Cheese Cake with Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Crust - Dessert - Recipes

Cheese Cake with Girl Scouts Thin Mint Cookie Crust

My youngest daughter is a Girl Scout and her troop's cookie orders just arrived so I thought that I would make a classic dessert and make it fun with Girl Scout style!

Recipe

Cookie Crust
1 box Girl Scouts Thin Mint cookies
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, chop the cookies to a small crumble.  

In a medium bowl add the crumbled cookies and melted butter, mix well.  

In a spring form pan (with removable side and bottom is the best for making cheesecakes), spread the cookie mixture and press firmly to fill the bottom.  Bake for 10 minutes and let cool.

Cream Cheese Filling

4 packages (8oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cup sugar

¼ pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 large eggs

In a food processor, add ½ of each of the filling ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and continue with the remaining ingredients. Combine both batches and mix well.

Pour into prepared spring form pan and bake the cheesecake in a water bath which will help prevent surface cracking. To create a water bath simply use a larger pan than your cheesecake pan, place the cheesecake in the center and add hot water in the larger pan and fill to the halfway point of the cheesecake.

Lower oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.  If top starts to brown lightly tent with aluminum foil. Insert a toothpick in the center to see if cheesecake has fully cooked.

Peach, Strawberry & Blueberry Mini Crumbles - Desserts - Recipes

Peach, Strawberry & Blueberry

Mini Crumbles

I love this dessert for a special dinner party.  Several hours prior to my guests arrival I mix the fruit filling, divide into the ramekins, cover and refrigerate.  Then I mix up the topping and set aside.  Once everyone is sitting down to enjoy dinner I top the fruit filled ramekins with the topping and bake. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Recipe

Fruit filling

1 Bag frozen sliced peaches

3/4 Cup fresh strawberries, sliced

3/4 Cup fresh blueberries

2 Teaspoons fresh lemon zest, chopped

Lemon juice from 1 lemon

1/2 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the peaches, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and flour. Mix together and let sit 10 minutes. Gradually add the strawberries and blueberries. Divide the fruit mixture into 6-8 ramekins.

Topping

1 Cup all-purpose flour

1/3 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup light brown sugar

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Stick cold unsalted butter, diced

In a medium bowl add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter.  With a hand mixer beat on low speed until the butter has formed tiny balls then sprinkle on top of the fruit filled ramekins.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.