As if I haven't eaten enough in the last week but it's kind of like i'm on a roll... so when I saw this "cheesecake in a jar" recipe on milkeverymoment I thought, what a fantastic dessert. Not too big, not too small, smooth and crunchy and you can prepare it in advance for guests. Best part: it looks so pretty! I was even thinking I could serve it to my kids for breakfast if I used yogurt instead of the cream mixture.
I also have this thing for mason jars. Any excuse to use one and I'm game.
CHEESECAKE IN A JAR
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup (175 mL) 35% whipping cream ¼ cup (60 mL) icing sugar ½ vanilla bean 1¼ cups (300 mL) cream cheese, at room temperature 3 tbsp (45 mL) graham cracker crumbs 1 cup (250 mL) seasonal berries or preserves
Place whipping cream and sugar in a medium bowl. Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape seeds into whipping cream. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, frequently scraping down sides, until creamy. Stir 1/3 of the whipping cream into cream cheese to lighten it, then fold in remaining cream until incorporated.
Either place cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or use a spoon. Divide half of it between 6 (½ cup/125 mL) mason jars or small dessert dishes. Top with graham crumbs then fruit (reserving a few berries for tops of cheesecakes). Then top with remaining cream cheese mixture and reserved berries.
-Kate