Red Velvet Mini Cheesecakes

id="recipetitle"class="fn">Red Velvet Mini Cheesecakes

Today I got my annual raise and bonus! Merry Christmas to me indeed. What better way to celebrate than with a frozen pizza all alone on a Friday night. Shit I'm awesome. At least I had some baking to get done for my synchro teams. I decided to make a batch of shortbread cookies as a gift for the Pre-Novice Team whom I "mentor" once a week. Then I decided to try making these beauties for the Open Team Christmas party.

Terrible picture. Fear not, I'm getting a digital SLR for Christmas.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 packages cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons red food coloring
3 eggs

whipped cream for garnish


DIRECTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with baking cups. Combine the melted butter and the cookie crumbs. The original recipe called for "crushed thin chocolate wafer cookies". This is what I said:

So, I knew that I could get Oreo baking crumbs in the baking aisle and that is what I did. Press the crumb mixture into each baking cup with the back of a spoon. There was enough for precisely 17 cheesecakes lol.

2) On medium speed, mix the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and the cocoa powder. Mix until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and red food coloring. Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended.

3) Fill each baking cup with the mixture until almost full. Get this, I used a soup ladle to fill the cups. I come up with some seriously genius ideas, hence the raise.

4) Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are firm. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Serve with whipped cream on top.

  

I always sample my baking before subjecting other people to it. This was my reaction after taking one bite of this cheesecake.