Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Mini Pressure Cooker Cheesecake in Jars

**** for those looking, the recipe for the 7" pressure cooker cheesecake with topping is here:
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2016/09/the-pressure-cooker-creamy-cheesecake.html

I ALSO have done a fudge lava cake in a jar in the pressure cooker, oh yes I did, baby, there's also a howto video on my youtube channel
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2017/08/pressure-cooker-molten-chocolate-lava.html


OK, the mini cheesecakes, there's nothing I won't cook in a jar OR in a pressure cooker

Seriously? Cheesecake, mini cheesecake, in jars, in the pressure cooker and you're just going to wing it?


OH.YES.I.DID! and it was GREAT!!!

I had a kitchen alchemy day today and you will not BELIEVE how good these mini cheesecakes turned out! I created a recipe that will be my new go-to.  There is a second batch cooking now and if they turn out as brilliantly, then I'll get this post completed for you in the morning.

I have been doing cheesecakes in jars, all sorts of pies in jars actually, forever.  I laugh when I see people talking about the "new" trend, seriously?  Anyway I had to try to come up with a recipe for the pressure cooker because I'm on a mission to expand my repertoire.

You will NEVER believe the silky texture of these little gems.  These are quick to make, quick to cook (SEVEN minutes) and quick to chill, mine only took about an hour and a half.

Tracy's Mini Pressure Cooker Cheesecake in a Jar

2 graham crackers, crushed
1 tbsp room temperature butter (no need to melt)
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp sugar

4 oz cream cheese
2 Tbsp sour cream
a little lemon zest
the juice of a lemon
tsp vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
1/4 cup sugar (more or less for taste)
pinch of salt
1 egg

Quickie instructions 

Combine crumbs, butter, salt, sugar in mixer or by hand.
Divide into 4 mini mason jars, tamp lightly.
Mix remaining ingredients until very smooth
Divide between jars, cover each with foil, loosely.
Pressure cook jars on trivet, over 2 cups water for 7 minutes.
Allow to release naturally.
Remove, cool, eat.

Longwinded, rambling, commentary with some pictures instructions:

Ok, so I absolutely cannot believe how well these turned out, crazy!  Who pressure cooks a cheesecake, well I guess *I* do now and so do you.  The taste is delicious, any cheesecake recipe will work I suppose but this is mine.  The texture is light and airy while still being dense and creamy and delicious, I am dying to hear how you like it. 

Throw the crackers and a blob of butter in your fabulous Magic Bullet.  Whirrrrr and press it into 4 waiting mini mason jars.  See how pretty mine are tamped down?  I actually HAVE a wooden tamper, really, we all already knew that I would.  However, when I cannot find it in the very chaotic drawer, I just use the handle end of my biggest wooden spoon to gently press the crumbs into these jars.  Works well when we line with pastry too, just a FYI.  

I get my jars here: 



 I'm classy like that. I cook, steam, bake, freeze and bake from frozen in them.  Take the plunge and load up on them.  

  
Here's the mixture, just beat the heck out of it in a measuring cup, it's about 1 1/2 liquid.  Be sure to TASTE this for the tartness level you like!!!  If you're squeamish then taste before the egg if you're not then after.  TASTE TASTE TASTE.  LOOK how evenly this divided, wow, I'm on a roll this year.  Cover each loosely with a piece of foil, just to keep the water off the top, and put on a trivet in the pressure cooker.
  

LOCK AND LOAD 7 MINUTES!  Leave to release on it's own, I left it 8 minutes and opened, there was a little squirt but that's all.

Here is one of them the next morning, I didn't tighten the foil so it separated a little more from the side of the jar.  Big whoop, I'm going to remove it anyway. Run around the side with a tiny knife, being sure you're all the way at the bottom to release the crust too, loosen the cake from the jar.  *Are there sweeter words to be spoken?*
  
Let's just take a moment...  yeah, it's creamy and thick and ... well, we all know this is going to be good.  When you loosen it, gently turn the knife with the jar on it's side and it will gently slip onto your waiting fingers, look for a moment, avoid the temptation to pop it in your mouth and put it on a plate.
   
*sigh*  I'm so proud.  Admire it for a moment then... with a very hot knife cut it in half and look at it.  Smooth and creamy and thick and delicious...  then...  oh alright, go on, dive in.
  


There you go, mini cheesecake in a jar in the pressure cooker.  You can tart it up any way you can think of, I'm already thinking of ways to chocolate it and will post any creations I devise. 

I'm sure you have 2 graham crackers and a half a pack of cream cheese in your fridge, seriously, go make this. 

/enjoy   

77 comments:

  1. Thank you, Tracy!! I've been looking for a recipe just like this! You're terrific!

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  2. Hello Tracy:

    I would like to try this recipe. I would like to know if it should be cooked at high or low pressure. By the way I made the 3 minutes flan/custard and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipes!

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  3. This looks interesting, cant wait to try. I bought the graham cracker crumbs ahead of time, since I've been thinking of making a cheesecake in the pressure cooker. I wanted to know what 2 graham crackers measured so I can use the crumbs and get busy making this cheesecake! Looks delicious and so simple. Thanks!

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  4. What is a mini mason jar? A pint? Maybe a half pint jam jar?

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  5. What is a mini mason jar....a half pint jam jar? A pint jar? I can't tell by your pics. Thanks for the blog.

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  6. How much sugar????????????????

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  7. Oh YUM!! I would just serve them straight from the jar, with some cherry pie filling on top!

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  8. I've been reading pressure cooker recipes for about 3 weeks, and just got mine today. An electric 6 qt. GoWise that even makes yogurt. I don't know what to make first, but because my mom has a bad cold, and I have the stuff to make chicken soup for her, I'm locked in. But I'd bet she'd love this, too. Well, after the Thanksgiving party tomorrow, (I'm not cooking, I'm a guest!) I'll be making both, I'll bet. I only need cream cheese. Oh, oops, my jars are in storage. (moved recently)
    Well, soon, anyway. Thanks for such a great inspiration. I have jars, but no small baking pans. The very best part of this is the freezing. YAY! I hadn't though of that before, and I've not read it elsewhere. How Great is that?
    Regarding doing things that are on trend, I'm finding out the same thing about sewing. I'm just starting to see 'up-cycled' clothes, like I haven't done that for 45 years or so. lol

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  9. Have you ever made/frozen flan, creme brulee, or custard in a jar? I doubt I could ever make enough not to eat in a couple of days, but what if I got sick and couldn't drive or eat? lol

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  10. all the time, it works fine, eat all the flan, it's eggs, it's technically breakfast isn't it? hahaha
    http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/01/pressure-cooker-creme-caramel-or-flan.html

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  11. I have a really uninformed question. Instead of using foil, why can't you put on the rings and lids loosely? What is it that makes the foil necessary? I see this being done in a lot of the IP community and it just confuses me. There has to be a reason.

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    Replies
    1. Hey TOnya, the foil won't 'seal' during the process and the foil just keeps the moisture off the top.

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    2. Tracy have you ever tried actually canning these for later, like actually trying to seal them with rings and lids?

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  12. I noticed in your recipe that you listed 1 TBS Sugar for the crust, but in your Cheesecake filling you just listed 1/4 Sugar....not sure if you meant 1/4 tsp or 1/4 cup. Thank you...

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  13. I just finished a batch. Can't wait to try them. Love these pots. Just got the second one.

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  14. Just finished first batch of cheesecakes. Can't wait to try them. Love my instant pot no 2!

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  15. Loved these! easy to make and easier to eat! Yum!!!

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  16. I just got an instant pot and love this idea for my book club. Would one of these little jars per person be a good amount? I was thinking of making plain cheesecakes like you did and then having toppings available, thanks for the cute idea!

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    Replies
    1. they're perfect for book club :) perfect amount because they're rich and decadent! enjoy!!!

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    2. Have a few extras just in case. I do these for picnics and family BBQ's. So easy to transport and eat (with lids, of course) Someone always wants seconds!

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  17. I have a new electric pressure cooker. So just set it to cook for 7 minutes only?
    What setting, soup, chicken, rice? Does it matter?

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    Replies
    1. just timer for 7 minutes... mine doesn't have many specific timer buttons... I need to get my hands on an instantpot so i can see what you guys are seeing...

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  18. Mmmm... I think I'm going to add a little lemoncello to mine.

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  19. I have never made a cheesecake in my life, so when I got my new IP and found your recipe I had to try. It didn't seem done after the first go around so I put it back in for another 4 mins high pressure and just 2 mins NP. It looked liked they had overflowed :( Did I just over cook them? Still tastes fabulous!! Just don't look as pretty as yours. Thanks!!

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    Replies
    1. it sounds as though you overcooked them. they do puff up as they bake then deflate. they should be a little jiggly, try again! :D

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  20. Would Pampered Chef 1 cup prep bowls work?

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  21. Does the foil need to be loose? Can I screw on the covers on the jars so I can pile another layer of jars on top of it?

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    Replies
    1. hi there; the foil does need to be loose it's to keep the water off. do not seal the jars! You can put jars in, put a sheet of foil loosely over them and put another trivet on those and put another layer :) good luck!

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  22. Could you do these and seal them for shelf life?

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    Replies
    1. they stay in the fridge, sealed, for a while but they're still better eaten sooner rather than later :)

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    2. Tracy, I agree with you. I would be hesitant to expect anything with eggs in it to be shelf stable. The risk of food poisoning would be far to high to even consider it.

      Thanks for being safe and promoting safety in all you do!

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  23. Hi

    How much lemon again? Juice of 1 whole lemon?

    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. as much as you'd like... start with a tablespoon and taste to your degree of tartness :)

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  24. My IP came with a small trivet. Does the water touch the jars, just doesn't go to the surface or does the water absolutely not touch the jars? Thanks

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    Replies
    1. oh no, the water is only a couple of inches deep, no water touching the jars at all

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  25. Someone just posted to this recipe. So glad to "meet" you! Can't wait to try this.

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  26. Hi,
    I couldn't get my cheesecake mixture to be smooth like yours. I used the kitchen aid and then tried by hand. Do you think it's because my cream cheese was too cold?

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    Replies
    1. guaranteed... you can nuke it a for a moment to help soften it next time if you forget to leave it out

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  27. Hi Tracy! I'm making these again due to popular demand! Everyone loved getting their own little jar :) Some folks at the superbowl are GF so I just skip the crust on a few jars. Awesome! Thanks!!! --Amy

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    Replies
    1. oh that simply delights me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  28. I made these cute, tasty guys on Thursday and am making them again for a dinner party tonight! Thank you for this recipe!

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  29. I used a 3 oz package of Teddy Grahams, doubled the butter and left out the sugar in the crust for four small custard cups and they came out great. I can fit three custard cups on a trivet in my Instant Pot, so I balanced the fourth cup in the center on top of the three and everything came out fine (all cups covered with foil).

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  30. Hi Tracy, I've never made cheesecake before. Tried your recipe but they didn't turn out as pretty as yours. I read a post from someone that theirs were not cooked enough after 7 minutes, so I set the IP for 9 minutes. The middle got all wrinkly and deflated A LOT. Did I do something wrong? Thanks in advance for your reply.

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    Replies
    1. sounds way over cooked to me... :) give it another try!

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  31. Can I safely double the recipe to use 8 jars and offset stack them in the Instant Pot? If so, would the cooking time be the same?

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    Replies
    1. yes, you sure can and it is the same time

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  32. When you say 2 graham crackers, do you mean 4 or 8 individual squares? Thanks, can't wait to try!

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  33. If I wanted to use 8 oz jars instead of 4 oz, do I just double the recipe for 4? What would be the cook time?

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    Replies
    1. it won't work in the deep jars, it cooks funny. the short wider jars just add a minute but you'll have to experiment

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  34. How long do you think they should cook if I used 8 oz ramkins?

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    Replies
    1. dont make it in the tall ramekins but the low wide ones will be the same time as the thickness doesn't change just the width

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  35. Amy, there are also GF options for the crust. My granddaughter prefers "S'morables" graham cracker style crackers. She will eat them plain or make s'mores with them. That's what I use for a GF crust.

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    Replies
    1. that's what a friend of mine does too, there's a ton of gf options, also you can do this with no crust at all

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  36. Tracy how can in incorporate pumpkin into this recipe? Thanks

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    Replies
    1. i've added a big blob of pumpkin (pie filling) into the mix and it's worked beautifully, it increased the volume so you get another jar or two, you can also add canned plain pumpkin but be sure you add lots of spice to amp up the flavor, cinnamon and nutmeg and the insanely delicious "pumpkin pie spice" I don't decrease anything when i add the flavorings. enjoy!

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    2. About 1/2 C of pumpkin do you think? Did you omit the lemon juice when you made it with pumpkin? Thanks!

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  37. Why do we use sour cream in the minis recipe but we don't use sour cream in the 7-inch round recipe?

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    Replies
    1. it adds moisture that the big one gets from other ingredients, also the big one gets the sour cream in the topping :D

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  38. Mine didn't come out as tall. Still delicious

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  39. Your text says "I get my jars here:" and then there is nothing after that. Not really sure what I was supposed to get, I found 4 ounce glass jars with white plastic lids at Walmart - hope they work!

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    1. eeek! thanks for pointing that out... i got my jars from walmart too :)

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  40. When cooking in the oven your jars can't touch. Can they touch in a Instant pot?

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  41. Can I simply halve the recipe to make 2 mini cheesecake instead of two?

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  42. Also, more water implies a longer time to reach the boiling point which consumes more energy; more gas or electric power. Ultimately, one of the main reasons why cookers are so popular is mainly because they let food to cook at a much quicker rate.Buy best puttu maker online India

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