10-Minute Cheesecakes: They're Instant AND Authentic

Truth is, I have always been intimidated with cheesecakes.  You’ve got to get them right because 1) if you’re cooking for your friends or family, they expect a lot from you when you make this dessert; and 2) if you live in this part of the world, making cheesecake can often be expensive. For starters, cream cheese alone here in Manila does not come cheap.  And if you want to top your cheesecake with fresh blueberries or raspberries, then you’ll have to spend even more because they need to be imported to our tropical country.

So one night, I thought: isn’t there an easy cheesecake recipe?  One that is authentic but not intimidating. One that is virtually instant, but again, still authentic? One that is, of course, delicious.

I did my tests in the kitchen, and voila! An easy cheesecake recipe in 10 minutes or less. In fact, the recipe can yield 3 kinds of cheesecake in just 10 minutes.  I featured the recipe on the 2nd episode of my podcast/foodcast Comfort Zone with Ralph Guzman (video below).  How did I do it? Well, thank to the microwave!  So this is a microwave cheesecake recipe. It’s instant, but it’s authentic.

So here it is.  Enjoy.

Ingredients: Graham Cracker Crust and Oreo Crust

Graham Cracker Crust

Graham crackers, 4 pieces
Sugar, 2 tsp
Butter, 2 tsp

Oreo Cookies Crust
Oreo cookies, 4 pieces
Butter 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp

Directions: To make the graham crackers crust, simply put all the ingredients into the food processor.  You’re done once the ingredients have been combined and the crackers have been broken down into crumbs.  This will take less than a minute!  Remove the crumbs from the food processor.  Form your crust by creating a 1/4 to 1/2 inch crust on 2 clear cups.  If you have excess crumbs (and you will most probably have some leftovers), you can use these for extra toppings.  Or you can make more cheesecakes with them.

Once the food processor is free from graham crumbs, you can now do the Oreo crust.  Just repeat the same procedure as the graham crust.  When finished, assemble the crust using 1 clear cup.

Ingredients: Cheesecake Filling

Cream cheese, 80z (1 bar)
Confectioner’s Sugar/Powdered Sugar, 2 tbsp
Orange and lemon zest, 1/2 tsp of each
1 Egg
Flour, 1 tsp

Directions: Very simple. Just put all the ingredients into the food processor. Mix until all the ingredients have combined well.  Divide the cheesecake filling into the 3 cups with crust.  Microwave the 3 cheesecake cups for 2 minutes, together with 1/2 cup boiling water.  The boiling water will simulate the water bath used when cooking cheesecakes the traditional way.  The boiling water will ensure that the cheesecakes don’t dry up.

Once it is done, chill it in the fridge for about an hour.  They do hold up very well because of the egg and flour. Put the cheesecake cups in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. Once the cheesecakes have cooled, put your favorite toppings. You can use fruits like blueberry, strawberry, mango, or raspberry (in Comfort Zone, I used peaches — and they’re good too!). You can also top one of the cups with chocolate (I used Ferrero’s).  As for the oreo cheesecake, I kept it plain. Still, you can put your favorite toppings.

Enjoy!

See how I made the cheesecakes by watching Comfort Zone with Ralph Guzman