Mini Samoa Cheesecakes for HHM's Birthday

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This weekend, close friends joined us for a cozy dinner at home to celebrate HHM's birthday.  HHM always requests beef stroganoff and cheesecake for his birthday dinner.  The stroganoff recipe always stays the same but I like to experiment with the cheesecake recipe each year. I have a variety of recipes on my Pinterest cheesecake board. This year I combined several different recipes to create these mini Samoa Cheesecakes.                                                                                                               

These  adorable pedestal domes were purchased at Pottery Barn
several years ago.  I have used them in decorating in the past but 
doesn't the mini cheesecake look sweet on it?

For the crust I used the directions that came with the mini cheesecake pan, purchased from Williams Sonoma several years ago.  It is no longer on their website but is similar to this one from Amazon.  The pan provides the perfect portion size for this rich dessert.  In addition to cheesecake, these pans are perfect for individual bread puddings or cheese strata.

The filling was adapted from Glorious Treats' mini Kahlua cheesecake recipe.  I substituted a hazelnut liquor for the Kahlua to pair better with the Samoa topping. Apparently, I let my chocolate cool a little too long before adding it to the cream cheese mixture. The mixture was flecked with chocolate rather than spread throughout.  This small error did not effect the flavor.  I was nervous when I mixed the filling, it was much thinner than other cheesecake fillings I have made.  Not to worry, it baked up beautifully.

The fabulous Samoa topping recipe comes from Gimme Some Oven. The topping couldn't have been easier.  Simply toast the coconut in the oven and stir into caramel dip.  Done.  Gimme Some Oven also offers a recipe for homemade caramel sauce but I was running short on time.  HHM loves caramel and cheesecake so this was the perfect combination for him.

Mini Samoa Cheesecakes

Crust:

1 cup crushed oreos (approximately 12)

2 Tablespoons melted butter

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray mini cheesecake pan with with nonstick cooking spray.  Combine all ingredients and press into bottom of mini muffin pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Place on rack to cool.  

Filling:

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

12 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup Frangilico

Melt chocolate in a small bowl and set aside.  Blend cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and incorporate.  Add egg and vanilla; continue to mix.  Add melted chocolate and blend.  Stir in Frangilico and bend until combined.

Reduce oven temperature to 250.  Fill wells in cheesecake pan approximately 3/4 full.  Bake until set, 22 -25 minutes.  Cool on rack to room temperature and then chill in refrigerator for several hours.  

Topping:

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1 3/4 cups caramel dip or sauce (you can either buy the 16-ounce store-bought tubs of caramel dip, or use 1 3/4 cups homemade caramel sauce)

4 ounces dark chocolate 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown coconut on a parchment lined cookie sheet, about 10 minutes.  Stir half way through.  Pour into bowl and add 1 cup caramel sauce.  Stir to combine.  

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce on each cheesecake.  Top with coconut caramel mixture.  Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over top.
Happy Birthday HHM!

Easter picnic in Grant Park

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Our family is big on holiday traditions, but last year we (I) decided an Easter picnic would be more relaxing for the adults and more fun for the children (plus I didn't have to clean my house!)  Although much more casual than previous Easter celebrations, I did find pretty paper plates and napkins and brought my Pottery Barn Caterer's Wine glasses along with various lettuce leaf serving pieces I have collected.  And of course we set the table with the vintage plastic bunny silverware we have had since my children were small. 









We had so much fun last year, we decided on a repeat performance, but at a different park.  As there were no picnic tables near the playground at Grant Park we brought a small card table, a little crowded but still pretty.  Two years in a row, Target has fooled me with their paper table cloths.  I expected the pattern to be all over, but when you open the package, Surprise! only the borders are patterned.  Oh well, live and learn.  If they fool me next year, it is my own fault.  By the way, the selection of paper goods at Target the night before Easter is severely limited!  Crazy week but should have put this task higher on the to do list!

The menu was also a repeat performance as requested by several family members.It included both pimento and egg salad sandwiches, gingered carrot soup, deviled eggs, fruit salad, Mimosas and carrot cupcakes.  Being a transplant to the South, I was unfamiliar with pimento cheese until recently.  I am now an addict!  Not being a mayonnaise fan, I make it with cream cheese, good cheddar cheese and a jar of pimentos.  The egg salad is a recipe I have used for years from the Silver Palette cookbook for Mustard Dill Egg Salad - again choosing a good mustard makes all the difference.

The carrot soup with ginger and lemon recipe came from family friends, Jon Mayes and Nancy Butler (Nancy also taught me to make pimento cheese).  You can find the soup recipe here on Epicurious.  It is good both hot and cold.  These half pint canning jars are perfect for both serving and transporting.  I serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a lemon wedge and shredded carrots for garnish.  So good!

 

Ray Ray (as Ken is called by the grand kids) made the beautiful fruit salad.  "No filler fruit" I overheard someone comment.  The grand kids devoured it.

Ashley found this recipe for guacamole deviled eggs on Pinterest Saturday night and decided to make them at the last minute.  She only had 9 eggs so was creative in spacing them in her egg tray.  I am not a huge fan of deviled eggs but these were wonderful. Watch for the recipe on her blog, An Inviting Abode.





For dessert, I made our family favorite carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  Being from Fremont, Michigan - Baby Food Capital of the World - I make them using a recipe from the Gerber Baby Food Festival Cook Off that uses Gerber Carrots instead of shredded carrots.  So much easier and my family loves it.  Check out the recipe at An Inviting Abode.

Addyson is a big fan of the cream cheese frosting!



Everett thought the park was much more fun than Neena's

dining room!





Next year Sydney and Emily will be running around too!

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter. 

 

What recipes are your family's Easter Favorites?

 

Wendy