Recipe

Pre-prep- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 12-count 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside. Take out all the ingredients from the fridge 1 hour in advance. All the ingredients should be at room temperature. Place the gulab jamun on a mesh strainer to drain excess syrup. For Crust- Using a food processor, pulse crackers until their sand-like texture Add butter and pulse a few times until all of the crumbs are moistened. Evenly distribute (around 1 and ¼ tbsp) the mixture between all 22 to 24 liners and firmly press it down into one even layer with the help of a bowl or muddle. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down. Keep oven temperature at 350°F (180°C). For Cheesecake filling- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Note – Please note – do not use a wired balloon whisk for making the batter. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, corn starch, cardamom powder, rose essence, saffron, and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Evenly distribute the batter (about 2 and ½ tbsp) with the help of an ice-cream scooper between all liners in the cupcake pan, filling each one ¾. (Make sure to fill only ¾, don’t fill full. We need some room for gulab jamun). Place one gulab jamun in the middle of each cup. (If your gulab jamuns are too big, cut it into half and place it in the middle). muffin tray filled with Gulab jamun cheesecake Place the cupcake pan into the oven. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 18-20 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. It took 20 minutes for me to bake them. Remove from the oven and allow cooling in the pan for 1 hour. Carefully remove from the pan and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Don’t remove the liners at this point. Once they are set and you are ready to serve, remove the liners and garnish them with your choice of nuts, rose petals, and silver varq. Enjoy!