Organic Mini Cheesecake

Happy New Year!

Here's a great dessert for 2012.

Sugar-free, wheat-free, organic, and scrumptious.

Making desserts that my hubby can eat (no sugar, no wheat) can be a bit tricky.  I've never attempted cheesecake before.  I never liked it as a child and so I never bothered to make it as an adult. Till now.
I've had a taste bud development for cheesecake and the past for few years.  I'm trying to decide if it's a good thing.

I'm happy with the results although they weren't very pretty, but that's what whipped cream is for, right?

The ingredients are simple; Cream cheese, butter, eggs, maple syrup, maple flavoring, and spelt cereal crumbs.

I try to "healthify" my desserts by at least choosing better ingredients like local free-range eggs,

Organic butter,

and organic cream cheese.

The maple syrup and spelt cereal (Arrowhead Mills) crumbs are also organic.

Melt half a stick of butter and pour over the cereal crumbs in a separate bowl.

Divide the mixture into 12 muffin cups. (or 6 jumbo)

Press them down to form a crust.

I also made one with just ground almonds (almond meal from Trader Joe's) that turned out good too.

Place 2 packages of softened cream cheese in the mixing bowl and beat till fluffy.

Add one egg at a time till incorporated.

 Add maple syrup and flavoring and mix.

Spoon mixture into muffin cups.

Fill them up to the top.

I'm sure I did something wrong since they sunk a bit in the centers.

Under baked, Over baked? Cheesecake experts, a little help here?

It didn't affect the taste one bit.

Nothing that peeling off the wrapper, a squirt of whipped cream, and some fruit couldn't fix.

Organic Mini Cheesecakes
Filling:
2 - 8 oz packages organic cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon maple extract
2/3 cup organic maple syrup
Crust:
3/4 cup crushed spelt cereal (or graham cracker crumbs)
1/4 cup organic butter, melted
1 Tablespoon sweetener (honey, agave, or maple sugar)


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
2. Beat cream cheese till smooth. Add one egg at a time till incorporated.
3. Add maple syrup and extract, beat on low till combined.
4. In small bowl, drizzle melted butter over spelt crumbs and sweetener, mix and press into the bottom of lined muffin cups.
5. Spoon cream cheese mixture into cups.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes till done.
7. Allow to cool and refrigerate till serving. Remove wrapper, put on pretty plate (essential!), and squirt liberally with whipped cream and top with pieces of fruit.
8. Eat.


The Lunch Lady