cape may bed and breakfast salted caramel cheesecake a valentines day special treat

By Patti Goyette

If you know me, you know that I am a baker through and through. I love to bake but even more so, I enjoy watching the faces of the people I love take the first bite of something I made. I can never get enough of that look on someone’s face that says pure joy before the words even come out of their mouth. Enter into the picture a man whom I love and a man who doesn’t like sweets. Yes, you read that correctly. He doesn’t do desserts…or does he? I discovered this summer that he does. He and I found a fabulous little place after church one Sunday with yummy cupcakes and he loved the Salted Caramel. I mean…LOVED. We had to go back the following week. Now, is there anything more challenging to a baker than when a man she loves finds joy in someone else’s cupcakes? Surprised Challenge accepted!

I finally got a double thumbs up from The Man when I made mini cheesecakes this fall. Then again when I made homemade salted caramel candies. So what’s a girl to do during a major winter storm in January? Yep, let’s combine the two and make a Salted Caramel Cheesecake and see what kind of reaction I get!

Cookie Crust:

2 sleeves of Oreo cookies

2 Tablespoons of butter

Line your cupcake pan with muffin cups. Crush the cookies (food processor or the old fashion way with a rolling pin and ziplock bag!) Melt the butter and mix through the crumbs until all the crumbs are moist. Press about a tablespoon of cookie mixture into the bottom of each cupcake paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the Cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Filling:

2 Bricks of Philadelphia Cream Cheese – Room temp

1/2 cup of Sour Cream

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 Tablespoon of Caramel Dipping Sauce

In mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add the sugar and meat on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add one egg at a timeIMG_1705 and mix well. Add the Caramel Dipping Sauce and mix until well blended. Pour or scoop into each cup filling just shy of the top. Spread evenly or jiggle pan until each cup is level and even. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until the center no longer jiggles when you tap the pan. Turn off oven and open door. Leave in the oven for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Pipe a small amount of the caramel dipping sauce onto each cup, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Homemade Whipped Cream:

2 cups of Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tablespoons of sugar

Beat the cream and sugar on high with risk attachment until fluffy! Pipe whipped cream onto chilled cheesecake, top with caramel and/or chocolate sauce! ENJOY!!

The Mason Cottage, Cape May Bed and Breakfast Inn, has tea-time for guests from 3:00 to 4:00 PM daily. Join us every October thru March for our Chocolate Decadence Tea-Time, where everything is Chocolate. From Chocolate Mint Oolong Tea, to hand-dipped chocolate cookies, fruit and nuts, this is fro serious chocolate lovers.