Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

I had been eyeing this recipe on Kraftfoods.com for quite some time. All the reviews were positive and it looked pretty easy to make. I think I was waiting for the berries to be in season so I didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for them. For the record, I like my food quick, easy, delicious, and CHEAP! I figured that since today is our nation's Independence Day and everything is red, white, and blue, this would be a perfect day to dive in. Not to mention the blueberries and strawberries were on sale!

This is an excellent summer dessert! It is light, creamy, fruity, and refreshing on a hot summer's day. I didn't have Cool Whip so I didn't add that but the dessert was still amazing. I think the Cool Whip just makes it a more fluffy and less dense pudding. This dessert would be a great addition to any potluck or dinner party if you put it in a trifle dish to serve a crowd. After making it I was thinking about all kinds of variations of it as well. You could do chocolate pudding with brownies, you could subsitute pound cake for Nilla wafers, you could use lemon pudding instead of vanilla for a more citrusy taste....the possibilities are endless! 

Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

Source: Kraftfoods.com

Ingredients:

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups cold milk

1 package (3.4oz) Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding

1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip whipped topping, divided

24 Nilla Wafers, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups mixed blueberries and sliced fresh strawberries

 
Directions:
1. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk.
2. Add dry pudding mix and mix well, about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup Cool Whip.
3. Layer half of each of the wafers, berries and pudding mixture in parfait glasses. Repeat layers.
4. Top with a dollop of Cool Whip and garnish with berries.

Layered Mocha Cheesecake



Honestly, after reading the title of this post do you really need to know why I wanted to make this cheesecake?! Well, since you are already here I might as well give you the story. For Easter this year, my in-laws got a huge suite at a hotel/water park in the Wisconsin Dells for the entire family to stay at. We were all in charge of bringing an appetizer. Well, there were going to be 4-5 appetizers so I decided I'd bring dessert. I had been eyeing a Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake from Kraftfoods.com but when I mentioned it to Kurt he said that he wanted a mocha cheesecake. I thought long and hard about what kind of cheesecake to make. In the end....I chose both!!! I am personally not a huge fan of mocha, or anything coffee flavored for that matter, but I am a sucker for my husband and love making him happy with my food. I searched a lot of websites for a good looking mocha cheesecake and, after what felt like forever, found this little gem! There was definitely more prep work involved with this cheesecake but man-alive it was totally worth it! The coffee flavor is not overpowering (which I was afraid of) and the chocolate crust with a chocolate cheesecake layer and chocolate on top.....divine! I think that next time I'd make the very top chocolate layer a ganache so it's a little creamier. Other than that, this was a perfect cheesecake!

Layered Mocha Cheesecake

Source: Food.com

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crumbled cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (better yet, use Oreo crumbs)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

2 tbsp instant coffee granules & 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules 

1 tbsp boiling water

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

4-8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Glaze:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp butter

chocolate covered coffee beans (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 9 inch springform pan.

2. In a small bowl, combine the coffee granules, water and cinnamon; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter in half.

4. Stir melted chocolate into one portion; pour over crust. Stir coffee mixture into the remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer.

5. Place pan on a double thickness of heavy duty foil. Securely wrap foil around pan. Place in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of hot water to larger pan.

6. Bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator and refrigerate overnight (this awesome trip prevents cracking!).

5. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Spread over cheesecake. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with coffee beans if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

This is what my kitchen looked like as the cheesecake went in the oven...total disaster zone!!