Cheesecake Series (S1 E5): Mini Black Forest Cheesecake Jars!
Okay, my wonderful foodie friends, and welcome back to the Cheesecake Series! For our fifth episode, we are diving into one of the most elegant and delicious flavor combinations of all time – Black Forest – and we're making it into adorable, perfectly portioned, no-bake dessert jars!
%20(2).png)
The Perfect Flavor Trifecta: Rich chocolate, sweet-tart cherries, and creamy cheesecake filling – a classic and beloved combination for a reason! No-Bake & Easy: No need to turn on your oven! The cheesecake filling is a simple, light, and airy whipped mixture that sets up beautifully in the fridge. Perfectly Portioned: Serving dessert in individual jars feels so special and is great for portion control and easy serving at parties. A Stunning Visual: The beautiful, distinct layers of dark crust, white cheesecake, red cherry drizzle, and dark chocolate shavings are a feast for the eyes. Make-Ahead Friendly: These are a fantastic dessert to prepare a day in advance, making party prep a breeze.
Continuing Your Cheesecake Series with an Elegant Twist! Dinner Parties & Special Occasions: They look so sophisticated! A Fun, Modern Take on a Classic Dessert. A Delicious Way to Use Fresh or Frozen Cherries. When You Want an Impressive Dessert Without Turning on the Oven.
Make the Chocolate Crust: A quick mix of cookie crumbs and butter creates the perfect crunchy base. Whip the No-Bake Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth, then fold in fluffy whipped cream for a light, mousse-like texture. Simmer the Cherry Drizzle: Cook down those cherries into a luscious, sweet-tart sauce. Layer, Layer, Layer! This is the fun part! Create beautiful, distinct layers of crust, cheesecake filling, cherry drizzle, and chocolate shavings in your jars. Chill to Perfection: Let them set in the fridge for a couple of hours. Top & Serve! A final swirl of whipped cream before serving makes them perfect!
%20(1).png)
.png)
For the Chocolate Cookie Crust:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (from about 10-12 Oreos, filling removed and cookies crushed) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the No-Bake Cheesecake Layer:
8 oz cream cheese, fully softened to room temperature 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup heavy cream, very cold
For the Cherry Drizzle:
1 cup pitted cherries (fresh or frozen and thawed) 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice For the Slurry: 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
For Assembly & Topping:
1/2 cup chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips Whipped cream (homemade or store-bought, for topping) A few extra cherries for garnish (optional)
Make the Chocolate Cookie Crust: In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate cookie crumbs and the melted butter. Stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened and resembles damp sand. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each of your 6-8 small dessert jars or glasses. Use the back of a small spoon to press down gently to form an even crust layer. Set the jars aside.
Prepare the No-Bake Cheesecake Layer: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps. In a separate, clean, chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form (the cream should hold its shape when the beaters are lifted). Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula until it's fully combined, light, and fluffy. Be careful not to overmix and deflate the air.
Make the Cherry Drizzle: In a small saucepan, combine the pitted cherries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries start to release their juices and soften, about 5 minutes. Stir the cornstarch slurry (1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water) into the saucepan. Continue to cook and stir for another 1-2 minutes, until the mixture visibly thickens into a glossy sauce. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the cherry drizzle cool completely.
Assemble the Jars: Spoon or pipe a layer of the cheesecake filling over the cookie crust in each jar (about 2-3 tablespoons per jar). Add a spoonful of the cooled cherry drizzle over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle a layer of chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips over the cherry drizzle. If your jars are tall enough and you have enough filling, you can repeat the layers: another layer of cheesecake filling, followed by another small spoonful of cherry drizzle and chocolate shavings. Aim to finish with a layer of the cheesecake filling.
Chill and Serve: Cover the tops of the jars with plastic wrap or lids. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours) to allow the cheesecake filling to set and the flavors to meld. Just before serving, top each jar with a generous swirl of whipped cream, an extra little drizzle of the cherry sauce, and a final sprinkle of chocolate shavings. Add a fresh cherry on top if you have one! Enjoy chilled.
6-8 Small Glass Jars or Dessert Glasses (4-6 oz size is great) Electric Mixer (Hand or Stand) Several Mixing Bowls Small Saucepan Spatula & Whisk Measuring Cups & Spoons
Soften Your Cream Cheese: For a silky-smooth, lump-free cheesecake filling, it's essential that your cream cheese is fully at room temperature. Cold Heavy Cream: Conversely, the heavy cream must be very cold to whip up properly into stable stiff peaks. Chilling your bowl and beaters helps too! Gentle Folding: To keep the cheesecake layer light and airy, be gentle when folding the whipped cream into the cream cheese base. Cool the Cherry Drizzle: Make sure your cherry sauce is completely cool before layering it in the jars. A warm sauce can melt the cheesecake filling and cause the layers to bleed. Piping the Filling: For extra neat layers, you can transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag (or a large zip-top bag with the corner snipped off) to pipe it into the jars.
A Splash of Kirsch: For a more traditional Black Forest flavor, you can add a teaspoon of Kirsch (cherry brandy) to the cherry drizzle while it cooks (for adults only!). Different Cookie Crust: While chocolate is classic for Black Forest, a standard graham cracker crust would also be delicious. Make it One Big Dessert: Don't have jars? You can assemble this in a single 8x8-inch glass dish or a small trifle bowl.
Calories: 1591 kcal (A very indulgent 80% of a 2000-calorie daily intake for the whole batch!) Protein: 16g (32% DV for the batch) Total Fat: 104g (A very high 161% DV for the batch! From cream cheese, heavy cream, butter, and chocolate.) Saturated Fat: 59g (A staggering 370% DV for the batch!)
Total Carbohydrate: 154g (51% DV for the batch – from cookie crumbs and sugars) Sugars: 121g (A very high 135% DV for the batch!)
Cholesterol: 238mg (79% DV for the batch – from cream cheese, cream, and butter) Sodium: 717mg (31% DV for the batch) Caffeine: 4mg (From the chocolate components) Alcohol: 0.69g (This trace amount for the entire batch is likely attributed to the vanilla extract.)
Vitamin A: 3110IU (62% DV for the batch! From all that glorious dairy.) Iron: 10mg (60% DV – chocolate cookies are often enriched) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.61mg (36% DV) Manganese: 0.61mg (31% DV) Vitamin K: 29µg (28% DV) Vitamin E: 4mg (27% DV) Phosphorus: 255mg (26% DV) Calcium: 239mg (24% DV – dairy power!) Selenium: 16µg (23% DV) Fiber: 5g (20% DV) Copper: 0.35mg (17% DV) Folate: 66µg (17% DV) Potassium: 572mg (16% DV) Magnesium: 61mg (15% DV) Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 0.22mg (15% DV) Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 1mg (12% DV) Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2mg (12% DV) Vitamin C: 8mg (10% DV – from the cherries and lemon!) Vitamin D: 1µg (9% DV) Zinc: 1mg (9% DV) Vitamin B6: 0.14mg (7% DV) Vitamin B12: 0.4µg (7% DV)
Comments
Post a Comment