Make These Cute Christmas Desserts (even if you’re new to baking)

Today we're making these beautiful individual desserts. They're super creamy and have a delicious fresh fruity flavor. They're adorable and perfect for making your Christmas table even more beautiful. I'm sure you're gonna love them. To start we're going to crush 3.5 ounces or 100 grams of plain cookies without filling. You can use either a food processor, a blender, or even place the cookies inside a sturdy kitchen bag and crush them with a rolling pin until you get fine crumbs. Transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl and add a quarter cup or 55 grams of melted butter. Mix these two ingredients well until they form a mixture that looks like wet sand. Next arrange 10 paper cupcake liners on a muffin tray and divide the cookie mixture among them. I like to weigh it so I put about 15 grams at the bottom of each liner, but this is optional. You can just eyeball it. Then using a spoon, spread the crumbs into a more uniform layer and press them down to create a firm base. Here I'm using a quarter cup measuring cup to press the crumbs, but you can use a small glass or anything you prefer to make them compact. Set them aside while we make the filling. For the filling, in a large bowl add one and a third cups or 300 grams of cream cheese at room temperature. Then add half a cup or 100 grams of sugar, two tablespoons or 14 grams of cornstarch, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix everything until you get a creamy texture. If your cream cheese is a bit lumpy or hard to mix, you can use a hand mixer, but if it feels soft a wire whisk works just fine. Now we're adding two eggs, also at room temperature, one at a time, mixing gently after each addition. We don't want to incorporate air here. That helps keep the center smooth and creamy without bubbles. To give the filling a special touch, we're using four ounces or 115 grams of fresh cherries. I removed the pits using a straw and chopped them into small pieces. Fold the cherries in with a spatula to distribute them evenly. Divide the filling into the prepared liners, leaving about a quarter of an inch or half a centimeter of space at the top because the cheesecakes will puff up slightly as they bake. That small gap makes a big difference to prevent any mess in the oven. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius for 15 to 18 minutes. The exact time depends on your oven, but you'll know it's ready when the edges look firm and baked and the center is still soft. That's the point we want for a creamy result after chilling. Place the cheesecakes on a wire rack, then pop them into the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes while we make the topping. For the topping, grab a medium bowl and add a quarter cup or 55 grams of butter at room temperature, one tablespoon of sugar, and a few drops of vanilla extract. Stir until it forms a creamy mixture. Then, start adding powdered milk gradually, mixing after each addition. The amount can vary depending on the brand you're using. Continue adding powdered milk and mixing until it forms a soft moldable dough that doesn't stick to your hands. Roll small portions into balls, flatten them gently into little discs, and place one on top of each cheesecake. This topping will be like a blank canvas for our decoration. Now for the fun part, decorating! Melt one ounce or 28 grams of white chocolate for each color you're using. We're going with red and green. Remember that this food coloring needs to be oil-based or fat-soluble so that it doesn't alter the consistency of the chocolate. If you use water-based coloring, it will seize the chocolate and turn it into a thick paste, so this detail is very important. Transfer each color into a small piping bag, snip a tiny opening, and draw snowflakes, dots, or any small detail you like, alternating the colors for a beautiful finish. Keep them refrigerated until it's time to serve or for a maximum of three days. And that's it! Beautiful individual desserts to decorate your Christmas table. They have a super creamy texture with a fruity touch that I'm sure everyone will love. If you like this recipe, don't forget to leave a like and subscribe to the channel for more easy dessert recipes.