This is a dessert for the time-pressed cheesecake lover. The kind of person who doesn’t prepare things the night before and doesn’t like to wait while things set or bake.
You can take this in any direction that you like and the flavour combinations here are a variation on some classics, just think about your favourite flavour parings and then interpret them into biscuits and fruit. If you’re a lover of oranges perhaps a jaffa cake base, then some mandarin slices mixed in with the cream and cheese all topped off with a couple of Terry’s chocolate orange segments. (Now why hadn’t I thought of that earlier? I do think that would look very pretty and be sophisticated enough to grace a dinner party table.)
I recycled some glass yoghurt pots and some glass ramekins that I think had been bought filled with pate once upon a time. You could pretty things up with some co-ordinating ribbon but I did say these were ideal for the time-pressed so perhaps not.
If you’d like to reward all your hard work with a break away there’s a fabulous competition running with some great prizes from now until the 30th of March 2012. Just follow this link.
There’s also some great opportunities to win copies of my book ‘Gimme the Recipe‘ on a number of other competitions that I’ve linked to on my gimme the recipe facebook page – and while you’re over there I’d appreciate a Like, thank you!
Now back to these beauties:
First up I give you the Lemon & Crunchie Honey Pot:
Next to grace the table is Cadbury’s Chocolate Fingers & Raspberry Pot:
& finally the Oreo & Strawberry Pot:
In the interests of being the ultimate time-saving dessert I used Avonmore pre-whipped cream. Did you know there was such a thing? I’m not talking the long-life cream in a can but a tub of whipped fresh cream straight from the supermarket chill cabinet, handy or what?
Mini Cheesecake Pots:
Makes 6.
You will need:
For the base*:
Cadbury’s crunchie bars
or
Cadbury’s chocolate fingers
or
Oreo cookies
For Filling:
250g mascarpone cheese (or any cream cheese)
1 tbsp icing sugar
350ml fresh whipped cream ( I used Avonmore Freshly Whipped Cream)
For Flavouring Filler:
Half tsp lemon juice & 1 tbsp honey
or
mashed raspberries
or
mashed strawberries
To garnish:
Lemon zest & slices
or
Dark chocolate to grate & extra chocolate fingers
or
Whole oreo biscuit
Method:
Place your chosen base in a sandwich bag and bash until crumbled with a rolling-pin.
Mix the mascarpone cheese in a bowl with 1tbsp icing sugar and whatever you have selected to flavour the mixture.
Once the flavouring element and mascarpone cheese have been combined then gently fold in the whipped cream.
Assemble your cheesecake pots by layering the crumbled base first then the flavoured filling and finally garnish at will.
Can be served immediately or chilled in refrigerator if prepared ahead of time.
Note: I toasted and bashed some hazelnuts for the lemon & honey version and I added extra whole raspberries and slices of strawberries on top of the biscuit base and under the filling in the other ones.
*Quantities per base: Allow approx half a crunchie per pot or 4 chocolate fingers or 2 oreos
Enjoy.
Til next time, Sheila.
I love these Sheila! I’m all for quick and easy desserts. The look gorgeous and I’m sure they taste lovely. I also recycle quite a few jam jars that work really nicely for serving.
They’re fantastic and look so quaint. They’ll be lovely to hold a few daisys in when they being to spring up soon 🙂
I love those little pots too. Their yoghurt is one of my favourites.
I’ll bet these cheesecake treats go down very well with your brood.
Hope the book is flying off the shelves and looking forward to see you next week!
These disappeared very quickly alright. I’m a complete sucker for chocolate fingers myself so they were lucky to survive the photo shoot 🙂
Do you chill these before serving? How long will that take?
Thanks for asking. I’ve now modified the post to say they can be served straight away or chilled for serving later. They will not set like a regular cheesecake but will remain smooth and creamy. Enjoy, Sheila 🙂
Oh I love these glass yoghurt pots. And cheesecakes look delicious.
Thanks Magda, re-use, re-cycle 🙂
Arg! I’m so impressed, Sheila! I will definitely be making these in the next week. xoxo
Thanks for the thumbs up Gillian, Enjoy x Sheila
I think I’ll chill mine when its summer. The kids will love them for sure.
i can’t wait to try these out, I will be back with an update as to how I get on….oh I feel a dinner party coming on!! Teresa.
Let me know how you get on Teresa and what flavour combos you try. Enjoy 🙂 Sheila
Hi Sheila. Am hoping to make these for a girls night in 2moro night.. Is the base very dry? Can u recommend maybe a liquor to moisten it? Trish…
Hi Trish, I din’t find these dry at all as the creamy filling keeps things moist. If you like you could make it additionally moist by adding a little cranberry sauce to the base before you fill it. Another alternative recipe that I use for finger food occasions is red onion and goats cheese bites for the recipe try this link http://gimmetherecipe.com/2010/11/05/red-onion-and-goats-cheese-bite-roasted-red-pepper-and-mozzarella-bite/ Enjoy your night! Sheila
Hi Sheila! You were right.. I made the raspberry and choc finger cheesecake pot for my girls night in and they were huge hit and not at all dry!!! Thanks a mil.. Trish.
Hi Trish,
When I replied to your previous comment I thought you were referring to the mini-quiches!!!! and not the cheesecake pots. Delighted to hear they went down well 🙂 Sheila
I’ve just made these as we have my mum and her boyfriend round for dinner tonight. She’s not a pudding lover but she does love lemony things and crunchies so these seemed like my best bet haha! I’ve just tried some and it’s lovely 😀 Thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks for taking the time to comment Aimee and I hope your mum likes them! Have a lovely evening 🙂 Sheila