Leprechaun Cheesecakes Recipes

LUCKY CHARMS CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place the milk and 1 cup of the cereal in a medium bowl and let sit until the milk takes on the cereal flavor, about 30 minutes. Strain the milk and discard the cereal. Set the milk aside.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir continuously until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 3 cups cereal until coated.
• Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and let cool completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Combine the gelatin with 1/4 cup water in a small microwave-safe bowl and set aside to soften, about 5 minutes. Beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cereal milk. Continue to beat on low until completely incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Microwave the gelatin, stirring as needed, until melted, about 30 seconds. Add the gelatin to the cream cheese mixture and beat on medium speed to combine, about 30 seconds. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cereal crust and smooth out the top if needed. Refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Evenly divide the white chocolate among 3 small bowls. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until boiling. Remove 2 tablespoons of the cream to a small bowl and color with the yellow food coloring, then pour over the chocolate in one of the bowls. Color another 2 tablespoons of the cream with the blue food coloring in the same manner and pour over the chocolate in another bowl. Color the remaining 2 tablespoons cream with pink food coloring and pour over the last bowl of chocolate. Let all three bowls of chocolate sit for 5 minutes, then stir until completely smooth.
• Open the clasp of the springform pan to unmold the cheesecake. Drizzle the colored chocolate in alternating sections around the edge. Sprinkle more cereal on top of the cake in a ring inside the colored-chocolate edging. Pipe or dollop whipped cream inside the cereal circle and top each dollop with a Lucky Charms® marshmallow.

OVER-THE-TOP REESE'S CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• For the crust: Pulse the cookies and sugar in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Firmly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until crisp and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cover the crust with the peanut butter cups. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil and put it in a large roasting pan.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl for 1 minute. Add the sour cream and beat until just combined. Mix in the eggs by hand, one at time. Mix in the vanilla by hand until just combined. (Take care not to overmix, or the cheesecake will puff up and crack.)
• Put the chocolate chips and peanut butter in 2 separate large microwave-safe bowls. Microwave each in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chips and peanut butter are smooth and pourable, about 2 minutes.
• Ladle 2 cups of the cheesecake batter into the bowl with the chocolate and fold until combined. Fold the remaining cheesecake batter into the bowl with the peanut butter until combined.
• Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon and drop alternating scoopfuls of the batter onto the crust. Drag a long wooden skewer through the batter, making sure the skewer reaches the bottom, to marble the colors in a tie-dye effect. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
• Bake until the outside of the cake is set, but the center is still slightly loose, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan once more, unmold the cheesecake and transfer to a serving plate or cake stand. Smooth the edges with the knife. Drizzle the hot fudge sauce around the edge of the cake, letting it drip slightly over the sides. Make a decorative ring around the edge of the cheesecake with the miniature peanut butter cups, overlapping them slightly. Make another ring on the inside of the peanut butter cups with the Reese's Pieces. Slice and serve cold with whipped cream and more hot fudge sauce.

LUCK O' THE IRISH CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. In a bowl, beat cream cheese, milk, extract and food coloring until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. , Pour onto crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 300° until center is almost set, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes; run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. , Trace a small shamrock pattern onto a piece of paper; cut out and set aside. In a microwave, melt remaining chocolate chips. Fill pastry bag with melted chocolate; cut a small hole in a corner. Place shamrock pattern on a baking sheet; place a large piece of waxed paper over pattern. Pipe a chocolate shamrock onto waxed paper, following the pattern. Move waxed paper and repeat to make more shamrocks. , Place in the freezer until hardened, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove shamrocks and arrange on cheesecake.

BIT-OF-IRISH CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Combine nuts, 2 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 min.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and flour in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and liqueur; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
• Pour cream cheese batter over crust. Bake 1 hour 5 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours.

CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make crust: Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form; add melted butter, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine. Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 1 inch up side of pan. Bake until set, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
• Set a kettle of water to boil. Make filling: Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.
• Wrap bottom half of pan in foil. Pour in filling; place in a roasting pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up side of springform. Bake until just set in center, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge; let cool completely. Cover; chill overnight before serving.

LEPRECHAUN CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F LIne 12 cups in muffin pan with paper or silicone liners. Place a cookie in the bottom of each cup, trimming to fit, if necessary.
• In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Beat in cornstarch, egg, cream and vanilla until smooth. Stir in lemon zest and lime zest and food coloring, if using, tinting to the desired shade of green.
• Spoon cream cheese mixture on top of cookies in muffin cups and smooth tops. Bake for 15-20 minutes or just until puffed and set. Let cool in pan on a rack. Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until chilled.
• SPARKLY CREAM: In a chilled bowl, using an electric mixer, whip cream untl soft peaks form. Beat in icing sugar and cornstarch just until stiff peaks form.
• Fold in 2 tablespoons of the green sugar, leaving ribbons of color. Dollop cream on top of each cheesecake and sprinkle with remaining green sugar (decorated cheesecakes can be loosely covered and refrigerated for up to 8 hours).
• COOKING TIP: If you need to trim the cookies, warm them in the oven for a few minutes to soften them and carefully cut with a cookie cutter or serrated knife.
• To make cheesecakes ahead, place cooled cakes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Decorate with sparkly cream the day of serving.