Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate – a chocolate over-load for sure! The small individual size is what makes these alright – after all, it’s smaller than a slice of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, which I can never finish anyway. This is just enough to satisfy my chocolate craving.
I wanted a brownie-like crust, so I started these mini cheesecakes with some pre-made brownie bites from the grocery store. Cut the mini brownies in half lengh-wise, and press those into the cupcake liners. No pre-baking required. You can also use an Oreo crust if you prefer. Just blend up about a dozen Oreos, and combine with about 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Press about 1 Tbsp of the mixture into each cupcake liner.
A luscious chocolate cheesecake batter is used for the filling. A chocolate ganache topping is spread over each cheesecake. Ribbons of chocolate mascarpone whipped cream cover the top, followed by a small Hershey’s chocolate bar for garnish.
I made a chocolate cheesecake batter from my favorite cookbook called “Cheesecake Extraordinaire” by Mary Crownover. The book was published in 1990, and I think I’ve had it for nearly that long! It has the best cheesecake recipes in it, and techniques for baking that result in smooth cheesecake tops with no cracking!
The key to a smooth cheesecake batter, is ROOM TEMP cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs.
RECIPE FOR CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare cupcake pans with paper liners. This recipe made 2 doz. regular size cupcakes, and about 18 mini cupcakes. Fill cupcake bottoms with brownies or Oreo crumbs (see above).
Ingredients:
* 24 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temp
* 3/4 c granulated sugar
* 5 tsp corn starch
* 4 eggs, room temp
* 1 egg yolk, room temp
* 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips, melted
* 3/4 c full fat sour cream, room temp
* 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and corn starch. Beat with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, blending well between additions. Mix in melted chocolate, sour cream, and vanilla. Don’t over-mix the batter.
Fill each prepared cupcake liner almost to the top – these will not rise very much. Lower oven temp to 300 degrees. Bake for about 15 min for regular size cupcakes, then turn the oven off, and bake another 10 min. Open the oven a crack, and time them for another 20 minutes. For mini cupcakes, bake for 10 min at 300 degrees, then turn oven off and bake another 10 min. Open the oven a crack, and time them for another 10 min. Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
Prepare chocolate ganache.
* 4 oz semisweet bar chocolate, chopped
* 4 oz heavy cream
* pinch of salt
* 1 tsp clear corn syrup
Combine chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave on high for 1 min. Mixture will be frothy and steaming. Stir to combine. Add salt and corn syrup. Stir.
Remove paper wrapper from each cheesecake. Add a spoonful of ganache to the top of each cheesecake, and spread to the edges.
Refrigerate while you make the whipped topping.
Chocolate mascarpone whipped cream
* 1 1/2 c heavy cream
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 3/4 c powdered sugar
* 1/4 c sifted cocoa powder
* 8 oz mascarpone cheese
Whip the heavy cream in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Once it begins to thicken, add vanilla and powdered sugar. Whip til stiff peaks form. Beat in the cocoa powder and whip til blended, smooth, and thick. Add mascarpone cheese by the spoonful, with mixer on med speed. Blend til well-incorporated and thick.
Place mixture in a large piping bag, with an open star tip. Pipe onto the top of each cheesecake. Add a Hershey’s chocolate to the top of each cheesecake. I used some chocolate sprinkles for my mini cheesecakes.
