We all love cheesecake, right?  But it does take time and effort.  You have to make the crust and bake it, then make the filling and, if you do it right, bake the cheesecake in a water bath.  Well, I'm going to show you how to make cheesecake without any baking at all.  It's a deconstructed cheesecake and you layer it in parfait glasses. The cheesecake filling doesn't have any eggs - that's why you don't have to bake it.  These are so easy and you can even make them up ahead of time and refrigerate them.

Brian and I had our 25th wedding anniversary last week and I cooked a special dinner.  He loves strawberry cheesecake but at the same time, I had these fun new little glasses from World Market I had bought and I was dying to make something in them.  I had pictured using them for parfaits.  One thing led to another and . . . deconstructed cheesecake parfaits! No baking, just layering.

Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits 

makes 4 large parfaits or 6 smaller ones

This recipe is flexible - e.g., if you just love the graham cracker "crust" then double the amount and make more.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of strawberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 12 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons Amaretto
• 1 cup heavy cream
• mint springs, for garnish

Instructions:

Slice the strawberries into a bowl and sprinkle with one tablespoon of sugar.  Toss and set aside.

Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and one tablespoon of sugar.  

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add the sour cream, confectioners' sugar and Amaretto and beat until combined. 

In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold into the cream cheese mixture. 

Assemble Parfaits:

Place about a tablespoon of the graham cracker "crust" in the bottom of your glasses.  Layer some of the cheesecake filling in the glasses, then some of the strawberry topping and sprinkle some more of the graham cracker on top. (Amounts will vary according to how many parfaits you are making, so just adjust accordingly). Repeat layers and top with mint.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.