One-Bite Orange Ginger Cheesecake-y Muffins

 RAPID CHEESECAKE FIRE. That's what's going on right now.

So those first cheesecakes were self-accessed as "pretty okay." Not bad by any means, but mostly okay. I mean, fat free sour cream + fat free cream cheese is a lot of freedom from fat. And freedom is great and all, don't get me wrong. I've seen Braveheart. Like, a lot of times. I know about freedom. But sometimes, folks (me) just don't know what's good for them (me). That's why we need SOPA NC-17 movies waterboarding reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream. (I knew it!)

Also, I wasn't wild about the chocolate cheesecake thing. I know some people like that (I bet you like freedom too, huh? I THOUGHT SO. Communist!) but I mean, I like my cheesecake beige and creamy. I also wanted something a little more yogurt-friendly (I like to put my foods inside my foods to make foodier foods) so, likeisaid, chocolate was just not quite right. So I went with a classic, tried and true combo: orange and ginger. The combination of pretentious champions. And, coincidentally, my second favorite icelandic skyr style yogurt flavor too*.

So here you go. Delicious One-Bite Orange Ginger Cheesecake-y Muffins. I changed the name to something entirely more complicated because they really aren't cheesecakes when they are this tiny. They are more so cheesecake inspired muffins. So pop them in your mouth, your icelandic skyr style yogurt, your organic large curd cottage cheese, or make them a vehicle for red fig jam (RED FIG JAM GUYS). Mostly just eat them. You can always just eat them. If you're into that.

*It's okay if you're no longer cool enough to be my friend anymore after this sentence. You probably never were.

Orange Ginger Cheesecake-y Muffins or Ramekin Cheesecakes
Makes 24 One-Biters or 4 small Ramekin Cakes

Ingredients:
4 tbls wheat germ
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese
4oz extra firm tofu
11 packets truvia
1/2 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 orange extract
4 oz reduced fat sour cream
15g ginger candy, grated or broken up
some orange zest

Directions:
PREP Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini cupcake pan with some baking spray. Equally distribute some wheat germ on the bottom for your "crusts." Place the pan in the freezer.
MAKE Toss the cream cheese, tofu, and truvia in your food processor and process until smooth. Add the egg, egg white, vanilla, and orange extract. Process! Add the sour cream, ginger candy, and orange zest. Process!
ASSEMBLE Take the pan out of the freezer and spoon the cheesecake mixture into the cupcake pods. It's around 2 tbls ish or so of creamy goodness.
BAKE in your oven for 20 minutes. I think. Take out and cool and nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom nom.




RATE ME!!!


TASTE: 3.9/5 Oh these are significantly yummier, yes. I also made one bigger one that was less muffin-y (hard to keep something that small moist enough for a cheesecake, ya know?) and more cheesecake-y and hooooly shit. Yum city.


EASE: 5/5 Anything with a food processor and a food processor only is magnificent.


FILTH OF THE KITCHEN: 2/5 Okay I dropped a fork with cheesecake batter on it all over myself and then it fell on the floor and that was gross. It was also the only mess. Nice. I have cheesecake on my pants. Upgrade.


DID THE DOG EAT THE DOUGH? Shhhhh. The dog is sleeping. Don't wake him, even though it's moderately impossible to do so. Unless you just said :walk." Did you just say walk? Are we going on a walk? We are? We're going on a walk? Because I think you said walk? I'm pretty sure I heard walk come out of your mouth when you said walk because you definitely said walk and I like to go on walks and I'm awake now. Look what you've done.


IMPRESS-O-METER: 4.5/5 Ahem. Orange. And ginger. And one bite cheesecakes. Oh they are 42 calories a bite-size piece too (250 calories a ramekin). CUZ YOU KNOW HOW I DO.