Mini Mint Chocolate Oreo Cheesecakes

These Mini Chocolate Oreo Cheesecakes are easy to make and delicious with just the right amount of mint flavour! The lovely things about these cheesecakes is that they are easy to out together and even easier to share in their cute mini state. Plus, they are so mini, you can totally have like two or three!

Ingredients:

Crust

• 200g Oreo crumbs
• 40g butter, melted

Cheesecake filling

• 340g cream cheese, room temperature 
• 100g sugar
• 25g flour
• 115g sour cream
• 2 tsp mint extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 140g chopped Mint Oreos
• green gel colour

Chocolate Whipped Cream

• 180ml double cream
• 25g icing sugar
• 15g cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

 o

Crust: Preheat oven to 160ºC/140ºC for fan oven. Add cupcakes liners to a cupcake pan.

Combine the oreo crumbs and melted butter. Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners (about 1½ to 2 tablesppons per cup) and press into the bottoms.

Bake crusts for 8 minutes then remove from oven. Allow to cool while you make the filling.

Cheesecake filling and topping: In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until combined (use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

Add the sour cream.mint extract and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Gently fold in the chopped Mint Oreos. Add some green gel colour to get a nice shade of green if desired.

Divide the batter between the cupcake liners and fill most of the way.

Bake the cheesecake for 13 minutes, then turn off oven and leave the door closed for another 15-20 minutes. Crack the oven door and allow cheesecakes to cool for 5 minutes, then put in the fridge to finish cooling.

Once the cheesecakes are cooled and firm, make the whipped cream. Add the double cream, icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract to a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Pipe swirls on top of each cheesecake, then top with half of a mint Oreo. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Rhubarb And Vanilla Cheesecake

This cheesecake is one of the prettiest cake I ever made. Not just looking pretty it's also tastes delicious. 

Ingredients:

• 220g Hobnob biscuits
• 75g melted butter
• 200g rhubard
• 2 x 50g caster sugar
• 225g cream cheese
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 packet or 4 leaves of gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water

To decorate:

• 1 cup water
• 50g castor sugar
• 250g/6 long rhubarb sticks 

Method:

For the cake: Blitz the Hobnob and melted butter in a food processor until they resemble wet sand. Press down the mix with a spatula in 6 inch spring release. Cake tin lined with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate.

Peel 200g of the rhubarb and place in a saucepan with 50g castor sugar over a low heat until it has become a piree. Allow to cool.

In a mixer, whip the cream cheese, mascarpone and vanilla. 

Take a cup of boiling water and add the sugar and gelatin to it. Let it stand for 5 minutes stirring now and then.

Add the rhubarb puree to the cream cheese mix and then pour in the dissolved sugar gelatin mix. Whip till well combined and then pour onto the crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the rhubarb topping: Using a peeler,slice long strips of washed rhubarb (including the skin to add colour). In a small saucepan add water and the remaining 50g sugar and bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Lay out paper towel the length of the rhubarb strips. Add the strips of rhubarb a few at a time and cook for 20-30 seconds in the liquid.

Remove them from the liquid and lay them flat on the paper towel to cool. 

Once you have enough to cover your cake, take your cake out the tin and peel the lining paper off.

To decorate: Take the ribbons of cooked and cooled rhubarb and lie then over the surface of the cake ( You can do this randomly or in an ombre or strips, whatever you like best).

Then using scissors, cut the edges so you have a round edge that comes to the very edge of the top of the cake. Take the remaining rhubard and wrap them around the sides. Over lap them until the whole cake is covered.

Using a brush with the rhubarb cooking liquid, brush the whole cake, this will help it to stick and gives you a smooth glossy surface.