Guest Post: JOELIX

{Note from Jillian: Today I have our first guest post on the blog.  Many thanks to the uber-talented Judith from JOELIX for whipping up this amazing Christmas recipe.  I seriously can’t wait until my arm is well enough to make these.  They involve two of my favorite things…mincemeat and cheesecake! Make sure to check out her blog JOELIX and be prepared to be inspired.  She’s one talented lady. }

Bonjour Jillian In Italy readers, I’m Judith from JOELIX.com. Jillian asked me to share something festive with you, while she is recovering from surgery. I hope she’s doing fine, because not being allowed to use your right hand for 6 weeks must be really tough! Especially with 3 kids… Big hugs Jill!

You all know that Jillian is a talented cook, so I decided to share my favorite christmas recipe with you today. I never cook myself (although I do enjoy baking & making desserts!), but I’m blessed to be surrounded by some amazing chefs. My all time favorite christmas treats are my mom’s mini cheesecakes with mincemeat. They taste very christmassy & sweet and look super cute. Plus they are not too big, which is perfect after a rich christmas meal.

So here is my mom’s recipe:

What you need:
200g digestive biscuits
120g melted unsalted butter
250g firm cream cheese
200ml crème fraîche
75g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100ml whipped cream
100g dried candied cranberries
2 tbs brandy
400g mincemeat

What you do:
Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cling film. Mix the crumbled biscuits with the butter in a blender until combined. Press biscuit mixture into the base and sides of the muffin holes. Press firmly with a spoon. Place the muffin pan in the freezer while you make the filling.
Combine the cream cheese, crème fraîche, sugar and vanilla extract in your blender and beat until smooth. Mix with whipped cream using a spoon.
Fill the muffin pan with spoonfuls of the cream filling. Freeze for another 30 minutes.
Gently heat the cranberries and brandy in a saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Then add mincemeat and warm through for another 3 minutes. Remove from the stove.
To serve, carefully remove the cakes from the muffin pan and serve with mincemeat topping. Bon appétit!

You can buy ready-made mincemeat at this time of the year, but my mom suggested it tastes much better when you prepare the mincemeat yourself. She wrote down her recipe and I made an easy downloadable recipe of it!

If you are going to try making these mini cheesecakes, let me know how you liked them! And of course: may your days be merry & bright! Gros bisous from France!

Tags: baking, christmas recipe, JOELIX, mincemeat cheesecakes, photography, recipe