Cheesecake Petit Fours With Creamy Strawberry Glaze Recipes

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the melted butter. Stir together the remaining butter with the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of the pan. Use the back of a measuring cup or a drinking glass to pack the crust firmly and evenly into the edges of the pan. Bake until browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely, then set the pan on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sour cream, and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cream and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined. Beat in the eggs one at time, beating the mixture after the last egg until just combined (take care not to overmix or the cake will turn into a souffle).
• Pour the filling in to the crust. Bake until the cheesecake is slightly golden and barely set in the middle when the pan is tapped, about 1 hour and 20 minutes (the cake might puff up slightly while in the oven, but that is okay; it will deflate as it cools). Turn off the oven, and leave the cake inside with the door shut for 1 hour. It will continue to set and color slightly in the oven.
• Run a thin knife or spatula around the cake to release it from the sides (this also helps reduce cracks in the top of the cake as it chills). Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• For the cranberry compote: Stir the sugar, dried cranberries and 1 cup water together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then add the fresh cranberries. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the fresh cranberries have burst and the sauce is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the compote to a heat-safe bowl and let it cool slightly before covering the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerating until it is completely chilled. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. (This can be made up to one day in advance.)
• For serving: Spread the cranberry compote in an even layer on top of the chilled cheesecake. The cheesecake will sink a bit in the center as it cools so it creates a perfect well for the cranberry compote. Run a thin knife or spatula between the cake and the sides again, then release the sides of the springform pan and remove the ring from the cheesecake base. Set the base on a cake platter, slice and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan., In a small bowl, mix pecans and wafer crumbs; stir in butter. Press onto bottom and 1/2 in. up sides of prepared pan., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1-1/3 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake until center is almost set, 65-75 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes on a wire rack. In a small bowl, mix sour cream and remaining sugar and vanilla; spread over top of cheesecake. Bake 5 minutes longer., Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled., In a small saucepan, whisk cornstarch and liqueur until smooth. Stir in spreadable fruit; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally., Remove rim from springform pan. Arrange strawberries over cheesecake; top with some of the glaze, allowing glaze to drip down sides. Refrigerate until glaze is set, about 1 hour. To serve, gently warm remaining glaze; serve with cheesecake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place butter and softened cream cheese in a small microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave on medium setting stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add cookie mix, melted butter and cream cheese mixture, egg, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and cake flour. Stir until dough forms. Sift together 2 tablespoons each of cocoa powder and cake flour to use for dusting board and rolling pin. Roll out dough 1/8-inch thick. Using cutters slightly bigger than petits fours molds, stamp out cookies. Fit cookies into molds and cut off excess. Bake in batches for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from molds. Cool completely on wire racks.
• To make the filling, scoop out into separate bowls the pie fillings of the thawed cheesecake and baked pumpkin pie. Be careful not to get any of the crusts. Discard the crusts. Add heavy cream and beat each filling with a wire whisk to smooth out consistency.
• To assemble, using pastry bags or zip-top bag with a star tip, hold the bag on its side and spoon in half of the cheesecake filling. Then spoon half of the pumpkin filling on the other side. Test the frosting by squeezing the bag until both fillings come out. Fill 2 more pastry bags or zip-top bags, 1 with the remaining cheesecake filling and the other with the pumpkin filling. Add fillings to petits fours.
• To make the chocolate icing, remove lid and foil seal from chocolate icing. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Pour into small zip-top bag. Snip off tiny opening in corner of bag. Drizzle over petits fours. Garnish with an espresso bean.

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend graham cracker crumbs and sugar in processor. With machine running, add melted butter and lemon juice; blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Bake crust until set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until fluffy and smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add sour cream, whipping cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat just to blend, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just to blend after each addition.
• Pour filling into crust (filling will just fill crust). Place springform pan on rimmed baking sheet. Bake cheesecake until top appears set, puffed, and golden at edges but still moves slightly all over when shaken, about 55 minutes. Cool cake 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare topping:
• Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl.
• Spoon topping over hot cake, spreading to edge of pan and covering completely. Bake 10 minutes. Transfer cake to rack; cool 10 minutes. Run sharp knife around top 1/2-inch edge of cake to loosen. Place hot cheesecake directly in refrigerator; chill uncovered overnight.
• For port syrup:
• Stir Port, sugar, and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Cool. Mix in lemon peel. (Cake and syrup can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover cake and keep refrigerated. Cover syrup and let stand at room temperature.)
• Starting below stem end of each berry half, make 3 lengthwise slits through tip. Fan berries and place around edge of cake. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Release pan sides. Slice cake and drizzle with Port syrup. Serve syrup alongside.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in sour cream and vanilla until blended. Fold in whipped topping. , Spread half of the glaze over bottom of crust; layer with strawberries. Top with remaining glaze. Spoon cream cheese mixture over the top. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours or until set. Garnish with mint and additional berries if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In medium bowl, thoroughly combine crust ingredients. Press firmly on bottom of lightly buttered 10" springform pan.
• In large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients, beat thoroughly. Spoon over crust. Place pan on cookie sheet to catch any butter that might drip out. Bake 40-45 minutes. (Cheesecake may rise slightly and crack in several areas; it will settle again, cracks will minimize and topping will cover it.) Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Keep oven on at 350°F.
• In medium bowl, combine topping ingredients until well blended. Spoon topping over cheesecake, starting at center and extending to within 1/2 inch of edge. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes longer. Cool. Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 24 hours, preferably 2-3 days.
• Several hours before serving, wash, hull and completely dry strawberries on paper towels.
• In small saucepan, combine a little jelly with cornstarch; mix well. Add remaining jelly, liqueur and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and is clear (about 5 minutes). Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
• Using knife, loosen cheesecake from pan; remove springform. Arrange berries, pointed sides up, over top of cake. Spoon glaze over berries, allowing some to drip down sides of cake. Refrigerate until glaze is set.