CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES

Many people say cheesecake is one of the hardest things to make. With my recipe, they don’t have to be! I’ve gone through so many recipes and techniques that I’ve nailed down what makes them great. These cheesecakes are among my favorite things to cook (and eat), as they’re not only delicious but impossibly cute. Take them to your next potluck or office party to impress the pants off your friends!

Okay, jokes aside these are still very tasty. One thing you’ll learn about me is that I’m very, very, very picky about my cheesecakes. Some people love the dense, creamy, practically a block of cream cheese type of cheesecakes. And that’s great! More cheesecakes for them. I, on the other hand, prefer the dry, airy bit of the cheesecake.

You know what I’m talking about… the part at the very edge of the pan, almost like it has been overcooked. So, after many less than stellar cheesecake recipes I’ve finally come up with my own that is just how I like it.

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 c. graham cracker crumbs
• 4 TB unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING:

• 16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated at room temperature
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• dash of granulated sugar

ASSEMBLY AND TOPPING:

• cupcake/muffin liners
• melting chocolate
• strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and begin dropping rounded Tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture into each liner. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the liner lightly, creating a crust. There may be some crumbs left over.
3. Pre-bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and reduce temperature to 350°F.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla extract until fully combined and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time.
5. In a small bowl using a hand mixer, beat the two egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add a dash of sugar and continue beating for another 30 seconds – 1 minute.
6. Gently fold the eggs whites into the cream cheese, mixing to a smooth yet thin consistency, then divide among the 12 muffin liners until the cups are almost full. You may have a little bit of leftover mixture, which you can use to make a bakers dozen or discard.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Let rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes until the filling returns to its normal shape. Don’t worry about cracks in the surface, as you’ll be covering them with chocolate.
8. Chill for a minimum of 2 hours before topping.
9. Using a double boiler, gently melt your chocolate, stirring occasionally to combine. (Alternatively, microwave in a safe bowl for 30 second intervals, stirring each time)
10. At this point, you can keep the cheesecakes in their liners or choose to remove them to get results like the picture above.
11. ........................

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