Dear Guys in the Dating World,
Dating is hard — I get it. There are so many rules, implied and otherwise, that you need to know and master — not to mention the crippling anxiety from meeting a new girl, asking the right questions, not wanting to seem super eager but not acting too stoic. I get it. It’s a fine line.
But here’s a little free unsolicited but trust-me-you-need-it advice for you. Please, for the love of all things holy, heed this advice. Because I’m a girl and I know better. (Not really, but I do know better here, so listen up!)
When it comes to first dates, most are acceptable — but a few are not. Let me break it down for you so there’s no ambiguity.
Acceptable First Dates include: dinner (can be something small, like Chipotle or sushi, or something fancier like Italian); a picnic; coffee; a cafe; ice cream; any other dessert shop; a walk in the park; miniature-golfing; bowling; drinks; light shopping/strolling around mall or outdoor shops; wine-tasting; one of those places where you can drink and paint; etc.
Not Acceptable First Dates include: going to the movies (too impersonal); paint-balling (no); going for a hike (me + you in the middle of nowhere? maybe not for the first date); going away for the weekend (too much); baseball game (too distracting); clubbing (unless you’re a guido, don’t); hanging out with you and your friends (noooooo).
A hike sounds so fun, but I don’t really want to be alone with someone I just met in a secluded area — surely you understand. It’s not that I’m implying you’d murder me and toss my body off of a cliff to be devoured by hungry mountain lions and yetis but.. okay, I am implying that. It’s just that, nowadays serial killers can be so good looking. Have you seen Ted Bundy? He wasn’t exactly some podunk weirdo with a monobrow and gnarly teeth. He was actually quite dapper.. and he also murdered tons of women, sooooo I can’t really say you wouldn’t do the same and make me bear food. It’s not you, it’s me!
And hanging out with your friends would be totally acceptable for maybe a later date. But the first date when I don’t even know you? Knowing me, I’d introduce myself to your insanely-more-attractive best friend and realize he wasn’t my intended date after all. Major awkwardness would ensue. And how about the fact that dudes usually have burping contests and talk about cars and Duck Dynasty? Not my idea of a romantic first date being second fiddle while everyone guzzles PBR and comments on the bartender’s rack.
So in short, guys — I know you guys have the potential in ya — you’re human! So make the most of it by actually thinking out a decent first date and putting it into action. Assuming you’re a decent human with some gentlemanly qualities, we’ll likely want to date you a second, third, fourth, and fifth time — and after that, do all the paint-balling, hiking, friend-beer-drinking-contests and body disposing you want with us. Actually.. not that last part. Unless you’re into that kinda thing. Actually, no. Never do that last part.
Now go get ’em tiger! And uh, boys? If you’re lookin’ to date me, I am very easily bribed with Spumoni Cheesecakes. Just sayin’!
Speaking of which… spumoni. Do you eat it? It’s one of my favorite ice cream flavors even though it’s harder to find and not quite popular. I just cannot resist the irresistible combination of bright cherry, nutty pistachio and creamy chocolate swirled together in every bite. SO dang good! I knew I wanted to make something with this classic Italian-style ice cream flavor, and cheesecake instantly came to mind! And subsequently I cannot get them off of my mind — they’re heavenly!
Commence bribery… now!
- 1 & ½ cups Oreo cookie crumbs, finely ground
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 pkgs (8 ounces each) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp full-fat sour cream
- 1 Tbsp flour
- ¼ cup maraschino cherries, roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice
- 1 tsp almond extract, divided
- 1 box pistachio pudding mix
- Green and red liquid food coloring (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.. In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter until moistened. Drop heaping teaspoons of cookie crumbs evenly among each muffin cup. Using your fingers, gently press the crumbs down to form a crust. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and white sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs and sour cream until combined. Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly among two bowls.
- In one bowl, add the flour, chopped maraschino cherries, cherry juice and ONE-HALF (1/2) tsp almond extract and stir to combine; set aside (also, add the red food coloring here if you'd like to intensify the color). In the other bowl, stir in the remaining ½ tsp almond extract and the pistachio pudding mixture until combined (also add the green food coloring here if you'd like to intensify the color).
- Drop a heaping Tablespoonful of pistachio cheesecake into each muffin tin. Top with a heaping Tablespoonful of cherry cheesecake on top. Repeat with remaining cups.
- Bake for approx. 20-25 minutes or until the tops appear set; do not over bake. Cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate for about 2 hours to chill. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry, if you'd like!
A two-toned pistachio and cherry cheesecake with a crunchy, buttery chocolate cookie crust — what’s not to love here?! If you’ve never tried spumoni ice cream, I HIGHLY encourage you to! It’s delicious and easily one of my favorite flavors, and this cheesecake reminds me of the many times ordering spumoni sundaes with tons of buttery caramel on top at our favorite local ice cream shop!
Have a delicious day!
xo, Hayley
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
These lil cheesecakes are so colorful and cute-they remind me of you 😀
and girl…whast’s it say that almost every first day I’ve been on has involved going to the movies and that my 2 longest relationships had 1. baseball game as first unofficial date and then movies (where we just made out the whole time….ah 14 year old Kayle) as first official date and then 2 (Michael) we went to the movies on our first date-that wasn’t really supposed to be a date though so…I guess that’s something, plus we went to lunch and then saw fireworks with MY friend also….hmmm….
anyway. I get the gist of what you’re saying! lol
Lindsay Ann @ Lindsay Ann Bakes says
Almost thought these were Neapolitan… I love how fun and colorful they are! … And that oreo crust!!! YUMM
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
What gorgeous little cheesecakes! Love these flavors!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
These are SUPER pretty!!!
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
I can’t even handle how cute these mini cheesecakes are. Or how silly boys are. “NO I DON’T WANT TO GO OUT INTO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE WITH YOU SO YOU CAN MURDER ME.” Ugh. Also hiking = sweaty = no thank you for a first date.
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
Those are the cutest and most delicious looking mini cheesecake ever!!! Love the two tone with the yummy cookie crust!
Shari says
I fell in love and wanted to make these so bad. So I did, however I used the whole box of pudding and the mixture got really really thick? Did I do something wrong?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Shari! Nope, the mixture will get quite thick from the pudding. You did everything just fine! 🙂
Kari says
Made these exactly as written. I really wanted to like these because they are so cute but the taste was not there. In fact, I threw out the entire batch. The cherry needed more cherry flavor , the pistachio flavor was not there at all, and the Oreo butter crust- the butter was too over powering. 🙁
thedomesticrebel says
So sorry you didn’t like them, Kari!
Sandra Roberts says
You are very funny, but your right on the dating! I made these for my Niece the other day she is expecting her first child and was craving a dozen things at once She ate 6 of them and then packed up the rest for home (I made 2 batches I got one and our husbands each got one) by the time they got home her hubby was calling me begging me to make her some more she had eaten all of them in the 20 min trip from our house to theirs. I made 4 dozen the next day and delivered them along with your recipe and all the ingredients for her to make 4 dozen more……..LOL
thedomesticrebel says
Sandra, oh my gosh! So happy to hear your niece and her husband went nuts for them!