Mini Cheesecake

Ingredients

3/4 c crumbled chocolate-wafer cookies (about 18 cookies)

1/2 c sugar plus 1 tablespoon sugar plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1 pound cream cheese, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c sour cream

pinch of salt

1/2 c apricot jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Mix cookies and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Stir in butter. Press 1 tablespoon of mixture in bottom of each cup. Bake until set, about 7 min. Cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add 1/2 c sugar, then vanilla. While mixer is running add eggs slowly. Add sour cream and salt. Pour batter into muffin tins.

Bake until centers are wobbly about 20 min. Cool. Wrap tins tightly. Refrigerate 4 hrs.

Warm jam in saucepan until it forms a liquid. Strain though a sieve. Spoon 1 teaspoon jam on each cake. Then eat up!

I made these for a baby shower. I used vanilla wafers instead of chocolate wafers. The paper liners were of animals, because the shower was safari themed.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Mini Cheesecakes with Apricot Jam - Martha Stewart Recipes

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Dough
6 c flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 c room temp. butter
2 c white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt

Frosting
3/4 c warm water
5 tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
2.25 lbs powder sugar (usually a full bag)



Directions

Dough
Mix sugar and butter for four min. Add eggs and vanilla and mix again. Mix small amounts of dry ingredients at a time. I usually add 1/3 c at a time. After completely mixed, chill for one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to desired thickness after it has been chilled. Use your cute cookie cutters. This is the fun part of making cookies! I gave the pumpkins and ghosts faces. Cook 8-10 min. on an ungreased cookie sheet. My sunbeams loved the ghosts!



I found the dough recipe here.




Directions


Frosting
Whisk warm water and meringue powder in a bowl by hand. Stop whisking when it becomes frothy and thickened (around 30 sec.). Add the cream of tarter and mix 30 sec. Pour in all powdered sugar and mix with kitchen aid on lowest speed for 10 min. The icing will become creamy. Add food coloring and decorate. I found the frosting recipe at Sweetopia. If you are feeling ambitious around Christmastime, you could make these cute polar bears.




Or these Christmas trees. I love the little bunny.