Jamun cheese cake cups

 

Ingredients

For the crust

12 graham crackers about 2 cups crumbs

6 tablespoon melted butter 

For gulab jamun cheesecake filling

16 oz regular cream cheese

1 cup cottage cheese pureed

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup corn starch

¼ teaspoon saffron

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon rose essence

20 jamuns If they are big then cut into half and use. 

For garnishng - crushed almonds, pistachios and rose petals.

Instructions

Pre-prep

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 12-count 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place jamuns in a mesh strainer to drain excess syrup.

For Crust

Using a food processor, pulse crackers until their sand-like texture

Add butter and pulse a few times until all of the crumbs are moistened.

Evenly distribute (around 1 and ¼ tablespoon) the mixture between all 22 to 24 liners and firmly press it down into one even layer with the help of a spoon.

Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.

Keep oven temperature at 350°F (180°C).

For Cheesecake filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add the heavy cream, cottage cheese puree, corn starch, cardamom powder, rose essence, saffron, and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Evenly distribute the batter (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) with the help of an ice-cream scooper between all liners in the cupcake pan, filling each one to about ¾ full leaving room for jamuns. 

Baking in oven

Place one jamun in the middle of each cup. (If they are too big, cut it into half and place it in the middle).

Place the cupcake pan into the oven.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 18-20 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. It took 20 minutes for me to bake them.

Note - Cheesecake is done when it looks slightly underdone. You’ll see the edges set, while the centers appear a bit jiggly. As it cools, the cheesecake will continue to set.

Remove from the oven and allow cooling in the pan for 1 hour.

Important Note – You will need a couple of muffin trays to make 24 Gulab Jamun cheesecake. If you have only one, you need to wait at least an hour to bake the next batch. Don’t remove baked cheesecake for at least an hour.

Carefully remove from the pan and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Don’t remove the liners at this point.

Once they are set and you are ready to serve, remove the liners and garnish them with your choice of nuts, rose petals

. Enjoy!