Oreo Cheesecakes Minis

My dad wanted me to make some cheesecakes, and sometimes cheesecake homemade (at least at my house) does not turn out so smooth or cook even so I tried making mini cheesecakes and found they were easier and cooked more evenly! Also, it is such an easy recipe just make sure to not leave cream cheese chunks in the mix and to make sure to mix it really smooth, this will help with the final texture of the cheesecake! The recipe was adapted from one I found online for cheesecake, and after finding delicious Oreo Cheesecake with my dad in New York!

Mini Cheesecakes

2 lbs (32 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs (I used whole eggs vs. egg whites)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt

Using an electric mixer (you will need the power to make a smooth mixture), begin by beating the cream cheese until slightly beaten, then slowly add in the sugar, mixing in between. Add the vanilla and eggs, and then finally the sour cream and salt. Mix as you add, making sure that any chunks of cream cheese are gone and the mixture is VERY smooth.

For Oreo Cheesecakes:

Place an Oreo cookie in the bottom of a cupcake liner in a cupcake pan. Then add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of Oreo cookie crumbles to the cheesecake mixture and pour over the Oreo cookie until the cheesecake mixture is about to the top of the cupcake liner.

For Plain Mini Cheesecakes:

I also made some plain cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. I used chocolate graham crackers to make a variation on a plain cheesecake crust, but you can choose original, cinnamon, chocolate, or whatever you might want. To make the crust break 1 package out of a box of graham crackers (about 8 to 10 graham crackers) and then using a fork mix in 6 tbsp of softened butter and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (I add less than more). I usually don't follow an exact recipe, but just make sure the graham crackers are "wet" with the butter and can be formed into a crust without being drenched in butter :-). I then place the crust in the bottom of a cupcake liner, pushing the crust with a spoon so that it is compact and not crumbly. Then place the cheesecake mixture on top until it is about to the top of the cupcake liner.

For either option, cook for about 24 to 28 minutes at 275 degrees, rotating them half way. You will know they are cooked when the cheesecake is set, but don't wait for them to brown. Let cool and place into container and chill in fridge until ready to serve. You can then top with fruit for the plain cheesecake and the Oreo cheesecakes are perfect just the way they are. The recipe makes about 24 to 30 cheesecakes. ENJOY!