These fun and adorable Valentines conversation hearts cheesecakes will definitely win rave reviews from all your sweethearts on Valentine’s Day.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes (+ 4 hours standing time)
Makes: 12
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) Mirage Margarine, melted
Cheesecakes
- 2 pkg (8 oz/250 g each) brick-style plain cream cheese
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
- Pinch salt
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) sour cream
- 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 drops pink liquid or gel food colouring
- 3 to 4 drops yellow liquid or gel food colouring
- 3 to 4 drops purple liquid or gel food colouring
- 3 to 4 drops green liquid or gel food colouring
- Red liquid or gel food colouring 1/4 cup prepared vanilla icing
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and salt until combined; toss with melted margarine until coated. Press evenly into bottom of two 6-cavity 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) silicone heart mold pans. Place each silicone mold pan on baking sheet; bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let cool completely.
- Cheesecakes: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.
- Divide batter evenly among 4 bowls. Tint one bowl with pink food colouring, the second with yellow food colouring, the third with purple food colouring and the final bowl with green food colouring.
- Fill 3 heart molds with each colour of batter to make 12 cheesecakes. Working with one mold pan at a time, transfer to large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water halfway up side of mold pan (do not allow water to touch the batter).
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°F). Place roasting pan in middle rack of oven; bake cheesecakes for 18 to 20 minutes or until just set. Remove silicone cheesecakes from water bath; let cool to room temperature in molds on rack. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove each cheesecake from mold. Place cheesecakes on parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
- In small bowl, stir enough red food colour into icing for desired shade. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with 1/16-inch (1.5 mm) open tip; pipe classic Valentine heart candy phrases, such as BE MINE, HUG ME, KISS ME, CRAZY 4 U, SWEETIE, CALL ME, and LOVE U onto each cupcake.
Chef’s Tip
- Instead of piping conversation phrases onto cupcakes, you could also use red icing marker, or small tubes of store-bought red icing or red gel icing.