So I had a staff potluck coming, and I was wanting to cook something delicious. I really had hoped to do something from Yum and Yummer, but kind of was feeling lazy as its hard to prep when you teach so that things are ready for lunch. Plus you have to drag all the stuff with you that you will need. I figured I would make a dessert as I saw people were doing more salty/savoury food....and let's be serious, I like sweets and treats!
I have made this recipe in the past for Christmas dinners, and its sort of perfect for this time of year, White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake cups. I came across the recipe on my many hours of pinning on Pinterest and dreaming of all the delicious foods I could make. I put the actual recipe and the link to the website that has this recipe.
As usual I modify and use my own eyeball measurements. I am sort of brilliant, so I bought desserts in cups from Costco awhile ago and was clever enough to see if I cleaned them and saved them I could reuse. They are glass, which is sort of wonderful and because they have a plastic container they sit in, it makes it super easy to take them for potlucks, etc. Yes, it is okay to mutter to yourself, "she is a freaking genius"!
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| I cheated and just used a chocolate cookie crumb, and even went for the cheap brand! |
So my first modification was to not use the "Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers". I find they can be pricey, and there really are not that many in the boxes you get. I also have found them hard to find or sold out at a lot of stores. So I just grabbed a bag of chocolate cooking crumbs, and totally cheaped out and bought the no-name brand. Did I mention I am cheap? You can splurge and buy fancy, but I found these were great and you saved a
whole dollar!
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One of my favourites
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| Yummy butter! A little extra never hurt anyone... |
So the base asks for the cookies (that you turn into crumbs so it seems sort of daft that you don't just start there), butter, and After Eight chocolates. I may have put in a few extra After Eights (I totally did), and extra butter! I just scooped generous Tablespoons. Anyhow I ended up adding more crumbs which gave me more cookie base, which I liked as I added some on top at the end. I hate when you eat all the stuff on top with no base as its tricky scooping out that base in a deeper jar.
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| I added some peppermint candy cane bits over the cookie butter base |
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| The cookie base |
So I scooped in the base and decided I would use some peppermint crunch stuff I have on top of the base for a little contrast and flavour. Next was the chocolate mint cheesecake filling. I can never find the exact stuff they ask for with puddings. I find most stores do not fully stock various flavours that are available in the US, or other places. I did find a sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding. Frankly, I would have preferred with sugar as I always find you can taste a hint of the sugar sweetener. I did not find a cheesecake flavour pudding mix so I used vanilla pudding and NOT sugar-free. My guess is if you wanted you could just use chocolate too, which I considered but you won't get the same aesthetic. (The recipe is below)
So I put it all together and filled up my cups. I then added my extra crumb on top and added some peppermint crunch and a small candy cane. These are super easy and look fantastic. Everyone enjoyed them at work.
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| Cups all ready to go! I got these from trying some cups of treats at Costco and with forethought kept them to use for my own treats. |
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| Delicious tasty treat...not the greatest photo, but you get the idea |
No-Bake White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecakes
DESCRIPTION
Note: Please be sure to use real peppermint extract in this recipe for the best results. Be careful NOT to buy mint extract which is usually a combination of peppermint and spearmint. The spearmint flavoring will be too strong for this dessert.
INGREDIENTS
For the crust
- ½ package Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers (about 20 cookies)
- 10 After Eight chocolate mints
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
For the filling
- 1 1-ounce package sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix (or a 3-ounce package of the regular pudding mix)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 1-ounce package sugar-free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (or a 3-ounce package of the regular pudding mix)
- ½ teaspoon real peppermint extract (do not use mint extract which is typically a combination of peppermint and spearmint)
- 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, plus extra for garnish, if desired
- 1-2 drops of red food coloring (optional)
- Candy cane sticks, After Eight chocolate mints, and additional crushed chocolate wafers and crushed candy canes for garnish, if desired
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the chocolate wafers and chocolate mints in the bowl of a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse again until combined.
- Spoon the crumbs into individual 9-ounce plastic cups (or other individual sized cups for serving). Place in the refrigerator to set while you are preparing the filling.
- Prepare the white chocolate pudding with the milk according to package instructions. (Note: Do NOT prepare the cheesecake pudding mix – that will be added as a dry stabilizer later in the recipe.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until light and creamy.
- Add the prepared white chocolate pudding, the dry cheesecake pudding mix and the peppermint extract and beat until completely mixed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
- Change your stand mixture attachment to the wire whisk. On slow speed, fold in the tub of frozen whipped topping and until well combined. If you’d like to tint your cheesecakes a light pink “peppermint” color, add 1 drop of red food coloring – you can leave the color swirled or mix completely for a light pink color. If desired, add a second drop of red food coloring if you want a darker pink color and mix again.
- Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up.
- Using a large pastry bag with a large tip, or a spoon, top the chocolate mint crumb crust in each cup with the cheesecake mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Garnish with additional whipped topping, a candy cane stick, a chocolate mint and crushed chocolate wafers and candy canes, if desired.
- https://www.afamilyfeast.com/no-bake-white-chocolate-peppermint-cheesecakes/
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