Mint Slice Cheesecake

 

Today was my last day of work before a little break over Christmas and New Years, I'm very much looking forward to relaxing for a short while. In what's become a bit of a tradition for me I made goodies to gift to the people I work with, this year they each got a Mint Slice Cheesecake. I made the cheesecakes directly into containers instead of pans, which might seem a bit odd, but was easy, safe way to transport them.

 

I made 4 smallish/regular sized cheesecakes and 8 mini cupcake sized cheesecakes using a double batch of the mixture in the recipe below. In the instructions I've included directions to make either one full pie sized cheesecake or a bunch of mini ones from a single batch of filling mixture.

The cheesecakes a festive variation on the cookies and cream idea, with a mild minty flavour added to by the mint slice pieces mixed through the filling. I especially enjoyed the single serve cupcake cheesecakes with  the whole mint cookie base. 

Sadly shortly after taking pictures of the mini ones, I dropped them while trying to fit the container in the fridge. So now I have a box of squished messy cheesecakes, I guess I can't be too sad, at least now I have a great excuse not to share them.

Mint Slice Cheesecake

Chocolate Base
250 grams plain chocolate biscuits (cookies)
120 grams butter (melted)
or
12 mint slice biscuits

Cheesecake Filling
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
375 grams cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
300 mls thick cream
180 grams white chocolate (melted)
200 grams mint slice biscuits (roughly 1 1/2 packets)

Whipped Cream, chocolate, crushed candy canes and sprinkles to decorate.

To make the base- If you are making mini cupcake sized cheesecakes- simply place one mint slice biscuit into the base of a cupcake paper lined pan.

Alternately for a pie sized cheesecake-  In a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and malt and process until combined.

Press the mixture evenly over the base of a pie dish, use the flat bottom of a glass to press evenly.

To make the filling- Roughly chop 200 grams of the mint slice biscuits, a mixture of small and large pieces works well.

In a small heatproof bowl sprinkle the gelatine over the water. Stand the bowl of gelatine mixture over a saucepan of boiling water and stir until the gelatine has melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until smooth.

Beat in the cream until combined, followed by the white chocolate and gelatine mixture.

Stir through the chopped mint slice biscuits.

Spoon the filling over the prepared base and smooth over the top, refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) until set.

Decorate as you like. I piped whipped cream around the edge of the cheesecake and topped it with drizzle of dark chocolate and a bunch of sprinkles or candy cane.

Enjoy!!!

Tim Tam Cheesecake

This is a bit late for Australia day but please don't hold that against me or this cheesecake.

If you only ever try one recipe from my blog please make it this one. Boyfriend and I  both agree that this is the yummiest cheesecake ever, its my favourite thing I've made/eaten in a long while. Basically it's a cookies and cream cheesecake with a special ingredient that makes it extra good. No its not love, its Tim Tams but they're pretty much the same thing. The always awesome Tim Tam is my all time favourite Arnott's biscuit. 

I am a Tim Tam fan from way back! Coming home from school on grocery day was always exciting, Mum would have a cup of tea and Tim Tams waiting for us. There's nothing better than tea or coffee or especially hot chocolate sipped through one of these biscuits. In my eyes there's not much a pack of these chocolate biscuits cant fix.

The cheese filling has a lovely flavour from the white chocolate and vanilla and turned out nice and light, almost fluffy. I was going to try using Tim Tams as the base but wasn't sure how that would go because of the cream filling and chocolate coating. Instead I used plain chocolate biscuits and added some malt powder as the biscuit part of the Tim Tam is slightly malted. Like I said earlier though the real kicker in this cheesecake is the load of Tim Tam pieces through the filling and the tower of crumbled cookies on top. Perfection!

Tim Tam Cheesecake (printable recipe)

Chocolate Base
125 grams plain chocolate biscuits (cookies)
75 grams butter (melted)
1 teaspoon malt powder

Cheesecake Filling
2 teaspoons gelatine
2 tablespoons water
375 grams cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
300 mls thick cream
180 grams white chocolate (melted)
300 grams Tim Tams (roughly 1 1/2 packets)

To make the base- Grease a 8 inch round spring form pan and line with baking paper.

In a food processor, process biscuits until fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and malt and process until combined.

Press the mixture evenly over the base of the tin, use the flat bottom of a glass to press evenly.

To make the filling- Roughly chop 200 grams of the Tim Tams, a mixture of small and large pieces works well.

In a small heatproof bowl sprinkle the gelatine over the water. Stand the bowl of gelatine mixture over a saucepan of boiling water and stir until the gelatine has melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until smooth.

Beat in the cream until combined, followed by the white chocolate and gelatine mixture.

Stir through the chopped Tim Tams.

Spoon the filling over the prepared base and smooth over the top, refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) until set.

Roughly break up the remaining 100 grams of Tim Tams and sprinkle/pile on the top.

Enjoy! (I know we did)

Pineapple Coconut Mini Cheesecakes

At the beginning of the month I posted about a tropical inspired table I set up for my Mum's Birthday, featuring these yummy little cheesecakes. I meant to get the recipe up that week but with a bunch of things on plus getting sick not once but now twice this month I've fallen a bit behind. I'll keep this short and sweet so I can get back to felling sorry for myself. 

With the perfect pairing of pineapple and coconut these little cheesecakes were a big hit. The flavours fresh and summery, perfect now its starting to get a little warmer, and they are super easy to make. 

Pineapple Coconut Mini Cheesecakes (based on recipe from Women'sWeekly Cupcakes Cheesecakes Cookies) for full recipe scroll to the end of post

Cheesecake Base

180 grams plain sweet biscuits (cookies)

2 tablespoons coconut

70 grams butter melted

To make the bases- Line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake papers or cling wrap. I tried half of each. 

Add the biscuits, coconut and melted butter into a food processor, process until combined.

Press a large tablespoon of mixture into the each pan to make the bases. Refrigerate for half an hour.

Cheesecake Filling

2 tablespoons water

250 grams cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup cream

1/4 cup malibu or 1 teaspoon coconut flavouring

To make the filling- in a small bowl sprinkle the powdered gelatine the water, stand the bowl of gelatine over a small saucepan of simmering water until dissolved, set aside to cool.

Add the cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl, mix together until smooth, beat in the cream. Mix in the Malibu (or coconut flavouring) and continue beat adding the gelatine in a steady stream.

Divide the filling between the 12 pans and smooth over the tops. Allow the cheesecakes to set in the fridge overnight.

Before serving top each of the cheesecakes with the pineapple and a little syrup.

Pineapple Topping

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 small pineapple 

For the pineapple topping- Cut the 1/4 pineapple in half lengthways and cut into thin slices.

Add the juice and pineapple to a medium frying pan.

Simmer the pineapple and jiuce for about 10 minutes until the pineapple is soft. Remove the pineapple from the pan leaving the juice. Continue simmering the juice until it thickens slightly, this will take about 5 minutes. Allow the pineapple and juice to cool before topping the cheesecakes.

Pineapple and Coconut Mini Cheesecakes

Cheesecake Base

180 grams plain sweet biscuits (cookies)

2 tablespoons coconut

70 grams butter melted

• Line a 12 hole muffin pan with cupcake papers or cling wrap. I tried half of each. 
• Add the biscuits, coconut and melted butter into a food processor, process until combined.
• Press a large tablespoon of mixture into the each pan to make the bases. Refrigerate for half an hour.

Cheesecake Filling

2 tablespoons water

250 grams cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 cup cream

1/4 cup malibu or 1 teaspoon coconut flavouring

•  In a small bowl sprinkle the powdered gelatine the water, stand the bowl of gelatine over a small saucepan of simmering water until dissolved, set aside to cool.
• Add the cream cheese and sugar into a mixing bowl, mix together until smooth, beat in the cream. Mix in the Malibu (or coconut flavouring) and continue beat adding the gelatine in a steady stream.
• Divide the filling between the 12 pans and smooth over the tops. Allow the cheesecakes to set in the fridge overnight.
• Before serving top each of the cheesecakes with the pineapple and a little syrup.

Pineapple Topping

1 cup pineapple juice

1/4 small pineapple 

•  Cut the 1/4 pineapple in half length ways and cut into thin slices.
• Add the juice and pineapple to a medium frying pan.
• Simmer the pineapple and juice for about 10 minutes until the pineapple is soft. 
• Remove the pineapple from the pan leaving the juice. Continue simmering the juice until it thickens slightly, this will take about 5 minutes.
•  Allow the pineapple and juice to cool before topping the cheesecakes.

Tropical Hibiscus Birthday Cake

Happy Birthday Mum!

For about a year Mum has been putting hours and hours a week into planning, building and planting a display garden adjacent to her plant nursery and the results are pretty amazing. She has created a garden paradise of winding paths, beautiful tropical plants, ponds and little siting nooks, available for anyone to freely wander around and enjoy. 

For Mum's Birthday I wanted to celebrate all her efforts and encourage her to stop and enjoy the beautiful space she has created, something she rarely has time to do.

It took me quite a while to come up with a theme for Mum's birthday, but as soon as I decided to hold it in the gardens the ideas came easily. I settled on a tropical theme to compliment the style of plants, with hibiscus flowers (one of Mum's favourites) as the main feature.

Sticking with the theme, I made desserts with fresh fruity flavours. The Birthday cake was a lemon lime white chocolate mudcake, with a super yummy lemon lime white chocolate ganache, decorated with fondant hibiscus flowers. The cake recipe is one of my favourites, I blogged about it back in April and was very happy for a reason to make it again. On the table there were also pink and yellow hibiscus sugar cookies and some mini coconut and pineapple cheesecakes, I'll share the recipe for them a little later in the week.

The mango white chocolate and macadamia balls were a great find from the Noosa Chocolate Factory stall at the Jan Powers Farmers Markets. I actually had to go back to the markets for these two weeks in a row  because we ate all the ones meant for Mum's Birthday.

My little niece was a big fan of the hibiscus cookies and she thought the mango white chocolate balls were pretty delicious too. 

Most Importantly Mum loved everything too.

If you are interested in the nursery or just want to take a look at the gardens, please do. The latest project at Lagoon View Nursery and Gardens is a cute little cafe, something I'm very excited about, It will be opening in a few weeks time. Feel free to bring a picnic or if you'd like to have your own party in the gardens just give them a call.