NO BAKE, SUPER EASY AND QUICK - CHEESECAKE MOUSSE!

CHEESECAKE MOUSE.- This is the easiest version I've run across, comes together in 15 minutes flat and ready to eat as soon as chilled.You can make it almost any flavor at all too: Lemon, Strawberry, Blueberry, Coffee, Nutella, Pumpkin, Chocolate..... It's also easily made low-carb.

This little cheesecake mousse is very pretty looking and gives you a rich, fluffy and very satisfactory mouth feel, it will make you feel like you cheated but you didn't. Plus it only takes a couple of ingredients too.  You can double the recipe to make a large Mousse Cake or Mousse Pie.

Now, if carbs are the issue, don't add the sugar (you can use an approved sugar substitute) and leave off the cookies (or use low-carb cookies or make your own), but since it's supposed to be super quick, this is what I do.

The ingredients are: (This is for the Lemon version, I'll tell you about the others later):

1 Cream Cheese Package, softened
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
16 or so Vanilla, Chocolate, Graham Crackers, Maria's or even cream filled cookies
1/2 bar of butter or about 4-6 Tbls, melted
1/4-1/3 cup sugar, can be regular or confectioner's (plus more if you want sweet whipped cream)
the juice of 1 lemon (but I like a bit more) + the zest of the lemon for added flavor

To begin:

Take your cookies or crackers or whatever and crush them fine. You can use a food processor. If you like the cheesecake effect for crust you can use graham crackers + butter + some sugar and mix well while processing the crackers. Pack well into your cups.
NOTE: If you're using cream filled cookies for instance which I often use for traditional cheesecakes and add another level of flavor, plus there are so many cookie flavors you can create interesting contrasts too, then just process the cookies until they are sand-like and pack as usual, you don't need to add sugar or butter since the cream will take care of this. Place the serving cups in the fridge while you work on the filling to chill.

In a bowl, whip the Heavy Whipping Cream to the stiff peak stage so it will hold the filling. Beat for a couple of minutes until it just begins to thicken, add sugar if you want sweet whipped cream, and continue to beat until stiff. Place in the fridge until you've got the Lemon filling ready.

You've got the serving cups ready for the filling:
Take the cream cheese and place in a bowl, if using am immersion or hand mixer or place in the bowl of the stand mixer or whatever tool you are using. You can also use a whisk. Beat the cream cheese until it's smooth and fluffy. Add sugar to cream cheese, the lemon juice and zest and either beat in slowly or fold by hand using a spatula, until the sugar and lemon flavor is well integrated.

Now take the whipped cream from the fridge and add half of the whipped cream to the lemon filling and either whip slowly together or fold together well. After this is done, add the rest of the whipped cream to the filling and insure it's well combined.
NOTE: If you want to top the Lemon Filling with a dollop of whipped cream then reserve some whipped cream and don't add it to the Lemon filling.

Put the Lemon filling into your prepared chilled cups and divide your filling to fill your cups. Top with the reserved whipped cream if using. Return to the fridge and chill for at least 1-2 hours to firm up or even better if you can leave it chilling for 4 hours. Serve and Enjoy!

To make other flavors: For chocolate I use Dutch Processed Chocolate run through a sieve and don't add any additional sugar, I use about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup but feel free to add more.

You can use Strawberry Jelly or Preserves or fresh Strawberries for the Strawberry one, I mash up the berries to loosen some juices and then add some pulp and juice.

For Coffee I use an Espresso Powder I use regularly to make frosting and ice cream or you can use very finely ground coffee beans too. To make the Pumpkin version I use very fine beaten mashed pumpkin with some evaporated milk plus some sugar and some Nutmeg shavings and/or cinnamon. For Nutella I would loosen it up some with either milk or water to make it easier to blend with the cream cheese. You can always use flavor extracts or food colorings in place of the fruit as well.

I think you get my idea, right? Depending on the flavor you choose, work it so you can add it to the cream cheese, adding a little big more than usual since when you add the whipped cream you will dilute the flavor so if you want something with a fuller flavor, adjust for this.

I hope you'll find this an easy preparation that can give you a very nice dessert quickly to surprise your family, I never have complaints from these little mousses.... a little something sweet for a lovely afternoon or as the end to a wonderful meal that's not heavy at all..