Lime & Coconut Cheesecake Jars

There are some flavour combinations you just can't beat! Coconut & lime happens to be one of them, and I can't get enough of it! As is evidenced on this blog from my Key Lime Pie Cupcakes to my Lime, Coconut & White Chocolate Blondies and Coconut & Key Lime Curd Layer Cake to my No Bake Coconut & Key Lime Cheesecake.

When Sugar and Crumbs got in touch with me and told me about their flavoured icing sugars, I was intrigued and when I heard they did a coconut and lime flavour it was a done deal! I had to try it out for myself! so they sent me some to try and I decided to give it a whirl and turn it into some cheesecake in a jar! 

Initially I had planned to use a few drops of coconut extract in the cheesecake mix as I usually would, but the beauty of these flavoured icing sugars is I didn't need to add any! The sugar was so flavourful that it would have been an overkill adding extract to my surprise! and oh the smell as you opened up the pouch to add it into the mixer - it was totally tropical and delicious! and the great thing is the flavours are all natural.  It tasted just as good as it smelt too! 

I layered the cheesecake in between some coconut cupcakes, and combined with a graham cracker crust this was one tasty dessert to go! 

I even tied a little spoon on and gave them away as gifts, the perfect little no bake treat! 

Lime & Coconut Cheesecake Jars:

Makes 2

From Cupcake Crazy Gem

for the crust:

40g graham cracker crumbs

20g unsalted butter, melted

for the cheesecake:

225g cream cheese

120g lime & coconut icing sugar

85g double cream

20g desiccated coconut

for the cupcakes:

3 coconut cupcakes - recipe from Trophy Cupcakes

Using a whisk, whip the double cream until stiff peaks form.

Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together with a paddle attachment in a freestanding electric mixer.

Stir the cream into the cream cheese mix with a spoon until incorporated.  Stir in the desiccated coconut and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds.

Blitz the graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor.  Add in the melted butter.

Spoon two and a half tablespoons of biscuit mix into the bottom of each jar.  Smooth it out on top with the back of a teaspoon.

Cut coconut cupcakes into cubes.  I used 1.5 cupcakes per jar.  

Put the cheesecake mix into a piping bag with a star nozzle fitted.

Pipe a layer of cheesecake on top of each biscuit base.  Layer with cubes of coconut cupcake.  Repeat with a piped layer of cheesecake, and one more layer of coconut cupcake.  Finish off with a small swirl of coconut cheesecake and a sprinkling of shredded coconut.  

Eat and enjoy.

I received the icing sugar complimentary from Sugar and Crumbs, but all views and opinions expressed are my own.

Nutella and Raspberry Cheesecake in Jars

 

 These nearly never happened! Well they did...but they nearly never made it to the blog! I taught a class at a church activity day a few weeks back on how to make cheesecakes in jars! So I made several practice ones in the run up to the class, and then even made several on the day during the class for people who hadn't been able to attend! There were several different classes running with sign up sheets, and my class got filled up within the first 5 minutes of the day so lots of my friends never got the chance to attend! I ended up with lots of jars left over too so last week I made more for some friends and neighbours who were having a tough time, and still I kept glancing at my camera knowing I should snap some pics...but I didn't!

So eventually yesterday I had a tiny bit of cheesecake mix left in the fridge...and I knew what had to be done! I whipped up this little bad boy, photographed it just for you - and even got the flashgun out and everything! I'm trying hard to make it up to you after neglecting you all for so long! and then I devoured it for my lunch, whoops!

 The thing I love about cheesecakes in jars is they are SO versatile! You can mix and match fillings and flavours and just go crazy!

During the class I did, I had TONS of ingredients for people to mix and match with.  There were mini meringues, shortbread chunks and fresh strawberries to layer with vanilla cheesecake for the fruit lovers.  There were snickers, dulce de leche and mini millionaire's pieces for the caramel lovers, and brownie chunks and crushed oreos to layer with nutella swirled cheesecake for all the chocoholics!

The nutella flavoured cheesecake was my fave so I went with it this time around...because who doesn't love nutella?! It's my FAVE! I just used a small amount to give it a hint of chocolate hazelnut-ness so as not to overpower the cheesecake filling.  The fresh raspberries add sweeteness and it all pairs beautifully with an oreo base!

Go find a jar, fill it with cheesecake goodness and give it to someone you love - I promise you they will love you forever for doing so, or eat it for your lunch and I won't tell ;)

Nutella and Raspberry Cheesecake in Jars:

Makes 5

From Cupcake Crazy Gem

 15 Oreos, crushed into crumbs

5 tsp unsalted butter, melted

300g Philadelphia cream cheese (I've said it once...don't scrimp with the cheap stuff!)

275ml double cream, whipped

100g icing sugar

3 heaped tsp Nutella

Punnet of fresh raspberries

Handful of milk chocolate chips

Crush your Oreos using a blender until they have blitzed into crumbs.  Stir in the melted butter until the mixture comes together.  Add 4 tsp of oreo mix into the bottom of each jar.  Press it down with the base of your spoon, you may need to use your fingers for the middle of the base, depending on how small your jars are you are using.

Using a freestanding electric mixer, whisk the double cream until peaks form.  Change to a beater, and add in the cream cheese.  Mix until it is combined.  Sieve in the icing sugar and continue to mix.  Add in the Nutella and keep beating for 2-3 minutes until everything is completely blended together.

Transfer your cheesecake mix into a piping bag fitted with a star tip.  You can spoon it in but it makes your layers less defined and not as neat so I found the piping bag was the best way to make it more presentable! Pipe a layer of cheesecake starting from the outside of the jar, finishing off in the middle.  Using paper towel, dab some of the moisture out of your raspberries.  Add as many fresh raspberries as needed to cover the whole layer.  Repeat with a layer of cheesecake, and then another layer of raspberries again.

Finish off, with one final layer of cheesecake.  Top with a raspberry and a sprinkling of milk chocolate chips. 

You can also go crazy with ribbons and tags and patterned paper to decorate your lid and jars if you are giving them as gifts! or grab a teaspoon and eat and enjoy :)