layered mini cheesecakes

Have you ever bit into a cheesecake that has a delicious thin bottom crust and secretly hoped that you can have more of that crunchy texture mixed with the cheesecake in every bite? No? Well, I know I did and I have been tinkling with the idea of having multi-layered crust cheesecake for awhile. When I saw that the theme for Aspiring Bakers April 2012 is Layers of Love, I decided to make some.

Layered Mini Cheesecakes

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used digestive biscuits)
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp butter or margarine (I used butter)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp orange juice
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
fruity preserve or jam of choice (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 165 degree C. Line muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine with a fork until combined. Measure a rounded teaspoon of the mixture into the bottom or the muffin cup, pressing firmly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5 minuted, then remove to cool. Keep the oven on.
3. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, juice, zest and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the egg.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into 6 of the muffin cups, filling about 1/2 full. Transfer the crusts from the other 6 unfilled cups into the filled ones. Top up with the remaining cream cheese mixture. Bake at 165 degree C for 25 mins. Cool completely in pan before removing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Top with preserve or jam of choice before serving.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.

One great thing about these mini cheesecakes is the controllable portion. Seriously, how many of us, urban cubicle dwellers with hardly any weekly exercise, will ever whoop down a giant piece of cheesecake without feeling a single ounce of guilt?

Another great thing, they are absolutely tasty and so easy to make. I am the sort of baker that will be happy to try any interesting recipe as long as it does not take up too much of my free time. My baking philosophy is always - simple, tasty and sustainable (to let me have to energy to keep on baking), period :).

Oh, these cheesecakes actually have a small indent on them after being baked, which will hold the preserve/jam topping nicely as well.

One complain I have of them is that the crust crumbles ever so easily... I tried to google whether there is any solution to it, some people suggested chilling the base. Well, maybe next time I will try it.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #18 Layers of Love (April 2012) hosted by Sam of Sweet Samsations.