Strawberry Cheesecake with Golden Oreo Crust

These little tasty delights were an unexpected star at the Princess' Lady bug birthday party! Are you a cheesecake fan? I know some people that are absolutely in love with cheesecake. I enjoy it but it's not my go-to indulgence. Let me tell you though, these little baby's were good! 

I knew that I wanted a dessert in addition to the fabulous chocolate cake in case some people don't like chocolate, *gasp*, I know! But I do know people who can live without chocolate. But I wasn't going to do a simple, plain cheesecake.  I can never just let things be and leave them alone, I'm always trying to mix it up a little bit...I'm fun and complicated like that! Anyway, I wanted strawberry cheesecake, but wasn't sure how to go about it and I thought I'd start with some good old fashion strawberry preserves. Next time I'll try strawberry cream cheese too. Like I said, these were a hit, but I honestly think the winning ingredient of these little babies was the crust...you can never ever ever go wrong with baked crushed Oreos and butter. Never!

This is a super easy cheesecake recipe and everybody loved them. I had one little hang up...how do you keep the tops from falling? If you have advice for me, please do share.

Strawberry Cheesecake with Golden Oreo Crust

Ingredients

For the cheesecake filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 oz. sour cream, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar
1 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup strawberry  preserves

For the Golden Oreo Crust:

18 Golden Oreo Cookies

3 Tbl butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Set aside. 

If you have a food processor or a really good blender, add the cookies and pulse until you get tiny crumbs. This works beautifully, you get perfect little crumbs and the cookie filling gets incorporated with the cookie pieces. And there is no mess! If not, then just crush them anyway you can. Then add melted butter and mix well. 

I made 36 mini cheesecake bites, you could possibly make about 12 muffin size cheesecakes. I don't know. Anyway, line the mini muffin tins and measure 2 tsp of crust into each well (with paper cupcake liners, it's just easier to remove them from the tin). Press down lightly. Bake for 7 minutes. Spoon 1 Tbl of cheesecake filling over the crust. Bake for about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it. If after 30 minutes you don't think it's done, turn the oven off and let the cheesecakes stay in the oven until you think they are done. 

I topped mine with a strawberry. Chill and enjoy (the cheesecake that is!)!

Warmly,
Mary