Foodie Friday: Mini Cheesecakes

Welcome to the first Friday of December, dear reader. As promised, I will share cookie recipes with you in December. This week, I would like to share my family's recipe for mini cheesecakes. When I was growing up, these cheesecakes were a staple of our holiday cookie trays. These were always the first cookies to disappear from holiday gatherings. My mom always topped them with canned cherry pie filling. However, they would also be delicious with fresh berries, whipped cream, or caramel sauce. The possibilities are endless and are only limited to your imagination.

These tiny bites of deliciousness make an impressive presentation on any holiday table or buffet. Despite their impressive appearance, they are quite simple to make and require only a few ingredients. I usually double or even triple this recipe for the holidays. The cookies freeze well; just don't put any topping on them. I like to use festive holiday miniature cupcake wrappers or simple silver or gold metallic ones. If you don't know the color scheme of your table, the metallic go with almost any theme.

This recipe is easy to prepare quickly. I usually make it in the evening, allow it to cool overnight, and then freeze it in a large, flat, freezer-safe container the next morning. On the day of my gathering, I remove the cookies from the freezer in the morning, and they are thawed and ready to be topped in a few hours. The miniature size makes them perfect for cookie trays or as a bite-size dessert at a potluck. They are always a crowd pleaser.

Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 Nilla Wafer Cookies

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat 16 ounces of cream cheese and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Then, mix 2 eggs (one at a time) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Fill a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners and place two vanilla wafers at the bottom of each one. Alternatively, you can use a silicone muffin pan if you prefer not to have liners. Divide the batter between 12 liners, filling each cup to about 1/4 inch from the top.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let them cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until firm.

Once chilled, add your favorite toppings before serving.

On this overcast and chilly December Friday, stay safe, be smart, keep warm, enjoy delicious, homemade cookies this holiday season, and, of course, keep washing your hands.

What Is Up With Sexy Santa?

Is it just me, or have you, too, noticed the holiday ads for several major retailers and credit card companies have put a sexy spin on Old Saint Nick? Seriously? Why? Santa is the pure embodiment of the Christmas Spirit. He symbolizes love, joy, generosity, kindness, and giving. Now, add sex symbol to that list. I don't think so. Have these marketing geniuses never read the poem by Clement Clark Moore?

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth and the smoke encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly. That shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

If you ask me, that's a pretty detailed description. Nowhere does it say: He was doing bench presses and squats like a champ. His rump was quite firm; if a quarter were stuck between, he could hold it like a clamp. Sigh. Personally, I like men who have bellies that shake like a bowl full of jelly when they laugh and smoke a pipe. I find those rather charming qualities. I mean, I'm sure Santa doesn't gorge himself on deviled eggs during a holiday meal and then laugh hysterically over the foulness that is to come probably at bedtime so he can give poor Mrs. Claus a Dutch oven. That's not charming. That's not charming at all. But twinkling eyes filled with mischief, shaking bellies, pipe smoking, and rosy cheeks are all quite alluring.

Why must society take charming perfection and sexualize it? I don't want to think of a hot dude sliding down my chimney in the middle of the night to leave me or, more accurately, my child, thoughtful gifts. Suddenly, it goes from quaint and charming to icky pedophile feels. It no longer feels like a childhood fantasy but more like a smutty Harlequin romance novel my closet dirty-minded aunt would read. Gross.

My advice is to leave Santa alone. Perfection cannot be improved upon. These companies totally missed the target. (Hahaha! See what I did there? I crack myself up!) Just leave Santa fat, jolly, elfish, and adorable. Santa is not meant to be sexy. He's meant to be charming, harmless, non-threatening, and the embodiment of goodness. If I wanted a hot beefcake, I'd go to Chippendales. (Is that even a thing anymore?) I mean, I would gaze upon the studliness of The Bibbed Wonder. Yes, that is definitely what I meant.

On this snowy December day, stay safe, be smart, don't sexualize a childhood icon; that's gross, and keep washing your hands.

One Last Hoorah

With the Black Friday through Cyber Monday Deals now over, we turn our attention to one last in-person market. This Saturday, December 7th, from 10 to 3, we will join our friends at Lone Oak Farm for their Merry Local Christmas event. This is an annual event, The Bibbed Wonder and I look forward to each year. It's always good to hang out with The Simpson family and support their amazing family farm and local vendors.

When we attend events at Lone Oak Farm, it is like hanging out with friends. We look forward to seeing and chatting with our vendor friends and meeting new local talent. Eric will eat his way through the baked goods case at Lone Oak's bakery, specifically their pepperoni rolls. He will then complain for the next two days about how he overate, and his lack of willpower only encourages his "moobies" to grow. Sigh, he's a diva who does not have "moobies."

If you are local to Lone Oak Farm, I gently encourage you to join us on their porch for one last in-person hoorah. We will have what remains of our Christmas inventory in stock. It is a lovely day filled with local talented vendors and many small family businesses. Say hello, share a good laugh, enjoy a pepperoni roll, and smell all the soaps in person one last time. After this, I plan to hibernate like a bear since retiring to Aruba is not yet an option. Sigh.

You will also have the opportunity to see the one and only Jenna Strittmatter at the S&T Arena on Saturday. Join Jenna for the 5th Annual Country Faire Christmas Show from 10-4 on Saturday, December 7th. I can't promise anything, but my hilarious friend has been known to sport some pretty impressive costumes for holiday events. Jenna The Elf, what's your favorite soap?

We hope to see you this weekend for one last in-person hoorah. On this chilly December day, stay safe, be smart, shop local, come out and say hello this Saturday, and keep washing your hands.