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| Raspberry Tuxedo Mini Cheesecakes |
So baking a whole cheesecake is a dangerous proposition for you, huh? True, a whole cheesecake is a great dessert, but how often does it all get finished at the dinner for which it was prepared? Inevitably, you'll find yourself drawn in by that powerful tractor beam coming from the fridge to cut off "just a sliver". Well those slivers add up as you suddenly and undeniably realize while you're licking the last crumbs off the serving plate in the soft glow of the fridge light at 2 AM.
These mini Cheesecakes are one solution to rescue your floundering willpower and maybe even your waistline. This recipe makes a dozen cupcake sized portions, roughly equivalent to making just 1/3 of an entire cheesecake and is an idea that is easily adapted to practically any cheesecake recipe. These perfectly portioned little cheesecake bites are also a great addition to pot-luck dinners or dessert buffet parties. They are great to make in advance as well because they do freeze beautifully but of course, the downside to that is, now that tractor beam is coming from the freezer instead of the fridge and there's no light in the freezer to guide your way. Don't step on the cat on the way back to bed. I always get caught that way.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
Place 12 paper liners in the muffin pans.
Mix together:
- 3/4 cup graham wafer crumbs (or chocolate cookie crumbs)
- 2 1/2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
Divide evenly between the 12 paper lined muffin cups and presss the crumbs firmly into the bottom of each.
Beat together until smooth:
- 1 cup cream cheese (one 8 oz block)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Beat in:
Finally blend in:
Divide the cheesecake filling equally between the 12 muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheesecake has set and does not jiggle when you give the pan a slight shake. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
To finish off the mini cheesecakes, top them with:
- 5 or 6 raspberries per cheesecake (it's fine to use frozen)
Cluster the raspberries at the center of the cheesecakes leaving a small rim around the edge of each one that will be filled with chocolate ganache.
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
Gently melt the chocolate and whipping cream together in a double boiler. A glass bowl placed over slowly simmering water works well. Spoon the chocolate ganache evenly over the raspberries and smooth it out with the back of a teaspoon to completely cover and surround the raspberries. Chill until the chocolate sets before serving.
