Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups for Halloween recipe

Red velvet cheesecake cups are a bite size version of a classic recipe - with a spooky Halloween twists!

Red velvet cheesecake cups actually make a delicious sweet treat at any time of year - not just for Halloween. Half delectable red velvet cake, half cheesecake recipe, it's two desserts for one! Whether these red velvet cheesecake cups are served with a cup of tea in the afternoon or as a dinner party dessert they are always a crowd pleaser. Although we've given ours a bit of a spooky twist, it's easy not to. If you don't want to make these for Halloween then just leave off the cream and blueberries which we've used to make the cheesecakes look like they have eyes!

Ingredients

For the base

• 125g digestive biscuits
• 50g unsalted butter

For the cheesecake

• 200g bar white Belgian chocolate, broken into squares
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1tsp powdered gelatine
• 250g tub light cream cheese
• 200g tin condensed milk
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
• Red and violet paste food colouring

For the topping

• 100g bar Belgian white chocolate
• 1tsp vegetable oil
• Red and violet paste food colouring
• 150ml whipping cream, whipped
• 12 blueberries

You will also need

• 1 x 12-hole (4cm) silicone patty mould, greased

Method

1. Whizz biscuits in a food processor to make crumbs. Microwave butter on High for 20 seconds, combine with the biscuits.
2. Press the biscuit mixture into the base of the moulds, and chill.
3. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl, resting over a pan of simmering water.
4. Combine the lemon juice and gelatine in a jug. Stand in a bowl of boiled water, leave for a few minutes until gelatine has dissolved, stirring to help.
5. Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk and vanilla in a food processor. Add a few drops of red colour and 1 drop of violet, blend to combine.
6. Pour half this mixture into the melted white chocolate and mix. Pour in the gelatine mixture, then immediately return to the processor with the rest of the cream cheese mixture and blend together. Spoon on top of bases. Freeze for at least 1 hour, until really firm.
7. Upturn silicone mould and pop the cheesecakes out onto serving plates, chill. Melt white chocolate with oil in microwave on High for 1 min, stir until smooth, then add a couple of drops of red colouring and 1 drop of violet. Mix until even and drizzle over the cheesecakes. Pipe on a little whipped cream and top each one with a blueberry.