Oh boy!!!! Linda, if your recipe makes about 5 dozen, I better cut ours in half! DS's full recipe calls for 3 POUNDS of cream cheese! He was afraid of the cone shape of the mini muffin tins. He took two years of baking and pastry in high school but has only done a little since graduation, as he couldn't get a job doing it. Needless to say, he's out of practice and unsure of changing things so drastically. These are pretty special people to us. I first met him when I was working for a car dealership. He was our district rep. He would come to the area and about mid week would be our turn for his visit. He would say "Wanna go out tonight?" Answer was always "You bet!" DH, who was my BF at the time, worked afternoon shift. We would go meet him for his lunch, our supper, have a few drinks together after DH went back to work, go back to the motel & call his wife. I only knew her by phone for 3 years! The first time I met her in person, it was like meeting my mother and best friend all in one. We have all been "family" since I first met him at work. They will do anything for anyone. We have a parking spot for the motor home in thier driveway, with an electric outlet, anytime we want to go to Michigan. We will take it up for the weekend when we go for the party in June. There isn't anything I can think of to buy them, but I can contribute to their special day. And of course, there will be willing hands available to help them set up and tear down! Thanks for the advice. I will certainly be experimenting before June! Besides, making them this size will MAYBE keep me from eating too much of it. I can put most of them in the freezer and nibble as the craving hits without having to over eat such a rich cheesecake. If we make one the usual way, I eat until I almost get sick on it, because it makes so much. I have cut the recipe in half, and if I don't want to make the crust, I can cheat and buy an extral large ready made graham crust, which will just hold a half recipe. Tami

Here are some, not tried and true by me, but tried by people from other sites I have visited. They have been on my too try list. Chocolate Truffle Baby Cheesecake Crust 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (crushed Oreos are fine) 3 tablespoons unsalted melted butter 2 tablespoons brown sugar Cake 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled 1 pound cream cheese 1/4 cup sugar 1 can condensed milk 3 eggs 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Garnish Sifted cocoa or confectioners sugar or melted white and dark chocolate, drizzled on top of finished cake Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line a 7 inch cheesecake pan on the outside, as snugly as you can, with aluminum foil. Fill a small roasting pan with water so that when cake pan sits in it, the water comes up half up sides. Toss crust ingredients into the bottom of the cheesecake pan to blend and then press into place. For the cake, melt the chocolate in a microwave on low (about a minute a time) and set aside to cool. Place cream cheese and sugar in a food processor and blend well. Then add in condensed milk, eggs and vanilla and proceed until smooth. Remove 1/2 cup of batter and blend that into melted chocolate. Pour remaining batter into cheesecake pan, and then swirl in chocolate batter. Place the roasting pan in the oven and fill it with water. Place the cheesecake pan in the water. Bake until cake is barely set, about 30-40 minutes. Cool one hour in oven, then on counter about an hour or so and then refrigerate at leat 6 hours before serving. Garnish with drizzles chocolate or cocoa. You can also put chunks of store-bought, cut up truffles on top and serve with hot fudge sauce. 4-8 portions Layered Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake Prep: 15 mins. Total: 3 hrs 55 mins (inc. refrigerating) 2 1/2 cups oreo baking crumbs 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup flaked coconut 4 pkgs. cream cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 3 tbsp Custard Powder 4 eggs 1/2 cup whipping cream 6 squares semi-sweet chocolate Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix baking crumbs, butter, pecans and coconut; press firmly onto bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Refridgerate while preparing preparing filling. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and custard powder in large bowl with electric mixer on med. speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake 40 mins or until centre is almost set. Cool. Refridgerate 3 hours or overnight. Place whipping cream and chocolate in saucepan. Cook on low heat until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. Pour over cheesecake. Refridgerate 15 mins or until chocolate is firm. Store leftover cheesecake in refridgerator. Makes 16 servings, 1 square each. Jazz it up: Once chocolate topping is firm, place two unwrapped squares of chocolate in microwavable bowl. Microwave on medium 1 min., stirring after 30 secs. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into resealable bag. Snip off one bottom corner of bag; twist top of bag to pipe a special message such as "Greetings" on top of cheesecake. Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake For crust: 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups oatmeal 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup brown sugar For filling: 2 8 oz package cream cheese 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup caramel topping -- divided 1 tablespoon flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan. For crust, melt chips and butter in large saucepan over low heat; cool slightly. Stir in remaining ingredients, and press firmly onto bottom and up 1" on side of pan. Bake 10 minutes and cool completely. For filling, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in morsels. Pour over crust. Combine 1/3 cup caramel and 1 tablespoon flour; mix well. Spoon caramel mixture over filling; swirl with knife. Bake 40-50 minutes or until center is set; cool. Chill six hours or overnight. Remove rim. To serve, drizzle with remaining caramel topping. Store covered in refrigerator. Chocolate Mint Meringue CheesecakeTue, 22 Jun 2004, at 4:30 p.m. Chocolate Mint Meringue Cheesecake 1 cup Chocolate Wafer Crumbs 2 tablespoons Sugar 2/3 cup Sugar 1 cup Mint Chocolate Chips, Melted 3 each Large Egg Whites 3 tablespoons Margarine, Melted 24 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened 3 each Large Eggs 1 teaspoon Vanilla 7 ounces Marshmallow Creme (1 Jr) Combine crumbs, margarine and sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch spring- form pan. Bake at 350 degrees F., 10 minutes. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in mint chocolate and vanilla; pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees F., 50 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Chill. Beat egg whites until soft peakes form. Gradually add marshmallow creme, beating until stiff peakes form. Carefully spread over top of cheesecake to seal. Bake at 450 degrees F.; 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Chocolate-Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake Ingredients: Crust: 2 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar Cheesecake: 8 ounce package semisweet chocolate squares, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1/4 cup hot strong coffee 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes 8 ounce carton sour cream 1 cup sugar, divided 2 eggs 2 tablespoons whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup Chambord or other raspberry flavored liqueur Garnish: whipped cream fresh mint sprigs Raspberry Sauce: 10 ounce package frozen raspberries, thawed 2 teaspoons cornstarch Preparation: Cheesecake: Combine wafer crumbs, butter and 1/2 cup sugar; blend well. Press on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Set aside. Position knife blade in food processor bowl, add chocolate cubes and process until finely ground. With food processor running, pour hot coffee through food chute. Process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add cream cheese cubes and next 6 ingredients and process until mixture is smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides of processor bowl. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake at 350 degrees F. for 55 minutes. (Center will still be soft.) Let cheesecake cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours. Carefully remove sides of pan. Place each serving on a pool of Raspberry Sauce. Garnish, if desired, with whipped cream and mint. Raspberry Sauce: Drain raspberries, reserving juice. Put raspberries through a food mill and discard seeds. Combine raspberry juice, purée and cornstarch, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring until smooth and thickened. Let cool. Makes 3/4 cup. Sadie's Fudge Toffee Cheesecake Servings: 8-10 Comments: This decadent cheesecake is a chocoholic's dream. It's silky smooth and deeply chocolate. Be careful not to overbake. The filling will wobble when the pan is gently shaken, but will firm up as the cheesecake cools. Ingredients: 2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs 1/3 cup melted butter 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, caramelized* (see below) 3 Skor chocolate bars, crumbled (this is much easier if you freeze the bars first) 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature (do not use light cream cheese) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur 3 eggs, at room temperature 6 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled Garnish: (optional) 2 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate Chocolate curls Instructions: *To Carmelize sweetened condensed milk: To caramelize the sweetened condensed milk, simmer slowly in the top of a double boiler for about an hour, or longer, until it thickens and turns a golden brown. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool. (Note: Any brand of sweetened condensed milk may be substituted for the Eagle Brand.) Generously grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of foil to prevent the butter in the crust from leaking out. Combine the chocolate crumbs and melted butter and press onto the bottom and part way up the sides of the greased pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (180 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes then set aside to cool. Spread the caramelized sweetened condensed milk over the cooled crust (warm it in the microwave for a few seconds if necessary). Sprinkle the 3 crushed Skor bars evenly over the caramel layer. If you've had to reheat the caramel before spreading, let it cool for a moment before adding the Skor bars. With an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat only till smooth (don't overbeat the batter once you've added the eggs or the cheesecake could crack). Quickly stir in the melted chocolate and Kahlua (can do this by hand). Pour the batter over the caramel layer. It should almost fill the pan. Bake the cheesecake in the preheated 350 degree F (180 degrees C) oven for approximately 50-55 minutes. It will be set around theedges, but the center will wobble when you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for 1 hour, then completely cool at room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake when it first starts to cool so that it doesn't pull away from the sides of the pan and crack. Refrigerate overnight before removing the sides of the pan. To garnish, melt 2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle over the top and down the sides of the chilled cake. Pile chocolate curls in the center. Tip: Before preheating the oven set a large pan of water on the bottom rack. This adds moisture while the cheesecake is baking and will help to prevent cracks. Makes 8-10 servings. Shelley

I think in the past year I have made 6 to 7 cheesecakes and never had a failure. As for the water drops on top, you can cover the pan with some foil. Here is my basic recipe. CheesecakeThis recipe looks long but it’s really 3 simple steps: make the crust, make the filling and make the topping. The instructions are just detailed so that even a first-timer can have a perfect result. Crust:1 cup graham, chocolate or vanilla waferscrumbs 2 tsp sugar 3 Tbsp melted butter Filling:2 8-oz pkg cream cheese, (low-fat works, too) 3/4 cup sugar (sugar substitutes work, too) 2 eggs (warm 5 minutes in a bowl of warmwater) 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/8 tsp salt (1-2 tsp grated lemon zest - optional) Topping:1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt 2 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla. The recipe and cook times are for a 7” cheesecake pan. Adjusted times for other pans are included below. It is not necessary to line the side of the pan with parchment paper. It buckles and mars the edge. My favourite is the Fat Daddio 7” push pan but any pan will do. No need to cover it with foil before cooking, either. This is a very simple recipe. **Important: Warm the cream cheese. Trust me on this. I've been making these for 45years. It's MUCH easier to blend if it's warmer than room temperature and it only takes a few minutes. Put the wrapped cream cheese in a ziplock bag, but don't seal it. Push it into a sink or bowl full of hot tap water to force the air out and THEN seal it. Weight it down with a plate for about 15 minutes. It will be very soft and easy to blend.Lining the bottom with parchment is optional. Spray it with baking spray if you prefer. And don't press the crust in too firmly. It will be easier to serve if you use a gentle touch. CRUST: Mix ingredients with a fork and gently press it in the bottom of the pan and up the sides a bit if you like. Put it in the freezer or if you prefer, bake it at 350 for 9 minutes, then cool completely. FILLING: Mix all ingredients except the eggs until completely smooth. Add the eggs and beat until just incorporated. (Don't fret too much about overbeating. This recipe is practically bulletproof.) Pour the filling into the crust.Put 1 1/2 cups water and the trivet into the IP. Place the cheesecake on the trivet, close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Hit Pressure Cook (or Manual) and use the + and – buttons to get to 26 minutes for a 7-inch pan. This will produce a perfect, creamy filling. If you prefer a denser texture, cook it for 28 minutes.- - -PAN SIZE AND COOK TIMES:6-inch pan --- 29 minutes (31 for dense texture)7-inch pan --- 26 minutes (28 for dense texture)8-inch pan --- 24 minutes (26 for dense texture) **see below Individual ramekins or mason jars --- 10 minutes For 1 1/2 times the recipe:7–inch pan --- 29 minutes (32 for a dense texture)8-inch pan --- 27 minutes (30 for a dense texture)For 2 times the recipe:8-inch pan --- 33 minutes (35 for a dense texture)- - -When it beeps that it's done, leave it for a 15-minutes Natural Release. Then flip the valve to Venting for a Quick Release. When the pin drops, take out the cheesecake.It will appear "jiggly." That's GOOD. It will firm up as it cools. It may have some condensation on the surface. If so, gently blot it with a paper towel.Leave it to cool on the counter for an hour. It will settle down and flatten out. Then cover the cheesecake and refrigerate it in the pan for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. In my opinion,this is the hardest part of the whole recipe... the waiting

Classic new york cheesecake...not Brooklyn style...isn't as dense as you say yours was. With the 5 eggs and the flour and the extra cream...? Try...4 packages of cream cheese a cup of sugar mixed with a rounded T. of corn starch and vanilla....beat well...incorporating air....that's what keeps it from becoming a brick. and bake in a bain marie at 320 for an hour, turn the oven to 275 lay a piece of foil over the top of the pan and bake another 15 minutes....until a table knife inserted halk way between the edge and the middle comes out clean. Top with the sour cream and surar if you wish...I prefer berries....or a chocolate ganasch.