Fall Oreo Mini Cheesecakes

                                                           IT'S FALL!!!!

My first post!! So of course I had to make it something fall related! Everyone who knows me, knows that I love fall. So many great things happen in the fall. Leaves change, pumpkins, corn mazes, crisp air, apples, Halloween and pumpkin spice lattes! I even wore boots and a cardigan yesterday! Two big events happen during the fall in the Larsen/Homan household, especially this year, it's Casey and my 21st Birthdays!! Our problem is Casey turns 21 twelve days before me, which doesn't leave him a lot to do on his birthday since I can't go to any bars. I keep trying to throw ideas out for things we can do, like have a party at our apartment (alcohol included), but he doesn't want to do that. He doesn't seem to want to do much, which kills me because all I want to do is plan parties! So, all I can do is make the day as special as possible for him. I already know that I will be making his favorite strawberry cupcakes for him, but Casey's favorite dessert is cheesecake. I've tried making cheesecake before and it turned out like cheesecake pudding. It's really the only thing I do not feel comfortable making. Yesterday I decided to try making it again but using a different recipe. A recipe geared more towards fall! I wanted to try this recipe out hoping it would taste wonderful and I could make it again for Casey's birthday. After letting it chill over night, I gave one to Casey and after a couple bites, he turned to me and said, "This is incredible!" And now I am comfortable making cheesecake!

Ingredients:

16 oz Cream Cheese (I ended up having to buy two 8 oz packages)

1/2 cup Sour Cream (I used light sour cream)

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

A package of Halloween Oreos 

Materials needed:

Mixing Bowl

Beater

Muffin Pan

Cupcake Liners

Plastic Baggie

Rolling Pin

Red and Orange Food Coloring

First, Preheat the oven to 250 or 275. I have to do mine at 250 because my oven is old and seems to be off so I always decrease the degree by 25. 

In the mixing bowl place all the cream cheese in there then beat on medium. Cream cheese is not a fun thing to mix. 

This is how the cream cheese looks after mixing.

Next, add the sugar and beat on medium again until well blended. Then, add the eggs and vanilla, beat until blended. Finally, add the sour cream and blend again. The mixture should be a lot smoother now! 

Add food coloring to the mixture until it becomes the perfect orange color! Think Pumpkin! Take the plastic baggie and place about 5 or 6 Oreos in there. Close the baggie and place on a smooth surface. Roll the rolling pin over it and crush the cookies until there is just crumbs! Add the cookies to the mixture and stir it.

Take your muffin pan and put the liners in. Add an Oreo to the bottom of each liner. My mixture made about 17 mini cheesecakes.

Fill each liner with the mixture. Because cheesecake does not rise you can almost fill the entire thing to the top.

Put in oven and bake for 22 minutes! I put both pans in the oven and switched racks halfway through.

After it is done baking, take the pans out, let them cool then place in the refrigerator to chill over night. If you can not wait over night, let them chill until they feel very cold.

VIOLA! The perfect most delicious mini cheesecake!