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When entertaining this spring and summer, try something a little different for your dessert course. These savory mini cheesecakes with pepper and onion relish add a surprising twist to the classic sweet dessert. Cheesecake toppings usually come in the form of fruit, frosting, chocolate, or caramel.
This unique recipe comes to us from Kellie Hemmerly of The Suburban Soapbox. Think of fluffy, light whipped cream cheese blended with goat cheese and perched perfectly on a buttery cracker crust. Yum! Then top it off with pepper and onion relish (we used the Harry & David brand), adding a perfect blend of sweet and spice, making these mini cheesecakes the perfect dessert for any occasion.
They are a great alternative for appetizers or a colorful addition to a cheese platter. Portioned perfectly for guests to take one and mingle. They can also be made gluten-free, too! Just substitute the cracker crust with your favorite gluten-free cracker.
SERVINGS
- 114 cup cracker crumbs (simply crumble your favorite crackers into finely-ground pieces)
- 4 tbsp salted butter (melted)
- 1 egg white
- 16 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 4 oz goat cheese (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 18 tsp kosher salt
- 12 cup Harry & David® Pepper and Onion Relish
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, butter and egg white until combined.
- Press 1/2 tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each well of a mini cheesecake pan. (If you don’t have a cheesecake pan, you can use a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners.)Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to 300 degrees.
- Add the cream cheese, goat cheese, sugar, eggs and salt to a blender.
- Puree the ingredients until smooth.
- Fill each well of the pan halfway with the cheese mixture.
- Return the pan back to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are dry but the centers are still a little jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
- Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the cheesecakes from the pan by running a knife around the edges and pushing up on the bottom.
- Transfer to a serving platter or plate. Set aside.
- Before serving, heat the relish in a small saucepan over low heat until loose, approximately 2-3 minutes. Do not boil.
- Allow the relish to cool for a couple minutes before spooning over the top of each cheesecake. Serve immediately.
If you're on a relish kick, or have a few jars of pepper and onion relish in your pantry, you can make a great relish wontons appetizer, relish cheesy biscuits, and even a relish pork tenderloin.
