Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

Note to self: refrain from making delicious treats when your lenten sacrifice is sweets! I happened to come across these gems during one of my occasional scans through a few favorite food blogs and instantly I knew I had to make them.

At work, my group has instated the tradition of taking a short break out of the day to celebrate each of our birthdays. I was on treat duty this time around...and decided to test my ability to resist temptation (at least until Sunday).

I opted for a reduced fat version of the original and the result was still a big hit - as proven by my coworkers coming back for seconds, creating a cheesecake cupcake with a not too sweet, not too creamy taste. The recipe itself was very simple and I would definitely not hesitate to make these little devils again.

The recipe:

(Inspiration: Handle the Heat)

1 package of Reduced Fat Oreos, 24 left whole, remainder coarsely chopped

3-8oz. packages reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

3/4 cup sour cream

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

If you have an electric mixer, use it. Otherwise, arm strength will have to suffice. Mix cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and stir until combined. Mix in vanilla.

Add in eggs, a bit at a time. Add in sour cream and salt. Meanwhile, crumble remaining cookies in a plastic bag (I also used a rolling pin). Then stir in the chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.