Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes
Calories: 217cal
Equipment
- Mini cheesecake pan 12- cavity, with removable bottoms
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Crust
- 2.6 ounces chocolate graham crackers 1/2 sleeve, 75g, or 4 1/2 sheets
- 2 ounces butter melted, 56g, 4 tablespoons
Strawberry Compote
- 8 ounces strawberries 227g
- 1 ounce granulated sugar 28g, 2 tablespoons
Cheesecake
- 12 ounces cream cheese 340g, softened at room temp
- 2.5 ounces granulated sugar 74g, 1/3 cup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Ganache
- 2 ounces chopped chocolate 57g, bittersweet or semi sweet
- 2 ounces heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup
- 6 small strawberries halved for garnish. about 4-5 ounce
Instructions
To Make the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 12-cup mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms.
- Process the chocolate graham crackers in a food chopper or blender until they are crumbs. Stir in the melted butter and combine well.2.6 ounces chocolate graham crackers, 2 ounces butter
- Place 1 LEVEL tablespoon (don’t pack the spoon) of crust into each cavity. Gently flatten with the flat end of a utensil (we have used the handle end of our ice cream scoop or a pestle to do this).
- Bake crust 5 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack to cool.
- Turn oven down to 325 F.
To Make the Strawberry Compote
- Remove the stem portion of the strawberries. Coarsely chop berries and place in a deep, microwave safe bowl.8 ounces strawberries
- Sprinkle with sugar and allow to macerate for 15 minutes.1 ounce granulated sugar
- Put macerated strawberries and any syrup they created into a mini chopper or food processor and blend until no chunks remain. Return to the bowl.
- Place bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring after each minute. Mixture should reduce and become thicker.
- Measure out 1/3 cup of the reduced compote and discard the rest (or reserve for spooning on ice cream!). Let cool completely.TIP - We suggest a deep bowl because the strawberry mixture will bubble and rise in the bowl. If the bowl is too shallow the mixture will spill out of the bowl. Hint: the bubbling will subside when the strawberry compote is ready. To speed up the cooling process, spread the compote onto a plate and place in the refrigerator for 3-5 minutes.
To Make the Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy.12 ounces cream cheese, 2.5 ounces granulated sugar
- Add vanilla and beat until incorporated.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the egg, breaking it up with a rubber spatula, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. With mixer, beat only long enough to incorporate the egg.TIP - Beating too long can create too much air in the batter and cause your cheesecakes to puff up too much then sink in the middle.1 large egg
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the compote into the cream cheese mixture until completely combined and pink in color.
- Divide mixture evenly over the cooled crust in pan. Fill cavities as full as you can get them, but don’t let them overflow. You may have a small amount of cheesecake batter left over.
- Bake 17-20 mins (18 seems to be the sweet spot). The cheesecakes should have risen, have a dry look and should have very little jiggle in the centers.
- Turn off the oven, but do not remove the pan. Prop the door open and allow oven to cool down with pan in oven. Leave cheesecakes in open oven for 20-30 minutes.
- Place pan on wire rack. Cool in pan until cheesecakes reach room temperature. When cooled, gently nudge the cakes loose by pushing up on the removable bottoms. Don’t remove the cakes, just loosen them. This will help in removing them when they are chilled. Gently nudge cakes back in place. Move entire pan to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours before removing each cheesecake from the pan.
To Make the Ganache
- When you are ready to decorate the cheesecakes, coarsely chop the chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.2 ounces chopped chocolate
- Heat heavy cream in microwave or in saucepan on stove until hot, but not boiling.2 ounces heavy whipping cream
- Pour hot heavy cream over chocolate and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth and silky.
- Allow ganache to cool slightly while you slice the reserved strawberries in half.
- Add a small spoonful of ganache to the top of each cheesecake.
- Press a strawberry half into the ganache.6 small strawberries
Notes
- We love the fresh strawberry flavor that the compote gives these cakes. If you are in a rush, you can substitute 1/3 cup of strawberry jam or preserves.
- These cheesecakes are tinted with only the color from the fresh strawberries. If you want them really pink, add a couple drops of red food coloring to the cheesecake batter.
- Chocolate chips can be used instead of baking chocolate. We prefer bittersweet chocolate, but semisweet can be used instead.
- Chocolate graham crackers can sometimes be hard to find. Instead, you can use any chocolate cookies, chocolate tea biscuits, or Oreo cookies. Regular graham crackers are also an option!
- If some of your cheesecake tops crack a little, don't worry! You will be adding ganache and no one will ever know.
Nutrition
Serving: 1mini cheesecake | Calories: 217cal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 128mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 595IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.3mg
