Cooking with Sam: Cheesecake recipes tempt taste buds

What better way to try to get through the cold days but cheesecake? Any way you bake it, if it has cream cheese in it, you know it is delicious.

Yogurt Cheesecake Cups

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons of honey

2 6-ounce cartons of cherry or cranberry yogurt

12-15 chocolate or vanilla filled cookies

Sliced maraschino cherries for garnish

Beat cream cheese, honey and yogurt till fluffy. Place a cookie in paper cup liners in a regular muffin tin. Top with creamed mixture. Chill at least one hour. Garnish with cherries.

I always add whipped cream to tops. This will make 12-15.

Lickety-Split Lemon Cheesecake

8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

2 cups of milk, divided

3-ounce package of lemon instant pudding mix

8-inch graham cracker crust

Beat cream cheese with half cup of milk. Mix in remaining milk and pudding and beat until well mixed, about one minute – do not overbeat.

Pour into crust and chill at least one hour. Garnish with lemon curls or lemon zest and mint leaves if desired. Serves 6-8.

Cheesecake Tarts

½ cup of sour cream

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 2.1-ounce packages of frozen miniature phyllo shells, thawed

Combine sour cream, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spoon into phyllo shell. Chill until serving.

You can top these with fruit, or I have even spooned on pie filling, if you like them very sweet. Serves 4-8.

Superb Cupcake Cheesecakes

3-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

5 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups sugar

8-ounce carton sour cream

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and one cup of sugar and mix well.

Pour into 24 paper-lined cupcake tins and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile mix sour cream and remaining sugar. Spoon mixture on each cupcake and bake six minutes longer. Cool then refrigerate.

I know sometimes we just want something that does not take a lot of time to do – and everyone, almost, loves chicken.

Simply Divine Chicken Breast

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 teaspoons parsley flakes

Garlic and salt to taste

¼ cup melted butter

1 cup herb stuffing mix, crushed

Flatten chicken breast slightly. Sprinkle breast with parsley and garlic salt. Roll in butter and then stuffing mix.

Place in a well-greased baking dish. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over chicken. Drizzle with remaining butter and a little water. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serves 4.