Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Wanting to celebrate National Cheesecake Day, (which is tomorrow, Sunday the 30th by the way) but find yourself with very little time, baking knowledge or motivation?

Fear not for today, along with some great Aldi Baking products, I am going to help you create tasty morsels of delight, in plenty of time for National Cheesecake Day*. Sure what more could you want?

*Imagine my telephone voice... Can you tell I have always wanted my own baking show?! Haha!

These mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake are genuinely simple and really delicious! A ready made cookie dough, chopped up and squashed into the bottom of some cupcake liners form the base. A creamy mix of 5.. FIVE folks.. that's one hands worth of ingredients makes the cheesecake mixture, forms the baked filling with some extra chocolate chips thrown in for good measure!

This cheats bake, easy make is perfect for those with limited baking experience or for those of you who want something nice to have, but want as little effort as possible! Aldi and I have got you both covered.

Cheesecake Mixture

400g cream cheese, softened

200g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g chocolate chips

Crust

1 packet Cookie Dough, chopped and shaped into 12 circles

Whipped Cream Topping

250ml double cream

2 tbsp icing sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Putting it together...

Preheat oven to 180C/350F or Gas mark 4.  

Line a 12 hole cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Press a circle of cookie dough into the bottom of each cavity.

In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and the sugar together.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in miniature chocolate chips.

Pour cream cheese mixture into each cupcake liner about  ¾ of the way full.

Bake for 20 minutes, then turn off oven and leave the door slightly open to allow the cheesecakes to cool for a further 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack before removing from pan. They may dip in the centre during cooling.

Whisk together sugar and the double cream until stiff peaks form.

Top cheesecakes with whipped cream and serve. 

***Disclaimer: Sponsored Post*** 

Aldi very kindly, provided me with the ingredients to bring this post together.

All comments and views however, are completely my own.

Brown Sugar Peach Pie

The weather has changed slightly with a good north westerly breeze helping me get all my clothes dry but it also had me putting on a cardigan! I was adamant, after the beautiful weather we had, that I wouldn't put back on my winter clothes. But still, it is a little chilly so I needed something warm and fuzzy to fill me.

This tray bake pie was to be it and good thing too, as it felt warm and summery as soon as we started eating it. It's also a very homely pie, perfect for sharing with pots of strong tea and really suited an evening after dinner reminiscing the Irish Summer as we looked out at the return of the rain!!

A full fat, Irish Dairy butter short crust pastry keeps the peaches in place, holding in all that lovely, sticky, sweet mess. The peaches offer that perfect blend of texture to help balance out the sweet flavours of the brown sugar and bourbon. The cinnamon helps make the pie rustic, satisfying and homespun. Perfect for this time of year.

Brown Sugar Peach Pie

The Pastry:

480g plain flour

100g icing sugar

300g diced cold butter (+ a little extra for greasing the pan)

2 large free range eggs

The Peaches:

4 cans of peach slices

125g demerara sugar

2 tbsp of bourbon

1 tsps cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 180C, 350F or Gas Mark 4.

Put the flour, butter and icing sugar into a food processor and blitz until looks like breadcrumbs. Crack in the egg and bring together until a soft ball forms.

Split into two balls, one slightly larger than the other.

Wrap in clingfilm, pat down and leave in fridge for 30 mins.

Add all the ingredients for “The Peaches” into a bowl and toss about until coated. Set to one side, to rest.

Grease with the extra butter, a rectangular baking tray, ideally 9x13 and about 2 inch deep.

When the balls come back out of the fridge, roll them out, the size of your tray pan. Place on rectangle of pastry into the tray and let any excess hang over the edges.

Using a slotted spoon fill the pan with the peaches, being careful not to add in any juice that may have seeped out during resting. Spread out evenly.

Cutting strips of pastry with the other rectangle layer them over the pan, pulling alternate strips back and layering the opposite direction to give a lattice effect.

Once the top has been covered over, turn in the edges of pastry that were hanging over and pinch to close. Brush the top of the pastry with the peach juices left over in the bowl, toss some demerara over the top.

Bake the whole thing in your pre heated for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling inside.

Leave to cool for about 15 minutes and serve warm with a big dollop of ice cream. 

Simple and delicious!!

Sure what more could you want on these not so summer days?