No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Chris made this amazing cheesecake for our Valentine's Day dinner!  

The recipe comes from the website My Baking Addiction.  It calls for making adorable little individual cheesecakes, but we didn't have enough small bowls to use up the filling.  So Chris just put it in a pie pan and made a big cheesecake instead.

This recipe is DIVINE.  Make it.  It's rare to find a recipe that is so simple and this good!!!

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

For the Crust
12 Oreo cookies, crushed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the Garnish
whipped topping, optional
chocolate shavings, optional
toasted, chopped hazelnuts, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Evenly divide the crumbs between your individual serving dishes and press into the bottoms of the dishes to form a crust layer.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended and no streaks remain.

3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

4. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, chocolate shavings, and/or toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

Cheesecake-Stuffed Peaches

My mother-in-law gave me this recipe when we visited NY this summer, but we didn't have a chance to make it until tonight.  And they just happened to be here to try it with us!  They were delicious, and quite easy to prepare.

The recipe originally appeared in the August 2011 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

Cheesecake-Stuffed Peaches

6 peaches, halved and pitted
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 Tbsp, cinnamon-sugar*
1/2 of an 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.  Trim a very thin slice from the round side of each peach half so the halves will stand flat on the paking pan.  Dip each peach half in melted butter to coat.  Arrange peach halves, cut sides up, in prepared pan.  Sprinkle cut sides of peaches with cinnamon-sugar; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Beat until combined.  Spoon cream cheese mixture into peach centers.

Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until lightly browned and softened.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes 6 servings.  Serve with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, if desired.

*Note:  Use a purchased cinnamon-sugar mixture or combine 3 Tbsps granulated sugar with 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Here's what they looked like just out of the oven!

Easy Chocolate Lover's Cheesepie

This recipe is so delicious, Chris has requested it many times for his birthday cake!  And it's super easy.  It is very, very rich, so you can only eat a small piece.  It's much more intense than cheesecake.

It came from a recipe card from Hershey's.

Easy Chocolate Lover's Cheesepie

3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 9oz graham cracker crumb crust (the bigger size)
2 Tbsp whipping cream

Heat oven to 450.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.  Stir in 1 2/3 cups of the chocolate chips.  Pour into crust.

Bake 10 minutes.  WITHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR reduce heat to 250.  Continue baking for 30 minutes or until just set.  Remove from oven to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Cover, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Place remaing 1/3 cups chocolate chips and whipping cream in microwave safe bow.  Microwave on high 20-30 seconds or until chips are just melted (stir half way through and check frequently -- chocolate retains it shape when melting and can burn very easily!).  Mixture should be smooth when stirred.  Cool slightly.  Spread over cheesepie.  Refrigerate 15 minutes or until topping is set.  Serve cold.