DECADENT CHEESECAKE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Place graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Pour into a bowl. Add butter and brown sugar; toss together until mixture resembles wet sand. Place 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each paper liner. Press firmly to form the crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in sour cream and vanilla extract. Divide the mixture evenly over the 18 crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops look dry and centers jiggle slightly, about 15 minutes. Chill until firm, 2 hours to overnight.
• Heat cream in the microwave until it begins to simmer, about 1 minute. Add chocolate chips and let sit until softened, about 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate melts and ganache is glossy.
• Spoon chocolate ganache over each cheesecake and place a whole strawberry on the top.

THE MOST DECADENT CHEESECAKE EVER

Steps:

• Have all your ingredients at a cool room temperature.
• Get a couple quarts of water boiling on the stove.
• Arrange racks in your oven so there's one on the lowest and one in the middle. If you do not have a center position then go mid-lower.
• Have a clean 10x14x2-inch (give or take) roasting pan ready.
• Preheat oven to 400F=205°C.
• Grease 10 inch spring form pan.
• 1oz.= 28 grams.
• Game Plan-.
• Prepare crust, while it bakes make fudge layer.
• While fudge bakes make filling.
• While cake cools make frosting.
• # Crust-------.
• Gently combine 120gr flour, 40gr sugar, 1 egg and 45gr butter in a medium bowl.
• Spread to the edges of the pan.
• Prick all over with a fork, then bake 10-15 minutes at 205°C until lightly browned. Allow to cool on a rack.
• Reduce heat to 325F=160C.
• # Fudge ----.
• Microwave 55gr chocolate squares in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 1/2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth.
• Beat 100gr butter and 150gr sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
• Add 25gr flour, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 80gr chopped chocolate.
• Bake at 325F for 15 minutes, Remove from oven;
• # Filling -----.
• Separate eggs.
• With a mixer on high speed, beat the 2 egg whites and 1tsp lemon juice in a large bowl until foamy. Gradually add 50 gr sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Set aside.
• Beat cheeses with cornstarch until smooth, stir remaining sugar, then add 2 egg yolks, 1/2 tsp lemon peel, and vanilla. Continue to stir until combined and smooth, stop mixer occasionally and scrape down sides.
• Fold beaten whites into cheese mixture. Scrape the batter into hot or cool crust.
• Bake in a 325° oven until center barely jiggles when cake is gently shaken, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Turn oven off, but leave cake in for another hour.
• It may appear a little jiggly in the center and will have a golden appearance around the edges.
• # Glaze-----.
• Melt 100gr white chocolate and 40gr whipping cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
• Spread top of each cooled cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze;.
• Cover and chill on a rack for 1 hour + refrigerate over night well covered. Remove sides of pans before serving. Garnish, if desired.
• The cake will stay at peak flavor for several days so long as you keep it wrapped and cold.

DECADENT CHEESECAKE CUPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Place graham crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. Pour into a bowl. Add butter and brown sugar; toss together until mixture resembles wet sand. Place 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each paper liner. Press firmly to form the crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in sour cream and vanilla extract. Divide the mixture evenly over the 18 crusts.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops look dry and centers jiggle slightly, about 15 minutes. Chill until firm, 2 hours to overnight.
• Heat cream in the microwave until it begins to simmer, about 1 minute. Add chocolate chips and let sit until softened, about 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate melts and ganache is glossy.
• Spoon chocolate ganache over each cheesecake and place a whole strawberry on the top.

DECADENT, CREAMY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Stir cookie crumbs, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Pour in melted butter or margarine and stir until the crumbs are all moist. Press crumbs in the bottom of a spring form pan. Bake the crust at 350F for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the pan - the larger, the less time it will need) or until the crust starts becoming golden. Cool while you prepare the cake batter.
• For the cheesecake batter: beat the cream cheese at medium speed till it is soft and creamy. It is important that the cheese has been warmed to room temperature for this step!
• Add in the sugar, and beat for another 2-4 minutes, until cheese is light (and not grainy).
• Add in the vanilla and beat until properly mixed.
• Add in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated before adding in the next.
• Add the heavy cream, either on low speed or by hand. If you have any extra goodies to throw in (like a few tbs of jam to swirl in the batter, or extra cookie chunks), now is the time to fold those inches.
• Bake the cheesecake at 325 for 50min-1 hour and 15 min, or until it has set (besides the middle, which can still be a little jiggly). The rate at which the cake will finish depends on the size of pan you used and your oven! It is important to watch it. I have baked these in different ovens in the same sized pans and there is no consistency. When using heavy cream, I don't both with a water bath - but if you do, you will probably have to bake it a little longer. If mine cracks (not very often), I just top it with a chocolate ganache to fill in the cracks. Yum.
• When removing the cake - run a knife around the edges of the cake, to keep it from pulling away and cracking. You can also turn off the oven a little earlier and let it cool off gradually while it finishes cooking. Let the cake cool off on the counter before chilling it. Refrigerate for at least a few hours (ideally over night) before serving.