.jpg)
Two rich flavours, chocolate and cheese, come together to form a delicious dessert – chocolate cheesecake. Being rich and filling, we recommend you serve them up as mini cakes. Make these delish Easter treats, and learn how to temper chocolate for glossy, smooth choc collars.
INGREDIENTS
- 200 g plain chocolate biscuits
- 2 tbsps chopped toasted hazelnuts
- 75 g butter, melted
- 500 g cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsps cocoa powder, mixed with 1 tbsp hot water
- 100 g milk chocolate, melted
- 1/3 cup cream
- 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
- Mini Easter eggs, to decorate
STEPS
Preheat oven to slow, 150 C. Process biscuits with hazelnuts until fine crumbs form. Stir in butter.
Press evenly over base of 8 muffin pan recesses. Chill 20 mins.
In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until well combined. On low speed, beat in cocoa, followed by chocolate and cream.
Pour evenly into recesses. Bake 30-35 mins until centres wobble just slightly when pan is gently tapped. Cool in oven with door ajar. Chill 2 hours.
Temper chocolate by placing a glass bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water. Place three-quarters dark chocolate in bowl, stir until melted and a temperature of 45 C is reached on a sugar thermometer.
Remove bowl from saucepan. Gradually stir in dark chocolate until smooth and temperature drops to 26 C. Place over simmering water and heat to 28 C.
Cut 6 strips of baking paper. Place on clean surface. Pour melted chocolate along centre of each paper strip, using a palette knife to spread evenly to depth of muffin pan. Set aside 5 mins until partly set.
Lift chocolate on paper backing and wrap around each cooled cheesecake. Allow chocolate to set. Carefully peel off paper. Top with Easter eggs to serve.
Photo: Rob Shaw/Bauersyndication.com.au