RECIPES

RED VELVET CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

 
When we were fasting, I was the one responsible for making desserts after our meal.  On our last day I decided to end our long month with a bang by making double the dessert.  I was thinking about sharing them both at once, but for archival purposes I decided to separate them.  Also, IT’S FRIDAY! Which makes it the perfect day to try this recipe out.  It’s like making mini creamy cheesecake bites that sit on top of a red velvet brownie (perfection I know) and of course I threw in some chocolate chips on top because who doesn’t love chocolate chips? For those of you who bake, you know that cheesecake takes a bazillion years (make the mix, bake it, then rest it, then cool it, then refrigerate it) but what I loved about this is you get a cheesecake that doesn’t take nearly as long to make.
1.5 cups (+ 1 TBS) of flour, 1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder, 
1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Fluff them all together with a whisk.
Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) of room temperature unsalted butter until creamy.
Add 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar already mixed with 1/4 white sugar 
Beat together (should look like photo below).
Add red food coloring to the mixture until it’s the color of your choice
(I clearly put A LOT) and then slowly add the dry ingredients (flour mix) in batches
so it doesn’t fly everywhere when it’s mixing.  This will turn the mix into a dough 
(kind of like cookie dough!) then fill cupcake pans with liners
and bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.
Now for the cheesecake layer, beat 12 oz of ROOM TEMPERATURE 
cream cheese until smooth. If you do it when it’s cold, you’ll get little pieces of 
cream cheese that won’t completely combine into the mixture. 
Once smooth, add 2 TBS of Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup of white sugar. Beat.
Add a room temperature egg and 1 tsp vanilla and beat again until combined.
Add some chocolate chips! I put 1 cup because I love them sooooo….
Once the cupcakes were done, I poked a hole in the middle so the cheesecake
would seep through (yes, yum, I know)
Add a tablespoon of the cheesecake on top and bake for about 20 minutes.
Check every 5-10 minutes along the way, if the tops get too brown they should be 
covered in foil while in the oven.  
Once finished, let them cool on the counter and then refrigerate for about 2 hours.
 
^Clearly mine got a little brown on the sides^
but goodness they were good.

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