use up your rhubarb

This is the time of year when we look into our freezer and see what fruit we need to start to use up. It seems like I tend to hoard the really yummy things and then realize that the new fruit is nearly ready. Today I made a bunch of little bit size cheesecakes for my friends open house.
It's always a good idea to have your eggs and cream cheese at room temperature when making cheesecakes.

The recipe for the cheesecake is very simple.
Just beat 2 8oz. packages of cream cheese really well, add 2/3 cups of sugar and blend. Add 4 eggs 1 at a time and beat until just combined. Add 1 tsp. of vanilla.



Into little bite size muffin cup liners put a 1/2 tsp. of crumbs and stamp it down with a little top of a medicine bottle lined with saran wrap.





Word to the wise from the now cranky baker. Test your graham crumbs before making crumb crusts. If they are the least bit stale, it will ruin your cheesecakes. I am quite picky about this and I used a sealed fresh box but didn't test the crumbs. Sseven dozen little lined cups later . .I test one and realize they are a bit stale. I proceeded with my beloved husbands help . . to take out every little cheesecake from its liner, shave the bottom graham crust off and put the cheesecake minus the crust into a new liner. I now have 7 dozen crust less cheesecakes ready for the party.
I wasn't going to tell you this but I thought it best I come clean and fess up. My kitchen is not with out its disasters.



Don't those little crusts just look perfect. They sure did look nice, but back to the cheesecake. I found that putting the cream cheese into the liners worked perfect with a small ice cream scoop. There were no drips and the sizes all looked perfectly the same.
I baked the cheesecakes at 325 for 12 minutes, or just until the top is puffed and has a slight crack.



I did go check my rhubarb in between and I was proud of myself for using up what I had in my freezer.






The topping is very simple. In a measuring cup put 2 cups of rhubarb. For every 2 cups of rhubarb put 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/2 cup of sugar. Mix this altogether and cook it in the microwave until it is bubbly. Stir every 2 minutes. I add 1 tablespoon of strawberry jello to the cooked filling. It adds flavour and a nice colour.
Let this cool and put a little dab on top of each cheesecake. This topping can be used on top of pound cake or ice cream.
OK, this cranky baker is off to tidy the kitchen and clean some bathrooms. I'll feel much better in a few hours when my house is clean.
Strange way of improving my mood I know but it works.
I hope you all have a wonderful day my friends.
If you have a moment to read this today Hilda, I'm sorry that the little cheesecakes won't be perfect, but they will be there. (smile)







Comments

  1. Sigh.

    You make it look so easy, Lovella.

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  2. Aww.. Lovella, I wish I lived across the street from you !! The little cream cheese cupcakes are not a disaster at all!! They are perfectly gluten-free now and I could enjoy them...every one!!!
    Your rhubarb looks yummy too.. my favorite!!
    How lovely a day today was!!
    God's sunshine in the sky, and His Son shining in our hearts.

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  3. ohhh..that reminds me...I still have plenty of rhubarb in my freezer. I best go browse those rhubarb recipes..

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  4. Okay, those look so yummy. I am coveting your Kitchen Aid and I must agree about a clean house, always makes everything seem just right, doesn't it?!

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  5. Oh those little cheesecake delights look mouth watering delicious. I must have one!
    Rhubarb is so wonderful...I intend to fill my freezer with it this year.

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  6. good job lovella. I'm pretty sure the "stale" ones would have been just fine too. I also agree about a clean house, especially on a Saturday.

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  7. I'm glad I don't live across the road from you, Lovella. LOL It would be way too tempting to come and visit often and the smell of all that good food wafting across the road....
    Have you always enjoyed cooking?

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  8. Note to self: Make this treat for Bernie, he who adores rhubarb!

    Have you ever tried freezing graham crackers to keep them fresh? I haven't tried that, it's just an idea.

    And are you cleaning house madly for guests, or because you are going on a holiday? I can never leave on a trip without everything spic and span. Why is that? I secretly am afraid that if anything happens on the trip people will come to clear out my house and go around saying "Tsk, what a dusty mess she left behind!"
    (Great, I can't even be DEAD without hearing a nagging critical voice! How silly is that!)

    By the by, hello from Austin TX, where Bernie and I are tonight!

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  9. Friends, I am totally trying to clean the house so it is clean for my holiday . We are having house sitters stay here as well so I have a bit of pride that they don't find disgusting dust bunnies.

    Later in the day, I noticed that I have a chipped nail. Where is it? In the cheesecakes? for the open house? I am now beginning to make lemon bars. I'm not sure if the nail chip is down the drain, Paranoia is setting in.
    Also, later in the afternoon, I made coffee in the coffee maker with no filter. This is not one of my better kitchen days,
    What is it a full moon or what?

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  10. Lovella they look so yummy! I hope that you find your nail chip.

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  11. You have such great recipes! You make it look so easy!!

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  12. Too funny! You know what we both say so often...we do things in such a hurry. I had to laugh at the hard cream cheese. You owe T big for kitchen duty of scraping stale crumbs. Now that's a patient man, and I can only imagine the comments/questions he had for you with a grin on his face. Is he on look out duty at the party for anyone choking on your nail. You would hate to be responsible for a mishap at the open house. Filterless coffee too? Girl, you need that holiday! Kathy

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  13. We do these with a vanilla wafer (FRESH from the box) in the bottom of the paper muffin cup!

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  14. I also make these using a Nilla wafer for the base. It fits perfectly into the bottom of a muffin liner, much easier than the cracker crust.

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