Who doesn't like cheesecake? OK, a lot of people don't like cheesecake, but I just don't get it. How could you not like cheesecake? I love cheesecake, and my niece and my kids LOVE oreos, so I decided to make these individual cheesecakes for our Easter celebration.
How easy are these cupcakes?!? Instead of having to make a crumb crust and pushing into the bottom of a springform pan, I just put one whole oreo on the bottom of each cupcake paper. I even did these in mini cupcakes for my daughter's snack at school. I just used mini oreos. You could use any old recipe for cheesecake that you like and add some crushed cookies in it. As with all cheesecakes, I baked them at a low temperature. And, I kept them in the muffin pans in the fridge until they were completely cool. They came out of the paper nicely and made around 3 dozen full size cupcakes. The kids loved them!
Baking a cheesecake can be a bit tricky. In my experience, baking at a low temperature is the best. I tend to go anywhere between 275° to 325° depending on the particular cheesecake. For a whole cheesecake, I always use a water bath. To find out more about baking with a water bath, click here. You do not want to overbake your cheesecake, but you certainly don't want to underbake it either. Essentially, cheesecakes are baked custards which can be tricky to tell when they are done. I always take mine out when they edges are set with tiny cracks forming around the outside edges while the center is still jiggly. With a little practice, you will know precisely when to take it out :)
