Friday, June 11, 2010

White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Pots (Belated HHDD)


So I am going to keep this post relatively short and sweet... mostly because this is a small and sweet dessert.  (But also because I need to get my butt in gear and my car in drive to head out to Las Vegas for the weekend!)

And, truth be told, I can't really write too much for this post that hasn't already been written by someone else.  You see, last month Mardi of eat.live.travel.write hosted the Hay Hay it's Donna Day cooking event to honor Australian cookbook and magazine author Donna Hay.  Before I read her post, I really had no idea who Donna Hay was, or why anyone would want to host a blogging event about her food.  Well I read the history of the event provided by Mardi and Chez Us (here and here), and being naturally curious, I found some more information here.  (Have you had enough links yet?)   And truly, I think I love Donna Hay.  I feel like she is Rachel Ray's better half meets Real Simple.  Where have I been without her?  Were it not for the fact that I already receive a stack of cooking magazines in the mail every month, I surely would be subscribing.  


Anyway, back to the event: The thing is...the event is over.  Yes my friends, I missed the deadline to submit my entry, oh woe is me.  Mardi was even kind enough to be flexible with the deadline so that I could still submit this dessert, but with bridal showers, trifles, and plane rides, life just got in the way.    


The event ended up being wildly popular, but thats really no surprise.  I think all us bloggers were thinking, "Really, you are asking me to whip up a cheesecake pot in 10 minutes?  Is there some catch?  You say there isn't??  Hah!  Awesome."  Overall Mardi had twenty-four entries for her event, and the bloggers hailed from all over the globe.  You can view the round-up of all the entries, and then you can keep checking out my little cheesecake pots.


They really are little (the photo is not deceiving you), but the taste is sweet and the texture is smooth.  Overall, I was most impressed by how light and airy it was.  Dare I say it, but it is vaguely reminiscent of those flavored, whipped cream cheeses that you can buy from the store or get from Einstein's Bagels.  (I might have even scooped some out and spread it on bread at one point.)  However, the best part about this dessert is that you really can throw it together at a moments notice, and you can substitute any flavors for the cherries.

So even though I didn't get to submit this for the main event, I am thrilled that Mardi introduced me to Donna Hay and that I got to make this dessert.  Don't be surprised if you see more of Ms. Hay on The Cilantropist in the future.    






White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Pots


8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons tart black cherry jam
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted and cooled white chocolate
1/4 cup chilled whipped cream (or 1/2 cup if you want it very light)
Cherries for top


Blend the cream cheese in a food processor until it is no longer a solid block (just a few pulses), then add the next four ingredients and pulse until smooth.  
Next, beat the whipped cream in a medium bowl until it forms soft peaks.  Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until it is all incorporated.  Transfer to a small dish for serving (this can really be any cute little dish you like), and top with a few cherries for decoration. 

39 comments:

  1. Mmm, this looks sinfully delicious! I love anything creamy! :) I'll have to ck out Donna Hay as I've grown a bit tired of Rachel. Have fun in Vegas... oh how I miss that City!

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  2. Both white chocolate and cherry are the favourite of my hubby....it looks so creamy and smooth!

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  3. This looks beautiful! I feel like I say this every post but your pictures are just so nice! I feel like I want them framed in my kitchen!!

    Jessie
    http://www.themessiekitchen.com/

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  4. What a wonderful flavor combination. This looks absolutely delicious.

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  5. Oh My- this looks so good, I will have to make them soon!

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  6. Ooh, what a wonderful little dessert! I see this in my future.

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  7. These are adorable! I'm glad you still made 'em even though the event was over. I was bummed I missed the recent Daring Bakers challenge but I'm going to make my own cream puffs anyway! :)

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  8. Wow, what a nice dessert...it sure look very tempting :-)

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  9. That looks delicious! That sounds like a fun event. One of these days I'll have to throw myself into the pot and try it out. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. Wow, those look delicious! I keep missing out on the donna hay stuff, how do you find out about that?

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  11. These pots are frsh and lovely!

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  12. Sorry you missed the deadline to submit your post, but so glad you shared it with us, your cheesecake pots turned out gorgeous!

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  13. Oh, I love the last photo. You can see just how rich and cream this is where the spoon has dug into the cheescake pot. Mmmmm.

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  14. What a great summer dessert - so quick and doable! I'll have to look up who Donna Hay is, I'm not familiar with any of her work.

    Have a safe and fun trip to Las Vegas!

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  15. Black cherry jam and white chocolate... this is such a tempting match!!

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  16. Your cheesecake pots are really tempting and easy to make, I'm saving this recipe to try it for last minute sugar cravings.
    Have fun in Vegas

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  17. Having a great time in Vegas, thanks for all the well-wishes!

    Jessie: Thanks especially for the compliments, I sometimes think about having some photos of food on my wall too! Although I wonder if that would make me want to eat all the time... ;)

    Jenny: I hope to get in on the next Donna Hay event, and I will be sure to forward it on to you if you don't find it first!

    All: Definitely check out the links from my page to find out more about Donna Hay, she is pretty awesome.

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  18. What a gorgeous dessert. Your pots look sinfully delicious and seem very easy to do. Easy and delicious is a very hard combination to beat. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  19. What a simply stunning dessert! Great photos and I think I need to make this! Enjoy your time in Vegas!

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  20. Your cheesecake pots are a great addition to the round-up! I have an urge to want to scoop out a bite because it looks so yummy and light. Great combination of flavors!

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  21. OMG, what a lovely dessert and combination! Have lots of fun in Vegas!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  22. This looks so freaking delicious! How can you even go wrong? And the pictures are beautiful.

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  23. I completely agree that this would be really good on a bagel. It's a schmear in the guise of a cheesecake! Whatever it is, it sounds delicious.

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  24. Cherry anything is my thing but on cheesecakes ...over the top scrumptious!

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  25. That would be the best bagel spread ever! The pots give such a comforting, homey feel.

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  26. This look seriously good. Love it!

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  27. These are beautiful and look delicious! You are one talented cook...and a PhD too? I am feeling pretty intimidated right now. :)

    Love the name of your blog!

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  28. Oh this is sooooo tempting! my kind of dessert, fresh and fruity, great job!!!

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  29. The duck and now this make me wanna have a bite!

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  30. Hope you had a great time in Vegas!

    These cherry cheesecake pots are beautiful! I, too, only recently discovered the appeal of Donna Hay. I've seen the cooking events in the food blogosphere but it wasn't until I saw her magazine a couple of months ago that I saw why she's got quite the following. You description was accurate.

    Cheers!

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  31. Wow! What an amazingly quick recipe. I'm surprised it worked out so well.

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  32. they look so lovely and sweet with the cherries on top. beautiful photos!

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  33. It was a visual feast just looking at your beautiful pictures. This post was especially pretty. Nice job! Thanks for the comment, girl! I'll keep my eyes peeled for your next post!

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  34. White chocolate cheese cake OMG! That must be amazing. I never tried to make cheese cake because I feel a bit intimidated. But your recipe sounds very easy. I'll definitely going to try.

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  35. I tried this recipe and agreed that it did taste a lot like one of those speciality spreads - very delicious! I think it would be perfect for a brunch or a weekend breakfast.

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