Mini Cheesecakes

Today I am presenting some mini cheesecakes, made with a slightly chocolate flavoured base and with a chocolate decoration.

I cannot profess to be a lover of cheesecake at all, but I thought I would make my own and see if I enjoyed them more than those I have eaten in restaurants.  My first thought was to make one large cheesecake, but then I had the idea of doing individual ones in a muffin tin.

For the base I used digestive biscuits processed to a fine crumb and then mixed with some cocoa powder and then some butter to bind the mixture.

Once the bases had been baked slightly it was time to make the cheesecake mixture, which is very simple, just creamed cheese with sugar, eggs, vanilla and some white chocolate and buttermilk to add a little flavour.

Once baked and cooled, and then refrigerated for a few hours, to let them firm up, they were then ready to be decorated with some melted chocolate.

So it was all very simple and the results are very pleasing.  I know they will be enjoyed by others even though they have not entirely converted me to cheesecake.

They have been tasted by family members who confirm that they are very good indeed, which is pleasing since I would not be the best of judges in this instance.

Ingredients:

• 120g crushed and ground digestive biscuits
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 60g melted butter
• 450g full fat cream cheese
• 135g granulated sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 55g white chocolate, melted
• 55g buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g dark chocolate

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F
2. In a mixing bowl combine the ground digestive biscuits and the cocoa powder
3. Add the melted butter and mix until combined.
4. Divide the biscuit mixture into paper cups lining a 12 cup muffin tin.  
5. Use a spoon to spread the mixture across the base and press it down to make firm.
6. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes then remove and allow to cool.
7. In a bowl of a stand mixer(this can all be done by hand too), place the cream cheese and mix on slow until nice and smooth.
8. Add the sugar and beat again until combined.
9. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix again until combined.
10. Add the vanilla extract, melted white chocolate and the buttermilk and mix until combined.
11. Divide the mixture evenly between the the biscuit bases in the muffin cases.
12. Shake the tin a little to level off the mixture in each cup.
13. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.  Check after about 18 minutes.  You want the mixture to have firmed up but still to be a little wobbly in the centre.
14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.  
15. Once completely cooled cover the cheesecakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the to firm up.
16. Once the cheesecakes are nice and firm you can make the topping.  Melt the dark choclate in a bain marie(double boiler), or in the microwave oven.
17. Once melted place the chocolate into a piping bag, with just a small hole cut in the bottom.
18. Pipe a pattern of your choice onto each individual cheesecake.
19. Since the cheesecakes are cold, straight from the fridge, the chocolate should firm up almost immediately and be ready to eat.
20. Remove from the paper cases to serve.