7/15/13

mini peach cheesecake tarts

Even in the dead heat of summer I crave cheesecake.
That tart, cold cheesecake batter paired with a nice salty, buttery crust and sweet fresh fruits.
Oh yes please!
But the last thing I want to do is bake a cheesecake for an hour or longer let alone turn on the oven for a long period of time.
AND who wants to wait for a giant cheesecake to cool in this heat?
Why not make mini's?
They require far less baking time, you don't need as much cheesecake batter, and the cooling time is a lot less which means you can eat them sooner (ok that last part is important to me).
Plus you can dress them up with any of the wonderful seasonal summer fruits.
I haven't done a peach cheesecake, so it was time.
But as luck would have it, in the middle of making the cheesecake I realized I had no sour cream,
and no greek yogurt.
I did have a Siggi's yogurt which is pretty much just like greek yogurt only thicker and far less sugar.
It was one of the best last-minute substitutions I've ever had.
This cheesecake recipe is a keeper for me--I loved the flavor this yogurt added to the cheesecake.
These mini cheesecakes literally took 5 minutes to put together, no pre-baking the crust, and then 15 minutes to bake.
So easy right?
IMG_1882
Please give this cheesecake recipe a go, you can add in any type of fruit you wish: cherries, pineapple,
plums...
If you can't find the Siggi's yogurt use a greek style yogurt--a thick yogurt or just use sour cream (sour cream is thinner in consistency so only use about 3 TB).
IMG_1874
IMG_1866
IMG_2515
Secret, tasty ingredient.
IMG_2514
It's ok to fill these to the almost top, they don't rise much.
But they do bake up fast, so at the 15-minute mark make sure to check on them.
IMG_1883
IMG_1880
If you don't have tart pans, you can use cupcake tins, but make sure to really grease up the tins and/or
use liners.

Mini Peach Cheesecakes

Crust
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
a pinch sea salt
1 TB dark brown sugar
9 TB unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake
8-oz cream cheese, softened
4 ounces (1 single container) of Siggi’s Icelandic peach yogurt (or 3 TB sour cream)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
¼ cup chopped peaches, small chop
extra chopped peaches for garnish, optional

Cook Notes:
Make sure to dry the peaches with paper towels and get as much moisture out as possible. If you can’t find Iggy’s yogurt, choose a thick style yogurt.
Iggy’s does NOT have sugar in it; so if you do use another yogurt make sure to adjust sugar in the recipe.
I would not use a Yoplait yogurt as it is too watery—look for a thick style yogurt instead.
I used tart pans for this recipe. If you don’t have tart pans, then use cupcakes, but make sure to line the tins with cupcake liners and/or non-stick spray.

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, make the graham cracker crust.
Mix together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt and stir to combine.
Add in the melted butter and stir well.
Evenly divide the crumbs among the tart pans or cupcakes tins.
Make sure to press down the crumbs to make an even layer.
For the cheesecake:
Cream the cream cheese, yogurt and sugar until smooth, add in the egg and egg yolk and mix well.  Then add in the chopped peaches.
Fill the tart pan or cupcake tins with cheesecake mixture to almost the top. The cheesecake will rise a bit during baking, so don’t overfill the pans with batter.
These bake up fast! 
Bake for 16-20 minutes, until cheesecakes are set and no longer jiggly in the middle.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then carefully transfer cheesecakes to a cooling rack to cool completely before refrigerating.

16 comments:

  1. I love that your last minute substitution was a total winner! And that these are minis - I never make big cheesecakes b/c I don't need a huge cheesecake, which is why these are perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wish those were sitting in my fridge. Is it fewer calories with the yogurt? One can hope.....I'm dieting this week and am starving. So.....I'll bookmark.
    Love the Friday post....have you made the Canal hse cc cookies? Copied the recipe.
    I'm missing the Cape and Nantucket after seeing your photos. Wish we were going there in August rather than Turks and Caicos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The crust alone has me! Peaches are amazing right now. I can't get enough. I buy a couple every few days :) :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yum! I'm getting a big bag of peaches from our CSA this week. I think I'm officially inspired!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mini cheesecakes are so cute! Plus, then you get to eat a whole cheesecake! The addition of peaches is so fresh and summery.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Those tarts look so good! What a great way to enjoy some perfectly ripe peaches!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yum this looks delicious!! Love the peaches on top.

    ReplyDelete
  8. These are adorable. Jersey peaches are almost here and I am bookmarking this.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love how you worked with what you had on hand to come up with these! It's that kind of scrupulousness that really pays off in terms of deliciousness.

    ReplyDelete
  10. what a fantastic batch of mini treats, dawn! i'll eat my weight in peaches while they're in season. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. i really want to try these! they look amazing. i love peaches, especially now!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, do I love these! So sweet and cute and picnic-perfect. And I love your last-minute addition as well - I'm going bonkers baking with yogurt these days...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mini desserts are always so much more fun. These look adorable

    ReplyDelete
  14. ohmygosh. what a fabulous way to celebrate peaches! drooling :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. My Dad just brought me some peaches last night. Love this recipe!

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments!

Share

Get This