Cotton Candy and Rainbow Cheesecake? This Recipe Is Lisa Frank Heaven!
Sometimes we’re drawn to food that looks healthy, and other times we’re craving some decadent comfort food (or sometimes both, like these healthy comfort foods). Right now we’re looking for dishes that make our eyes pop out and take us back to our childhood — wacky colors, cotton candy galore, and enough sugar to keep you bouncing off those walls for a week. Yay! It’s a little bit silly, but we all need a bit of silliness in our lives, and that’s where these Lisa Frank-inspired rainbow cheesecake bites come in. Rainbow-colored tongues and sticky fingers rule!
Ingredients:
Makes 12 bars
- 7 ounces graham crackers, crushed
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups cream cheese
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- food coloring gel (we used pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple)
- 2 cups cotton candy
- 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions:
- Line an 8 x 8-inch baking tin with plastic wrap.
- Place the crushed crackers into a bowl and stir in the butter. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Flatten the crumbs down as much as you can. If you have another baking tin of the same size, wrap it in plastic wrap and place on top of the tin with the crackers, then use that tray to squash the crumbs flat. Remove the top tin, then place the cheesecake base in the refrigerator to set for one hour.
- Place the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Add in the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until thick.
- Separate the cheesecake mixture into 6 small bowls. Add a drop of food coloring gel to each, so you have 6 different colors. Mix into the cheesecake mixture. Add a little more food coloring gel if required, until you get a deep color.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixtures in blobs on top of the biscuit base so that all of the biscuit base is covered. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top, then take the same-size baking tin again and place on top. Use the tin to squash the cheesecake mixture down gently, to flatten it out. Remove the tin and carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Use a spatula or spoon to swirl the colors slightly. Place back in the refrigerator for a further 30 minutes to firm up.
- Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator and remove from the tin. Peel off the plastic wrap, then carefully cut the cheesecake into 12 slices.
- Top each slice with a piece of cotton candy*, then pour over the rainbow sprinkles. Serve immediately.
*If making ahead, be sure to place the cotton candy on right before serving, as it will melt due to the moisture in the cheesecake.
Line an 8 x 8-inch baking tin with plastic wrap. Place the crushed crackers into a bowl and stir in the butter. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking tin. Flatten the crumbs down as much as you can. If you have another baking tin of the same size, wrap it in plastic wrap and place on top of the tin with the crackers, then use that tray to squash the crumbs flat. Remove the top tin, then place the cheesecake base in the refrigerator to set for one hour.
Place the cream into a large bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Add in the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until thick.
Separate the cheesecake mixture into six small bowls. Add a drop of food coloring gel to each, so you have six different colors. Mix into the cheesecake mixture. Add a little more food coloring gel if required, until you get a deep color.
Spoon the cream cheese mixtures in blobs on top of the biscuit base so that all of the biscuit base is covered. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top, then take the same-size baking tin again and place on top. Use the tin to squash the cheesecake mixture down gently, to flatten it out. Remove the tin and carefully peel off the plastic wrap. Use a spatula or spoon to swirl the colors slightly. Place back in the refrigerator for a further 30 minutes to firm up.
Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator and remove from the tin. Peel off the plastic wrap, then carefully cut the cheesecake into 12 slices.
Top each slice with a piece of cotton candy*, then pour over the rainbow sprinkles. Serve immediately.
*If making ahead, be sure to place the cotton candy on right before serving, as it will melt due to the moisture in the cheesecake.
What Lisa Frank-inspired recipe would you make? We’d love to know! Tweet us @BritandCo and follow us on Pinterest for more rainbow food ideas.