Amaretto Cherry No Bake Cheesecakes

It’s already in the upper 90’s here in California and I’ve been refusing to turn the A/C on, like I’m on some sort of mommy Survivor type show. Mostly, because I’m afraid of the electric bill. So turning on the oven to bake a dessert? No thank you! Enter these cute little no bake cheesecakes.

While doing cooking demos at the fair, I met the lovely family that runs Bob White Farms (a local cherry orchard). Not only did they fill the seats at my demo (so I wasn’t talking to myself), but they gave me heaping bags of gorgeous cherries to experiment with in my kitchen. How sweet are they? They also gave me their mom’s recipe for a No Bake Cherry Cheesecake. 

I was inspired by the family’s recipe, but decided to add a few twists and give them some almond flair. I added almonds to the crust and amaretto liqueur into the cherries. Does anyone else think amaretto smells amazing? Makes me want to dab it on my wrists and behind my ears. I was out of almond extract so I threw some vanilla bean into the cheesecake layer. You know, to feel fancy. Also putting sour cream into the cheesecake layer cut the sweetness of the cherries and crust and gave it balance. Oh my…so good!

Have I mentioned how folks around here drop the “l” out of almond? They say it like salmon, without the ”s.” As ridiculous as it first sounded, I now find myself dropping the “l.” It’s actually easier. When in Rome.

Putting the cheesecakes in these little mason jars makes them portable. Perfect for a picnic, bbq, or throw one into a lunch you’re packing for someone to brighten their day. Should have chosen a slightly bigger sized jar, like the ones I used for these brownies. We’ll just consider them slightly-less-guilt-inducing-sized cheesecakes.

Let’s talk about how to make them!

Start with 6 full graham crackers and about two heaping tablespoons of sliced almonds. Blend them in a food processor. Or you can put the graham crackers in a ziplock and let your kids crush them. If you have any laying around. Kids. Not ziplocks. Well both. Add in 5 tablespoons of melted butter and stir until you have a wet crumbly mixture.

Put a tablespoon of crumb mixture in each jar (makes 10) and find something to press it down with. I used this silicone wine cork. It ended up being perfect – non-stick, flat bottom, and small enough to get to the rounded edges. This is also a great job for kids. If you have them tugging on your apron, asking to help, like a certain little red-headed three-year-old I know. Place crusts in the fridge to chill, while you make the cheesecake layer.

Use a stand mixer to combine cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, and the contents of 1/2 a vanilla bean. If you’ve never used a vanilla bean before, take a sharp knife and cut the vanilla bean down the middle into two long pieces. Then take the tip of a small spoon and run it down the bean scraping out the tiny little black specks. I saw somewhere that those little specks are called vanilla bean caviar. Weird. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, just add a little splash of vanilla extract.

Divide cheesecake mixture evenly among jars, about 2 tablespoons each. Return them to the fridge to chill. A little tip if you want to keep the sides clean so that you can see all the pretty layers at the end. Spoon the cheesecake into the middle and give them a little shimmy shake to even out the layer (instead of trying to spread it, which smears it all over the side).

Pit your cherries. I found this guy at Target for $3. It was so easy to do. Even my daughter could do it. The man who gave me the cherries said you can use a beer bottle to pit cherries. Get an empty beer bottle. Set the cherry on top and then push a chopstick down through and the pit will drop into the bottle. Pretty brilliant. I haven’t tried it. But if anyone else has, let me know.

Mama’s little helper. She always asks to help with the ingredientzes (as she says).

Simmer pitted cherries, Amaretto, 1/4 cup water, sugar, squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until the cherries are softened. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the sauce in the pot.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup cold water with 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Stir cornstarch slurry into the cherry sauce and simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce is no longer cloudy. Stir cherries back in and remove from the heat.

Once the cherry filling has cooled top off you’re mini cheesecakes. Chill them in the fridge for at least an hour.

 

Thank you again Bob White Farms for these gorgeous cherries! I still have plenty and will be sharing more recipes soon, including cherry margaritas!