remove the spine, use kitchen shears to cut through the ribs right next to the spine along both sides. Open rib cage and use a heavy knife to score down the sternum. This will help pop out the breast bone and flatten chicken. Season inside the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper.

Flip the chicken over breast side up and set on parchment-lined, rimmed baking half sheet. Using the palm of your hand, push firmly over the breast bone forcing the chicken to lay completely flat. Use your thumbs to separate the skin from the meat over breast, thigh and drumstick areas.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flavored butter ingredients. Mash with fork for a couple of minutes until lemon juice is mostly incorporated into butter.

Spread 2/3 of mixture under the chicken skin and and dot/spread remaining butter all over chicken.

Place prepared vegetables all around the chicken and drizzle everything with olive oil. Sprinkle chicken and vegetables generously with salt and some black pepper to taste.

Bake uncovered at 425˚F for 45 min or until instant read thermometer reads 160˚F when inserted into thickest part of chicken breast**. Remove form oven and rest uncovered 10 minutes on a cutting board before serving.

Recipe Notes
*Allow the raw chicken to sit at room temp for 30 min before using for even baking.
**Don't over-bake or the breast will be dry. Keep in mind internal temp will rise another 5-10 degrees after it comes out of oven.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

Great on Caesar Salads!

Ingredients

½ of a lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts


Instructions

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 

Whisk it well to combine.
Place the chicken in a zippered plastic storage bag. Pour the marinade over the top. 

Press out as much air as you can and seal the bag. Use your hands to move the chicken around in the bag until it is well coated with marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour or for up to 8 hours.

Grill the chicken on your outdoor or stovetop grill for approximately 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F when checked with an instant read thermometer. If using thicker pieces of chicken, cooking time will increase. If preferred, the chicken can be cooked in a little olive oil heated in a skillet on the stove.

Transfer grilled chicken to a cutting board and slice into small strips (approximately 3-inches or so).

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

 Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) packaged cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add vanilla, mixing well.

2. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. 

3. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh cranberries that have been coated in 1 T. of flour. 

4. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan.

5. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

(Can also make 8 mini-loaves.)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

100g sourdough starter (active and bubbly) (1/2 cup)
200g pumpkin puree (1 cup)
25g maple syrup (1 3/4 T.)
240g filtered water (1 cup)
500g bread flour (3.5 cups)
12g salt (2.1 tsp.)

For the cinnamon sugar swirl:

4g cinnamon (1.5 tsp.)
5g pumpkin pie spice (2 tsp)
87g sugar (1/3 cup)


Instructions

Same day (counter ferment) baking schedule: Feed your starter the night before to allow it to become active and bubbly (I like to do it as late as possible, right before going to bed).
Around 6-7am the day you want to make your loaf: In a large bowl, weigh out your starter, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup. Mix together until smooth.

Add your flour and salt to the pumpkin mixture. Mix for a minute or so with a wooden spoon to help get the mixing started, then finish mixing with clean hands until everything is well combined. Dough will be shaggy and a bit sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel.
Let covered dough sit for 2 hours. During this 2 hours, perform a stretch and fold every 30 minutes, for a total of 4 stretch and folds.
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 4-5 hours to allow to double in size.
After dough has doubled in size, make your cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside. Turn dough out onto a clean and floured work surface.
Stretch dough out as much as you can, without tearing, into a large rectangle.

Sprinkle about 1/2 of your cinnamon sugar mixture over this rectangle.

Perform a letter fold: Fold one long side of your rectangle into the center. Repeat this fold with the other side of your rectangle. Roll the dough from the bottom into itself, sprinkling more cinnamon sugar mixture each time you fold the dough (see images above for visuals).

Pull the ball of dough toward you, then gently push forward. Repeat this a few times to continue building tension and shaping your dough into a smooth ball. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
Repeat the letter shaping process, only this time much more gently and only stretching the dough the slightest bit each time you fold. Gently push and bowl dough again into a smooth ball, then use a bench scraper to turn dough over into a lined and floured proofing basket, seam side up.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to let dough rest and continue rising.

In the last hour of refrigeration, preheat your oven to 450°F with your cast iron pot.
Remove dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with flour. Flour the top of your loaf. Score your loaf with some shallow cuts and one deep “C” score. Carefully place into your preheated pot/bread oven. Cover pot and bake for 35 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking another 5-10 minutes, until crust begins to brown.
Allow loaf to completely cool before slicing and enjoying!
Overnight refrigeration bulk ferment schedule:Feed your starter as early as possible in the morning to allow it to become active and bubbly.
Sometime between 12pm-2pm the day before you want to make your loaf: In a large bowl, weigh out your starter, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup. Mix together until smooth.
Add your flour and salt to the pumpkin mixture. Mix for a minute or so with a wooden spoon to help get the mixing started, then finish mixing with clean hands until everything is well combined. Dough will be shaggy and a bit sticky. Cover with a kitchen towel.
Let covered dough sit for 2 hours. During this 2 hours, perform a stretch and fold every 30 minutes, for a total of 4 stretch and folds.
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight to allow dough to about double in size.

The following morning, between 6-9am: Make your cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside. Turn dough out onto a clean and floured work surface.
Stretch dough out as much as you can, without tearing, into a large rectangle.
Sprinkle about 1/2 of your cinnamon sugar mixture over this rectangle.
Perform a letter fold: Fold one long side of your rectangle into the center. Repeat this fold with the other side of your rectangle. Roll the dough from the bottom into itself, sprinkling more cinnamon sugar mixture each time you fold the dough (see images above for visuals).
Pull the ball of dough toward you, then gently push forward. Repeat this a few times to continue building tension and shaping your dough into a smooth ball. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes.
Repeat the letter shaping process, only this time much more gently and only stretching the dough the slightest bit each time you fold. Gently push and bowl dough again into a smooth ball, then use a bench scraper to turn dough over into a lined and floured proofing basket, seam side up.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to let dough rest and continue rising.
In the last hour of refrigeration, preheat your oven to 450°F with your cast iron pot.

Remove dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with flour. Flour the top of your loaf. Score your loaf with some shallow cuts and one deep “C” score. Carefully place into your preheated pot/bread oven. Cover pot and bake for 35 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking another 5-10 minutes, until crust begins to brown.
Allow loaf to completely cool before slicing and enjoying!

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Ingredients

100g active sourdough starter (1/2 cup)
300g water (1 1/4 cup)
60g honey (1/4 cuo)
20g extra virgin olive oil (1.5 T.)
500g all-purpose flour (4 cups)
10g sea salt (1 3/4 tsp.)

Instructions

Mix water and starter in a large bowl. Add honey, extra virgin olive oil, flour and salt.

Mix with together with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until combined. Continue mixing by hand until all the flour has been absorbed.

Cover and let the dough rest for 35-40 minutes.

Stretch and fold the dough by stretching 4 inches then pushing it down the middle and turning 1/4 until you make a circle. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Perform another stretch and fold series then cover completely and put in the fridge for a slow rise and bull fermentation.

Spray or grease your loaf pan. Lightly flour your counter top. Remove the dough from the bowl, gently stretching it into a rectangle. Roll up dough into a log shape and place in loaf pan. Cover with a towel and let it sit for 5-7 hours at room temp. (Or overnight. Can also be refrigerated to slow proof.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Enjoy!