My sister, Dana, is famous for the spectacular Halloween BOO-ffet that she hosts every year for between 50 and 100 guests. She is always coming up with new dishes to serve, and not only are they very Halloweenish, they also taste delicious because she is a fantastic cook and most of her recipes are made from scratch. One of the most popular dishes that disappears quickly on the dessert table is the following Dana's Eyeball Cheesecakes. The cheesecakes are made in muffin pans, and can be frozen for up to two months ahead. At serving time, they will need only a topping of sweetened sour cream and a fruit garnish.

If you happen to be in a hurry, you can use a tube of store-bought red gel frosting (found on the baking aisle next to the frosting), to make the bloodshot squiggles, but Junket Danish Dessert, which is a red jelled pudding, makes them more flavorful. Kiwi slices form the iris of the eyes, and chocolate covered raspberries form the pupils. I think the chocolate raspberries are too big for the pupils, so I just stick a semi-sweet chocolate chip in the middle of the kiwi instead. It's faster, but of course, doesn't taste as good, so it's your choice.

36 Miniature Cheesecakes

36 vanilla wafer cookies

3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or lemon extract

1 cup sour cream

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
2/3 cup sugar

Raspberry flavored Danish Dessert, or red gel frosting
36 slices kiwi fruits
36 semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chocolate covered raspberries

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line 3 12-cup muffin pans with Halloween themed or other fancy liners.
3. Place a vanilla wafer in each liner.
4. Place the cream cheese, eggs, flour, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth.
5. Add the sour cream and pulse until smooth. (Alternately, beat the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until smooth.)
6. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup batter into each of the muffin cups.
7. Bake 30-40 minutes or until the middles are set.
8. Remove from the oven, cool on racks, and chill until serving.
9. Assembly: Make the topping by mixing the sour cream and sugar.
10. Spread each of the cheesecakes with the mixture and smooth the tops.
11. Pipe red squiggles with the Danish Dessert or red gel starting from the center to the edges to resemble bloodshot eyes.
12. Place a kiwi slice in the center, and top with a chocolate chip or raspberry.
13. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until serving.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 238 Calories from Fat 112
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 47% Protein 6% Carb. 47%

Nutrient Amount per Cheesecake
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 6 g
Cholesterol 48 mg
Sodium 83 mg
Total Carbohydrate 28 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 10 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A 11% Vitamin C 124% Calcium 0% Iron 4%