Delicious Cheesecake Portion Control

I first made the Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes about three months ago. I don't like to make huge desserts that require me to eat them for three days after I've made them. These little suckers, however, are lucky if they make it past the first day. Small in stature, these mini cheesecakes are a guaranteed hit at any party. I took them to my sister's last night and they were instantly devoured.

The Nabisco's Famous Wafer cookies are what I think make this entire recipe. Because these cheesecakes can technically be eaten with your hands, you have this nice creamy cheesecake filling that you sink you teeth into, followed by about a quarter inch of what tastes like Oreo crust. In fact, I think that these wafer cookies may actually be made from the same dough as Oreos. At any rate this is an easy recipe to make and will be wildly popular wherever you happen to serve it. For a printable version of the recipe go here.



Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes

Recipe by Grace Parisi

Makes 12 Cheesecakes

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil spray
  

• 24 plain chocolate wafer cookies, preferably Nabisco

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2/3 cup fromage blanc (6 ounces), at room temperature

• 2 large eggs
  

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies. Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the chocolate cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a glass to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the fromage blanc, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.
4. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.
5. Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups. Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve.

Make Ahead

The mini black-bottom cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Notes

INSTEAD OF FROMAGE BLANC Crème fraîche, goat cheese, lebneh or quark.