Guest Blogger: Molly Cooper

Molly's Worry Free Cooking

(because I've done all the worrying for you!)

When Kelsey asked if I would write a guest post for her food blog, I of course was honored but also thought it was hilarious— me! Asked to be featured on a food blog! As recently as last year, I never thought my culinary skills would improve to such a point. I grew up surrounded by proficient cooks, but I chose to develop other talents, specifically art and design, and disregard anything that involved copious amounts of time spent laboring away in the kitchen.

It wasn't until recently, as Kelsey mentioned, that I've developed a strong interest in cooking and baking. I finally understood what inspires a passion for food and keeps people returning to the kitchen: it is fun watching food come together under your influence! I was surprised at my ability to pull off seemingly complicated recipes. 

The only catch is, thanks to my incessant self-doubting nature, I am constantly worrying as I cook. A million questions run through my head ("they said not to overmix the muffin batter, how can I tell??") and I sometimes feel like I'm stumbling blindly as I struggle to follow a recipe. That being said, I love simple recipes that yield elaborate results, and will share them with my little "worry" notes alongside! This way, the worrying has already been done for you, if you're in any way like me :)

The following recipe for Mini Oreo Cheesecakes is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, which I found featured on Amy's food blog Playing House. Amy made it sound very approachable, and I deemed it perfect for my first attempt at cheesecake. I brought them to a barbeque last Sunday, and they were well loved by all!

Mini Oreo Cheesecakes 

(Adapted from Playing House, with my additional notes)

Makes 30

42 Oreos (1 package), 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese (four 8 oz packages), room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt

(*Before any of the following: bring cream cheese and eggs to room temperature. If you wake up early, put them on the counter and make your coffee and go about your morning routine until they're ready. It takes quite a while, so plan accordingly! Or do the microwave thing.)

1. Preheat oven to 275˚ Fahrenheit. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners or grease well with non-stick baking spray. (*I used foil liners plus a light spray of Pam.) Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand. (*Chopping Oreos with a large, sharp chef's knife worked like a dream.)

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. (*I filled mine to the very top— don't be shy! Though the amount of batter I ended up with concerned me at first, this recipe yields the perfect amount for 30 cheesecakes.) Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight. (*I wish mine had hung out in the fridge a little longer than 5 hours, try to plan for as much chill time as possible.) 

These were such a huge hit and were delightfully simple to make, I highly recommend trying them out! Thank you Kelsey for allowing me to share this recipe :)