Baby Cheesecakes excepted from The Cookie Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Photography by Matthew Septimus
This is your must-have cookie book, featuring nearly every cookie imaginable, from rustic Cranberry Chocolate Chippers to elegant French macarons, and everything in between—simple drop cookies, rolled-and-cut holiday cookies, brownies and other bars, pretty sandwich cookies, luxurious frosted or chocolate-dipped treats, and much more.
With legendary baker Rose Levy Beranbaum’s foolproof recipes—which feature detail-oriented instructions that eliminate guesswork, notes for planning ahead, ingenious tips, and other golden rules for success—it’s easy to whip up a batch of irresistible, crowd-pleasing cookies anytime, for any occasion. Standout classics and new favourites include:
- Rose’s Dream Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Lemon Lumpies
- Black Tahini Crisps
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Buttons
- Double Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Caramel Surprise Snickerdoodles
- Mom’s Coconut Snowball Kisses
- Chocolate Sablés
- Gingerbread Folks (with a special sturdy variation for gingerbread houses)
- Pecan Freezer Squares
- Brownie Doughnuts
- Brandy Snap Rolls
- Plus “extra special” details including homemade Dulce de Leche, Wicked Good Ganache, Lemon Curd, and more
The Cookie Bible is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.
Baby Cheesecakes
Makes: Twenty-four 1¼ inch mini cheesecakes
This could well be my favourite way to eat cheesecake. The two-bite size offers a perfect balance of textures and a perfect excuse to have more than one. The creamy texture and tangy flavour of the filling marry wonderfully with the cranberry topping here, but you could also use lemon curd.
Oven Temperature: 350°F / 175°C
Baking Time: 10 minutes
Special Equipment: Two twelve-cup mini muffin pans (1½ inches at the base), lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray and set a minimum of 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet; A disposable pastry bag with a ½ inch semicircle cut from the tip or a demitasse spoon.
CRUMB CRUST
Makes: 160 grams
unsalted butter 57 grams (4 tablespoons (½ stick))
graham cracker crumbs (8 to 8½ double crackers, 5 by 2¼ inch) 110 grams 1 cup (lightly packed after crushing)
In a 1 cup / 237 ml microwavable measure with a spout (or in a small saucepan over medium-low heat stirring often) melt the butter.
Food Processor Method
Break the crackers into the food processor and process them into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a few times, just until incorporated.
Hand Method
Place the crackers in a reclosable freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl. With a fork, stir in the melted butter, tossing lightly to incorporate.
Both Methods
Spoon 2 gently rounded measuring teaspoons (6.5 grams) of the crumb mixture into each cup of the prepared pans and press it in as evenly as possible. It works best to start by pressing the crumbs against the sides with a demitasse spoon and then using your index finger to press them evenly over the bottom. Set the pans in the refrigerator so that the crust will firm up while you make the filling.
FILLING
Makes: 380 grams
full-fat cream cheese 227 grams ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons
1 large egg
sugar 67 grams 1⁄3 cup
lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained 10 grams 2 teaspoons (10 ml)
pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml)
full-fat sour cream 30 grams 2 tablespoons
PREHEAT THE OVEN
Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack at the middle level. Set the oven at 350°F / 175°C.
MISE EN PLACE
Thirty minutes ahead, cut the cream cheese into roughly 1-inch cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and set on the counter to soften.
Thirty minutes ahead, into a 1 cup / 237 ml glass measure with a spout, weigh or measure the egg. Whisk lightly, cover tightly with plastic, and set on the counter.
MAKE THE FILLING
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, beat the cream cheese and sugar on low speed until the mixture begins to come together. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute, or until very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Gradually beat in the egg and continue beating until smooth.
On low speed, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
Add the sour cream and beat just until incorporated.
FILL THE CRUMB CRUSTS
Fill the prepared pastry bag and pipe the filling, or use a demitasse spoon to fill each crust to the top (14 to 15 grams each).
BAKE THE CHEESECAKES
Bake for 5 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway around. Continue baking for 5 minutes. The filling will puff up but deflate a little on cooling.
COOL AND CHILL THE CHEESECAKES
Set the pans on a wire rack and let the cheesecakes cool completely, then refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, up to overnight. It is best to invert a pan over them to prevent them from absorbing other odours in the fridge.
CRANBERRY TOPPING
water 59 grams ¼ cup (59 ml)
superfine sugar 75 grams ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons
cranberries (fresh or frozen) 100 grams 1 cup
cornstarch 6 grams 2 teaspoons
MAKE THE CRANBERRY TOPPING
In a small saucepan, with a silicone spatula, stir together the water, sugar, cranberries, and cornstarch, then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, without stirring, for 1 minute, swirling the pan often. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
TOP THE CHEESECAKES
Use a small spoon to place 3 or 4 cranberries, with their syrup, on each cheesecake.
UNMOLD THE CHEESECAKES
Fill the sink or a roasting pan with a few inches of hot tap water. Carefully dip each pan into the water for about 30 seconds; do not allow the water to reach the tops of the pans. Slip a small metal spatula between the crust and the pans to pop out the cakes.
STORE Airtight: refrigerated, 1 week.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.