my NO BAKE cheesecakes, yeah, I do them in jars so that not only do I not have to cook but i can simply reach into the fridge and open a jar of cheesecake, c'mon, is there anything better?

This basic no bake cheesecake recipe can be used as a jumping off point for your own creativity or made as is and enjoyed by all. It's quick, easy and most of all, completely delicious

We are going to make cheesecake today.  There are a handful of ingredients that I'm sure you have in your fridge.  We aren't going to bake it.  We are mixing, dividing, chilling and eating and then, I will be your very best friend.

Trust me here. I haven’t led you astray yet and I am on a mission not to. I could wax poetic about how delicious these ridiculous little tarts are but I could never, and I mean never, do them justice. Check your fridge, be sure you have the ingredients. I’d be shocked if you didn’t, and make them, now!

You will need some sort of vessel to hold these little darlings. My favorite is the 3” springform pan, this will make two.  You can make a quick graham cracker crust for each. I confess, today I cheated and used the 6 mini graham cracker tart pans from the store, $1.49, I didn’t think I could make them cheaper to be honest. Another option is the 8” graham cracker crust. Go with what you like here.

Another option to contain this most delicious filling is to use no crust at all, try diving the mixture between ramekins, your choice on size or number and chilling.  When you serve, that's when your creative juices can flow.  Feel like fruit?  Add some on top.  Granola will allow you and your friends to pretend this is health food.  Try nuts, pecans work beautifully (because I am in Texas and you become morally obligated to only use pecans when you live here, determining addition uses for pecans is also on the entry exam I think). Walnuts are a good alternative and less expensive generally.  Cookie or graham cracker crumbs on top give crunch and the feeling of a crust without having to do any real crust work.

TRACY'S NO BAKE LEMON CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS

Cheesecake filling

1/2 cup whipping cream

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1 TB lemon juice

zest from about half a lemon

1/4 cup or less sugar

pinch of salt

Cracker crumb base

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

METHOD 

Combine cracker crumbs and butter and salt and sugar and divide between 4 mason jars as a base or use a whole premade base, it's all your choice here... 

In bowl 1

Whip half a cup of whipping cream to gentle firm peaks (just use a whisk, even *I* can whip half a cup to peaks without fretting or tears)

In bowl 2, BEAT until smooth and creamy, completely smooth and creamy

8 oz room temperature cream cheese

THEN beat in;

1 Tablespoon lemon juice and the zest from about half the lemon

1/4 cup sugar 

pinch of salt

Add Bowl 1 to Bowl 2 gently and mix (fold) them together so that the whipped cream doesn’t completely deflate.  If seeing the word "fold" in a recipe sends you screaming from the room, you aren't feeling chef-y or don't get the whole idea of folding, basically, just stir them gently together until they are just combined.  Spoon into whatever vessel strikes your fancy and put in the fridge to chill/firm up.

     

Grate some lemon zest over it to make it look pretty and then get online and let me know how crazy delicious, smooth, creamy, tart, sweet, crunchy, lemony and wonderful you think this is.  Really, I'll be waiting.

Go make this...  you're going to be delighted


My pictures got corrupted so I'll just have to make more and take more pics so they are to follow!


/enjoy

THE Pressure Cooker Creamy Cheesecake, with my oh so secret topping, in a 7 inch springform pan, better than all of them :) trust me THIS is the one you want to make

I love cheesecake, I love smooth, creamy cheesecake.  I don't like that crumbly style cheesecake, if that's the sort you like, avert your eyes because this is smooth, creamy, delicious and makes you want more more more of it.

I have to admit, I usually make the mini cheesecake in a jar:
http://www.tracycooksinaustin.com/2013/01/mini-pressure-cooker-cheesecake-in-jars.html

BUT sometimes I need a whole cheesecake to present, or just to make :).  I do own a 7 inch springform pan, go get one, they're fabulous for not only cheesecake but bread pudding, other cakes, all made in my pressure cooker.  Yeah, it's pretty crazy how much deliciousness you can make in one pan. But, as usual, I digress.  This is super easy, no fuss, no drama or leaving things in open ovens or fretting over the cracks, oh hell, life is way too short for that.  This is straight forward, 15 min cook time and a few minutes of rest then a chill and there you have it, one of the best cheesecakes I have ever made and have ever had.

TRACY'S CREAMY CHEESECAKE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
12 graham crackers
4 1/2 Tbsp of soft or melted butter

FILLING
2 blocks ROOM TEMPERATURE (8 oz each) cream cheese
1Tbsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
drizzle of lemon juice (optional)

TOPPING
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp sugar

Ok, there you go.

METHOD

Combine crackers and butter in cuisinart, press into a 7 inch springform pan.
Clean bowl :) sorry but we can't have crumbs in our cheesecake
Combine 2 blocks cream cheese with sugar, lemon, vanilla, salt till smooth smooth smooooooth
Add 2 eggs and a drizzle of lemon if you're using it
Combine and leave to beat for a couple of minutes you want smooooooooooth, scrape down a few times.
Pour lovely smooth soft mixture into the lined pan.

IN pressure cooker, put about 2 cups of water and a trivet that fits in the bottom, I got mine at the dollar store, it's a warmer that you use with a tea candle, cost me a buck,  Use what you have.

Make an aluminum sleeve, purely to help lift the cake from the cooker, if you don't want to, don't.

Place cheesecake on trivet over the water, lock and load, high pressure, 15 minutes.

DING, just unplug your unit and leave it to come down naturally, about 10 minutes?  Open it and if there's a little water on top of your cheesecake just tip it and use kitchen paper to dab it up, no worries, it's just condensation from resting while the pressure came down.

While the cheesecake is still warm, put the topping on it, gently smooth it out and leave it on the counter to cool completely.

Cover and put in the fridge..  8 hours... wait for it, wait for it, trust me now.........

PLAY BY PLAY PICS.....

    

    

   

   

   

I like a little of my strawberry compote drizzled on top but ANY topping is great, fresh fruit, chocolate, caramel, anything at all

  

You're going to want to go and make this, seriously, right now.  I'd wax poetic and tell you more details of how wonderful this is but, c'mon, I have a plate and a fork and, well.............cheesecake

/enjoy

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