Halloween Cheesecake Skulls with Sour Cherry Preserves

Baked Cheesecake Skulls 💀 just when you thought I couldn’t fit anything else into my skull mold 😉 Layered with rich cream cheese and topped with tart sour cherry preserves. The perfect spooky-sweet dessert for your Halloween table.

Skull mold here: https://amzn.to/46Uw5Rk

The plant based red food coloring I used here: https://amzn.to/4ocU8SE

Halloween Cheesecake Skulls with Sour Cherry Preserves

Ingredients

(Crust)

200g / 7 oz graham crackers (about 28 squares)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1/8 tsp or pinch of salt

(Filling)

500g / 1 lb cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

1 1/2 cups caster sugar (Super fine)

1/2 cup sour cream (Full fat only)

Zest of 1 lemon

3 large eggs, room temperature

Sour Cherry fruit spread, for serving * Store bought here: https://amzn.to/436YX7G

Plant Based Red food coloring for plates: https://amzn.to/4ocU8SE

SKULL MOLD: https://amzn.to/46Uw5Rk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Place your 6-cavity deep skull silicone mold and on a sturdy baking tray for easy transfer.

2. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and creamy (about 30 seconds on medium speed).

3. Add flour and beat in vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just incorporated. Do not over-beat to keep the texture smooth.

4. Evenly divide the cheesecake batter among the six cavities, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top. Smooth the surfaces with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes. ** You will remove them briefly to add the graham cracker crumbs and then bake again for another 20 minutes. See below.

5. While the cheesecakes are baking pulse graham crackers in a food processor or break in a ziplock bag until finely crushed. Add melted butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand.

6. Remove the cheesecakes and add about two tablespoons of crushed graham crackers to each cavity. Press gently to adhere (this will form the crust when inverted). The cheesecake is not fully baked so emphasis on the word GENTLY.

7. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until slightly firm to the touch with a bit of a wobble.

8. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly open for 20 minutes to let the cheesecakes cool gradually. Transfer the mold to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours then freeze for two hours before removing from the molds.

9. Let cheesecake sit at room temperature for 25 minutes before serving. Serve with homemade sour cherry preserves around the skulls.