Miniature cheesecakes

My grandmothers make these bite-sized cheesecakes every year. They are extremely simple and quick to make, but allow for a great deal of customization with toppings.

This recipe requires an oven and a stand or hand mixer, which makes beating the cream cheese much easier. The cherry preserves are my personal favorite topping, but any cheesecake topping can work as well.

You need:
½ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
10 oz. cherry preserves (Optional)

1. To start off, fill mini cupcake pans with 24 miniature paper liners. (The diameter of each mini cupcake is about 1 ¾ inches). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.To start off, fill mini cupcake pans with 24 miniature paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Spoon one teaspoon of the mixture into each liner, and gently press down with a spoon to press the mixture flat.
3. Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, and then slowly add in the sugar. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix well.
4. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the liners, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Finally, spoon the cherry preserves onto the mini baked cheesecakes, about one teaspoon each. You can add other toppings, such as oreos or strawberries.

Peppermint bark

Every Christmas, I am in charge of making peppermint bark. This four-ingredient recipe can easily be made in your dorm room. Leave it forgotten about in the fridge for the chocolate to harden between classes. If the bark is too thick, simply use a large pan or add less chocolate.

The 8-by-8-inch pan should fit in your fridge, and you can melt the chocolate in your microwave.

To melt the chocolate, break it into smaller pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl. In 15 second intervals, melt the chocolate and stir it thoroughly to ensure that you don’t burn the chocolate. If the chocolate is mostly melted, with only a few one-centemeter chunks, the remaining chocolate should melt completely without requiring anymore heat.

For the candy canes, you can either place candy canes into a plastic bag and beat it until crushed, or buy pre-crushed candy canes from Central Market.

You need:
8oz. Semisweet chocolate
½ tsp peppermint extract
8oz. White chocolate
Crushed candy canes

1. Grease an 8-by-8-inch pan then line with wax paper. Make sure to smooth out any wrinkles.
2. Melt the semisweet chocolate completely and then stir in ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract.
3. Pour the melted chocolate into the pan and smooth it out evenly. Place the pan into the fridge and wait until the chocolate gets hard.
4. Once chocolate has hardened, melt the white chocolate and stir in ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract.
5. Once again, pour the white chocolate into the pan and spread it evenly. On top of the chocolate, sprinkle the crushed candy canes as desired. Place the pan back into the fridge, and wait until hard again.
6. Once the peppermint bark has hardened, break into smaller pieces and eat as desired.