Delicious Dessert for a crowd…

Chocolate Ginness Cheesecake Cupcakes

Tomorrow night I am going to a friend’s birthday party.  I am not sure how many people will be attending but I do know that this is sure to be a fun beer guzzling crew having a rockin’ good time.  So I thought this dessert would go well with the beer and atmosphere.

Enjoy your dessert.

Chocolate Guinness Cheesecake Cupcakes

Servings 36 cupcakes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Bake time: 30 minutes

Refrigeration time: overnight

Estimated Values per cupcake:

Calories = 200                                              Fat =  6 grams

Preheat oven 325^o

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed pretzels

3 tablespoons + 1 ¼ cups sugar

¼ cup low calorie butter spread, melted

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup Guinness draft beer, left open to become flat

2 packages (8 ounces each) low fat cream cheese, softened

2 packages (8 ounces each) fat free cream cheese, softened

1 cup egg substitute

2 eggs

½ cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Position 2 oven racks in center and lower third of oven.  Place a roasting pan on the lower rack and fill halfway with water.  Fill 3 12-cup muffin pans with paper cupcake liners and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine pretzel crumbs and 3 tablespoons sugar then stir in butter spread.  Press crumb mixture on bottom of 36 cupcake cups.
3. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high in 15 second intervals until melted.  Stir in Guinness and let stand.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheeses and 1 ¼ cup sugar on high speed until fluffy, for about 3 – 4 minutes.  Beat in egg substitute slowly then eggs, one at a time.  Stir in Guinness mixture, cocoa, flour and vanilla into batter until blended.  Separate evenly among cupcake cups.
5. Bake cheesecake cupcakes on the on center rack for 30 minutes the batter no longer giggles and is slightly cracked on top.  Turn off oven and let stand in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and let rest for 1 hour.
7. Refrigerate for 1additional hour.

Chocolate Guinness Ganache

Ingredients:

1 cup Guinness draft, left open to become flat

18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, heat Guinness until it comes to a boil.
2. When the beer has come to a boil, pour oven chocolate and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour ganache over cheesecake cupcakes and refrigerate overnight.

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Things don’t always work as planned…

Tonight we had roast pork loin and cabbage for dinner.  It was too spicy so I have to continue to work on this recipe before I share it with you.  I did, however, bake a low fat cheesecake that I think is worth your time to try.  I am not a big fan of cheesecake but I really enjoy this because it is nothing like the dense kind that makes me feel like I am eating cream cheese from the tub.  Enjoy & Happy Cooking!!

Cheesecake Soufflé

NOTE: It is important to bring the ingredients to room tempurature before preparing the batter.

Serves 8 – 10

Preheat oven to 325^o

Ingredients:

¼ cup reduced calorie/reduced fat butter spread – melted

1 cup graham-cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

6 egg whites – room temperature

1 ½ cups egg substitute – room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar plus 3 Tablespoons of sugar

8 oz. fat free cream cheese – softened

11 ounces low fat cream cheese – softened

3 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups low fat sour cream –  room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix melted butter spread with crumbs and press on the bottom and sides of a spring-form pan.
2. Add cream of tarter to egg whites and beat until foamy.
3. Gradually add 3 Tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff.
4. In a different mixing bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups sugar, flour and salt with the paddle attachment on the mixer.
5. Add cream cheese and beat on high until well blended.
6. Add egg substitute, slowly, until thoroughly mixed.
7. Remove paddle attachment and put on whisk attachment and add sour cream and vanilla to the egg mixture.
8. In a large bowl, fold egg whites into egg mixture and pour into the pan.
9. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes or until firm.

10. Turn off oven and open door slightly but leave the cake in for 10-20 minutes.

11. Remove cake from oven and let stand until cake is cool.  Chill and serve.