Mini Cheesecakes

7/8/18

I had some goat cheese left over in the fridge which I really wanted to use, so I went through the internet searching for recipes that use goat cheese. I found a couple that sounded delicious including these https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/goat-cheese-cheesecake-bites. Unfortunately I didn’t have any phyllo shells, so I figured I’d look for something else.

Obviously I got distracted and started searching other recipes that had nothing to do with goat cheese, like tapas and no-bake summer desserts. I ended up finding a recipe for some marshmallow fluff graham cracker thing, but I didn’t have any marshmallow fluff. (The page with the recipe on it doesn’t seem to be up anymore, but my recipe will be down below). So, badabing badaboom, I had an idea.

    It doesn’t happen very often, I know.

    But I decided to mash the two recipes together. I’ll admit that the end product was messy, and only my mom and I liked it (dad thought it had too much peanut butter, and Zoe thought it still tasted like goat’s cheese - which she doesn’t like). So feel free to add less peanut butter or get creative and try subbing things out. I mean, the whole recipe came from me subbing things out, so I figure it can only get better the more you do it.

Goat Cheese-cake

           

Ingredients                       

• 1 1/4 cups graham-cracker crumbs about 3/4 of a packet
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter    
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup sugar                                    
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                    
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon optional

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (adjustable based on how sweet you want it)
• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or just normal yoghurt)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces goat cheese, softened!
• Blueberry or strawberry preserves

Instructions                   

1. Put your graham crackers into a plastic bag and roll over them with a heavy rolling pin to crush them as small as you can. Put in a bowl with the peanut butter, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Everything will come together to form a stable “dough”… hopefully. Just keep adding crackers and peanut butter until you get it right. Maybe put it in the fridge to make it a bit firmer.
2. Combine powdered sugar, yogurt, vanilla, and goat cheese; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. You can leave it going while you work on the next step.
3. Mold the “dough” into little cup shaped crusts. Get the sides as high as you can without making them thin and full of holes.
4. Spoon filling into each crust. Add jam or fresh fruit.

“Pro” tips, random comments, and substitution suggestions

Keep the final product in the fridge: pretty intuitive, just do it.

My goat cheese was already flavoured - cranberry cinnamon - so I didn’t add jam, just a blueberry atop each one. Do with that info what you will.

Try to make time to soften your goat cheese. I didn’t, and I think my sis got a lump of it in her mini cheesecake, which was not what I wanted to happen. I think she would have liked it better if the cheese was more integrated and more sugar was added - she also suggests using cream cheese instead.

As an alternative to peanut butter you could try almond butter, or if you have sweet tooth: Nutella. If you try Nutella, I would guess that you wouldn’t be needing the extra sugar/maple syrup. I’m not worried about how messy Nutella would be, since the original was already really messy, and I think it’s mostly about the taste at this point. Anyone who is allergic to nuts, I assume you already know the standard replacements for peanut butter.

    Oreos instead of graham crackers and peanut butter. The frosting would hold the crumbs together, although it might need a little help.

    Freeze it? I don’t think this would work, but I think that the crust would hold up better if it was frozen.