Pepper Jelly Cheesecake aka SHOW DIP
In this post is the recipe, how to tips & video for making our Pepper Jelly Cheesecake! The video is one of those sorta quick watch type that shows how to make our original version made with Confetti Pepper Jelly & Bacon. YES - you can make the recipe with any jelly! YES - we LOVE mixing and matching our jellies to make FAB combos, more on that below.
What is it?? Pepper Jelly Cheesecake is a savory DIP with 5 ingredients: cheddar cheese, cream cheese, egg, garlic and pepper jelly. It was born of a cheesecake obsession I had when I was younger.(Although I still love cheesecake when it appears.) I decided to modify a cheesecake recipe using my pepper jelly and was thrilled with the results. The fact that the dip has egg in it makes it rise and gives it that cheesecake texture I love. SO what ever you want to call it - it's just plain GOOD and always the hit of party season!
"WHAT IS THAT CHEESE DIP ON THE CORNER??" If you have attended one of our shows and sampled "that cheese dip on the corner" THIS IS IT! At our shows, like Cottontails or Christmas Village, we typically sample two different versions of this recipe. We will use a combination of Confetti & Holiday or Confetti & Strawberry. Sometimes we also substitute Hot Confetti for Confetti as Hot Confetti adds bit more kick. Right now youre probably thinking - JENNIFER STAAAAPHP .... with the variations! I know... lol. So - here: if you've attended a Spring show, we usually sample Strawberry with Confetti and our Christmas shows samples Holiday with the Confetti. I hope that helps! :))
How to make the SHOW DIP version you loved: If you want to make the dip just like you had at the show, the recipe calls for a full jar of jelly- the big jar not the minis for the full flavor. You would make the cheesecake batter with 1/2 a jar of Confetti pepper jelly (or Hot Confetti if you prefer to spice it up a bit). Then after it bakes and has cooled a few minutes, spread either Strawberry Pepper Jelly or Holiday Pepper Jelly over the top to coat.
Let's talk texture: I often hear at my shows "mine didn't turn out like yours" and it just hurts my heart! I want everyone's food to be as amazing as it can be - that's what we are here for! So a little more detail on doneness: think of your dip like brownies or a cake. You want all the jiggle baked out of your cheesecake.
Now, everyone's oven is different as are the containers being used to bake the cheesecake. This makes a little time modification or extension sometimes necessary. The recipe calls for an 8x8 dish. I rarely use a standard 8x8 and opt for "prettier" dishes to serve in like the one above which is much smaller over all and rectangular. When changing the size of the pan you must adjust cook time as well. The thicker your cheesecake the longer it will need to cook. A well done cheesecake will be brown around the edges. I love the edges as they give a bit of crunchiness to the dip and I am a total crunch person. Feel free to cover with aluminum foil as you add 3 minute increments to get your cake DONE. Here is a picture of a completely DONE Pepper jelly cheesecake before being topped. See how the edges are brown sorta like brownies? You can also see the browning happening all the way to the middle.
This next picture shows how the dip holds its shape when scooped out when it's properly cooked. Underdone cheesecake will be loose or flat and possibly even pour out of the spoon. You just can't serve underdone cheesecake because it has egg in it. If you aren't sure? A few extra minutes in the oven should set it up for you - Even if the topping is already spread on and done. Just cover it all with foil and keep an eye on it.
"Jelly tore up my cheesecake":: We don't want putting the jelly on top to tear into the cheesecake. If your jelly is not all that "pourable" then give it a nuke in the microwave for 10 second integrals to help loosen it up a bit and stir! A gentle hand here helps with spreading also. Another tip is to wait a few minutes after the cake comes out of the oven to allow it to finish setting. A done cheesecake helps here also - slightly underdone cakes don't have a nice crust on them and as such tear more easily when topped.
Freeze ahead of time: As an added bonus you CAN freeze the batter or baked cheesecake, though I prefer freezing the batter in a ziplock bag and baking on the event day. It really helps cut down on kitchen mess when company is coming too! I always have a stack ready to go in the freezer!
I hope this all helps you make your pepper jelly cheesecakes! The recipe card is down below the video. I have to say I have popped in and updated this post (2019) and while watching this video back from 3 years ago - the edges on the cheese cake in the video are quite dark. Not sure if it was color editing in the video or if I overcooked it but I do recall it was tasty! So even if your edges get dark don't worry - dip happy!
If you need some pepper jelly to make all this happen - I added a clickable pic below also!
ENJOY! ~ Jennifer
