Here's the library treat ready to be delivered...and the email I sent with it.

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Hi K,

I’m planning on making five dozen mini-cheesecakes (pecan tassie size) for Linda’s party tomorrow.

Larry will bring them in on a large cookie tray; you can either serve directly from that or transfer to a platter.

They’ll have a cookie crust for those who are concerned about gluten.

They’ll have eggs for those who are pure vegetarian.

They’ll have white sugar for those on South Beach.

They’ll have butter for those not eating dairy.

They’ll have fat for those on strict diets.

Ah...so, for the six people remaining, may they enjoy!

Best wishes to Linda!

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/2014%20Marilyn/MiniCheesecakes.jpg~original

Recipe for 72 mini-cheesecakes:

2 Cups of cookie crumbs (I used a blend of Vanilla Wafers and Biscoff cookies)

3 8-oz packages of cream cheese

2 TBL sour cream

1 1/3 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

zest from one lemon

juice from 1/2 lemon

3 Eggs

1.5 C lemon curd (or less)

2 cans of cherry pie filling (the one that has 20% more). You won't need all the cherries, but there aren't enough in just one can. I poured into a strainer and removed the cherries from all the excess filler.

Have everything at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and flavorings and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat only until blended.

Line mini-tassie cups (24 per pan) with paper cups. Add 1 tsp cookie crumbs to each cup. Put filling in a pastry bag and gently fill each almost to the top. You will have JUST ENOUGH for 72.

Bake for 12 minutes. I could fit two pans on one shelf. Baked the third pan separately.

When cool enough, chill for at least 30 minutes before removing from pan to let cheesecake settle. Move to cookie tray and top each cheesecake with a healthy dab of lemon curd. Finish off each cheesecake with a cherry.

 
Think there is enough for a 7th person? Was shoveling snow at 4

can eat one as soon am my fingers finish thawing....

What lucky folks at the library! And how kind of you to bake these up for them.

 
Wow, Marilyn, you sure go the extra mile! I'd have cranked out brownies or bar cookies. In truth,

I find it's easier to make & bake three 3-layer cakes in advance to freeze and then get up early to frost before going to my office job on the day of the party. I sure wish you lived closer so I could hire you when I have that much hand-work to do. Beautiful mini-cheesecakes! I hope those library people appreciate you!

 
Well, I came home from work at 5:30 and there was a phone call, asking me to cater

those same mini-cheesecakes for an event on Friday, as requested by a guest at Linda's retirement party.

I called and told her I was going out of town, but offered to send her the recipe. She was stunned speechless. After I emailed her the recipe and called her back to confirm she had received it, she kept saying that she couldn't' believe I was giving away a recipe.

Apparently she's never met folks like us.

 
Someday I will write a book titled, "Other People's Recipes: Confessions of an Honest Caterer"

I really believe the main reason people in the business don't share recipes is that they are something already published.

 
okay caterers: what would YOU charge for that tray of mini-cheesecakes? I ended up sending 70

because that's exactly what fit on the cookie sheet. Larry and I had the two remaining.

When I showed a coworker a photo of the trayed cakes, she hinted rather strongly that I should make them for the next event here. Then she added that she has stopped making cheesecakes herself because they are so expensive.

{{{{this is me, shaking my head}}}}

 
I would probably charge $1.00 per mini cheesecake. I just bought a dozen cookies at Mrs. Field's

2 days ago, and those toted up to $16.99 ( or $1.42 apiece). Your cheesecakes were homemade and so in my estimation, much better which means those library people were getting a deal if you donated your treats. Your little individual ones are much more labor-intensive than if you'd simply made one whole cheesecake.

 
I have found that when I share any of the recipes I use in catering, people draw in HUGE

breaths and are blown out of the water because of the length of my recipes, and as a result, I almost NEVER have to worry about them making what I've served! And the folks who do forge ahead typically tell me that their end result wasn't nearly as good as mine because so many people don't know the proper cooking/baking techniques anymore.
I got really tickled to read cheezz's recent tea comments regarding not getting consistent results even though several cooks were given the identical recipe. It is a nightmare trying to help troubleshoot something like that--believe me, I've tried helping friends and have ended up shooting a whole day because I basically had to give them a compound-complex cooking lesson! Kids are not taught the basics anymore when growing up at home like my mother taught me, my sister & brother.
It dawned on me again this morning when I read the recent test as posted by cyalexa2 on how to determine if bread/yeast dough has risen enough--I've known that tip since I was 10 years old because Mother made all our bread, hamburger & hotdog buns. I had an excellent role model in the kitchen.
Until coming to this site and/or reading Cooks Illustrated and/or taking cooking lessons as an adult, I oftentimes haven't known WHY I would do certain things the way I did when cooking, but only that it was because that is the way Mom or my grandmother had taught me.
Of course, I would have picked up the whys and wherefores much earlier if I'd only read the beginning pages in my myriad cookbooks instead of skipping those parts to get right to the recipes! lol.

 
I find the only way that works for me is to start with how much money I want to earn

add the food cost and go from there. Be generous to yourself because there might be mishaps, delays, etc.

If, say, you need to make $100 for it to be worth your while and the ingredients cost $20, then for 70 pieces that's about $1.75 each.

They might say no. I'm not catering much these days because I got tired of working long days for very little profit. Most people are shocked to find a home baker charges more than a big store like Costco, even though the product is so much better.

 
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