Join Me in My Addiction!

Thank you for visiting my blog...and for allowing me to share with you my addiction. I love to collect recipes. I love to read cookbooks. I have been collecting recipes for as long as I can remember, and on any given day there are one or two (or more!) cookbooks residing on my nightstand!

This blog is chronicling my adventure as I fulfill my resolution of trying (at least) one new recipe each week. I hope that you enjoy!

I invite you to join me in my journey, simply by clicking the "Join this Site" link below. And please feel free to comment on any of the recipes, and pin away. Thanks, I look forward to sharing with you!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Nutella Cheesecake Bites

Fantastic sweet treat, perfect for a pot luck - Nutella Cheesecake Bites
Recently, we had a surprise 40th birthday party to attend.  I was SUPER excited about it for many reasons.  Not only were we going to see some friends we hadn't seen in a long while, it also meant that hubs and I had an evening out...it's been a few months since we've had an evening out together (crazy, hey?!).  The party was a pot luck, and I was stumped about what to bring for our portion of the pot luck.   I had plans to hit the grocery store the morning of the party (it had been a busy week leading up to the party and I hadn't made it sooner), but then one thing after another happened that Saturday and I couldn't get to the store.  With time dwindling and my brain racing, I opened the pantry and the fridge doors (the two are side-by-side) to see what we had and to think about what I could create. 

First this that caught my eye was a jar of Nutella.  "Hmmm," I thought to myself, "I haven't made anything with Nutella in a while, what can I do?"

A little searching in the fridge and I found some cream cheese.  Nutella and cream cheese...YES, those would go well together!  More thinking..."OK, I mix those up and they will taste good, but perhaps a little thick or too rich?  What else can I add?  What about whipping cream?! Yes, whipping cream!"

Take a look and nope...don't have any.  Thinking, thinking.  Wait a minute!  Hubs bought some Cool Whip a while ago, I wonder if there is any left?...Check the freezer and SCORE, there is most of a container there! 

Nutella, cream cheese and Cool Whip. I'm thinking these three things blended together should be pretty tasty! 

Now what...make it a mousse? Serve in a bowl to scoop?  That's a lot of dishes to do.  Don't want to do that to the hostess and "birthday boy". 

My brain is still working...There's got to be something more.  Back into the pantry.  Hmmm..a crumb pie crust?  I know I have graham cracker crumbs, which would do in a pinch, but I wonder, what about Oreo crumbs? Do I have any? 

Check the baking shelf, and score again! There is a partial box there! 

So...if I put the Nutella, cream cheese and Cool Whip all into the KitchenAid and mix it up well...create a pie crust from the oreo crumbs...voila, a cheesecake type of dessert! 

But wait, still hung up on those dishes...how can I make these "individual"... look in the baking cupboard and there are mini cupcake liners...but they are snowman patterned, do you think anyone would mind?  Hubs convinces me that snowmen will be fine, though I am not sold.  But I do it anyhow.  Make a pie crust base to line each of the mini cupcake cups.  Pop them into the fridge to set.  Make my cheesecake filling.  "Fill" the cupcake cups, sprinkle more crumbs on top for decoration, and everything back into the fridge to set.  And then I think to myself..."Oh man, I hope these turn out, and that they taste good!"  Verdict to follow...

Crust:

1 1/4 cups Oreo baking crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine the crumbs and butter, mix well.  Set out 30-35 mini cupcake liners on a tray.  Spoon the crumb mixture  into the mini cupcake liners.  Press the crumbs into the base of the liners to create the "crust".  Put the tray into the fridge so that the crust can set.  Meanwhile, work on the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake:

1 package cream cheese (softened)
3/4 cup Nutella
1 cup Cool Whip (thawed)

Blend all three together in a mixer.  I blended for a LONG time to ensure that there were no lumps of cream cheese. 

Remove the crusts from the fridge, then spoon the filling into each crust.  I had considered piping the filling into the crust, which I think I will do next time - but due to a lack of piping bags, I didn't try this time.  Once the crusts were filled, I sprinkled a few crumbs on top and put them back into the fridge to set.

Prior to leaving for the party, I took the tray out of the fridge and peeled off all of the cupcake liners.  Partially because I just couldn't go to a birthday party in October with snowmen cupcake liners, and partially because I thought they looked better anyhow without a liner.  I arranged them all on a tray, and we were off to the party.

VERDICT:
These were a HUGE hit.  Being in a room full of people I was able to gauge reaction without being too obvious.  When I saw people taking seconds almost immediately I knew that the recipe was a success!  Yay!  The birthday boy requested the recipe, as did a few others.  Woohoo! It's a keeper :-)

Note:  I did make sure that I made a little sign for the dessert in case there were any nut allergies (and there were...phew!). 

Did you know that you can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter?!

17 comments:

  1. Yum! My tummy is growling for these! And they look super easy too! How could they no be a huge hit? Please stop and link these yummy treats up at Whimsically Homemade's Mixer Monday Link Party! http://whimsicallyhomemade.blogspot.com/2012/10/mixer-monday-link-up-6.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks wonderful! and we love Nutella! I would love you to link this up to our recipe linky at Katies Language Cafe! ~~Katie http://www.katieslanguagecafe.com/2012/10/french-cuisine-fridays-recipe-link-up-4.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi your recipes look great and will be cooking some of them. Would love to link you to
    www.topyourcooking/recipes/

    ReplyDelete
  4. You had me at Nutella. We love the stuff! These look so delicious! Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week & come back soon ~EMM

    ReplyDelete
  5. I heart nutella. These sound so good :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Holy cow that looks yummy. Cannot wait to make it. Come and visit us today. We are having a great giveaway this week. A $75 swank bag from Pick Your Plum.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These sound amazing! Nutella--gotta love it! Following you and tweeting this now. Thanks for the recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yum!! Totally pinning these. THanks for sharing at Must Try Monady!

    ReplyDelete
  9. These look so delicious! I could eat Nutella right out of the jar, but in this recipe, they would be even better!

    Thank you for linking up to Foodie Friends Friday. I can't wait to see what you bring next week!

    By the way, I am now following your blog and twitter!
    Cynthia at http://FeedingBig.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  11. These look sinfully delicious! Yum! Thanks for sharing at Foodtastic Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  12. So glad I found your page. New follower. Can't wait to try this.YUMMMMM

    ReplyDelete
  13. LOVE IT!!! I'm going to be trying this!!

    Thanks for sharing at The DIY Dreamer… From Dream To Reality!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Can't wait to try this recipe :) Stopping by from Marvelous Monday!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These look delicious and easy. It caught my hubby's eye and he has requested I make them. Thanks so much for sharing at Fabulous Friday. I'm featuring you tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Absolutely love it when everything comes together like that! They looks yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  17. LOOKS SO YUMMY! I love nutella a lot!
    I would love if you link this posts to my Monday party tomorrow! XO
    http://lechateaudesfleurs.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so very much for visiting Addicted to Recipes! I love reading all your comments and will do my best to reply as quickly as I can. I sure hope you will come back and visit again soon!