Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes Topped With Chocolate Ganache

 

 

   As the weather here starts heading toward below freezing and snow begins, my desire to go outside is lessened.  My Mustang does not do well in snow.  I won’t be driving anywhere unless I have an obligation.  Winter weather increases my desire to cook and bake.  For some time, I have been wanting to use these little cheesecake pans.  So the other morning I set the cream cheese out on the counter to soften.

   This Norpro mini cheesecake pan is available at Amazon,  I love it!  (If you purchase through this link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you.  Thank-you!)

   As you can see in the picture, the bottom is removable.  It is just a little disc.   I was really pleasantly surprised by how easily the little cheesecakes came out of the pan!  There was virtually no sticking!  

   Just pushing the disc up from the bottom, they came out perfectly, and the disc released easily, too.  I need to use these more often!

  Imagine little quiches, tartlets, muffins, or even hors d’oeuvres.  The shape of these is so perfect!

        Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes

        Topped With Chocolate Ganache

          Preheat oven to 350°

Crust

• 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
• 2 Tblsp. sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 Tblsp. unsalted butter, melted

   Lightly coat the tins with non-stick cooking spray.  Mix the vanilla wafer crumbs, the sugar, and the salt together well.  Add the melted butter.  Put 2 heaping teaspoons of the mixture into each of the little tins.   Press down firmly with a wooden mini tart shaper, (mine is from Pampered Chef), or a shot glass works well, too.

 Bake the little crusts for about 10 minutes in the 350° oven.  

Remove and cool on a baking rack while you prepare the cheesecake.

►Turn the oven down to 300°.

Tip*** Forgot to set the block of cream cheese out to soften?   Don't worry!  To soften cream cheese, completely unwrap the package of cream cheese and place it in a glass bowl.   Microwave on high for 10 seconds just until softened.

Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes

• 2 – (8-ounce) blocks of softened Cream Cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (or 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract )

   In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.  Add the sugar, the salt, and completely mix.  

    Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.  Mix in the heavy cream and the seeds from the vanilla bean.

     Pour the batter on top of the crusts and fill to the top.  (I was afraid the filling would spill over the top, but it did not.  They looked perfect!  There is a little excess batter.)  

Bake for 20 minutes in a 300° oven.

 Remove from the oven and cool on the wire baking rack.  

Remove each from the pan and place it in a covered platter or dish.  Chill for two hours.

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Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

 Melt the chocolate and the heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir until smooth with no lumps.  Pour into a glass bowl and let cool a little.  

 Stir and spoon on top of the little cheesecakes or using a pastry bag and a medium round tip, pipe a large chocolate dot.  (I piped the ganache onto the tops of the ones I made.  It was easier to control.)

 Garnish with red raspberries.

Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes Topped With Chocolate Ganache

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
• 2 Tblsp sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 Tblsp. melted unsalted butter

Cheesecake

• 2 (8-ounce) blocks softened cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Seeds scraped from 1 vaniila bean or 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

                                   Preheat oven to 350°

Crust

   Lightly coat the tins with non-stick cooking spray.  Mix the vanilla wafer crumbs, the sugar, and the salt together well.  Add the melted butter.  Put 2 heaping teaspoons of the mixture into each of the little tins.   Press down firmly with a wooden mini tart shaper, (mine is from Pampered Chef), or a shot glass works well, too.

 Bake the little crusts for about 10 minutes in the 350° oven.  

Remove and cool on a baking rack while you prepare the cheesecake.

►Turn the oven down to 300°.

Cheesecake

   In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy.  Add the sugar, the salt, and completely mix.  

    Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.  Mix in the heavy cream and the seeds from the vanilla bean.

     Pour the batter on top of the crusts and fill it to the top.  (I was afraid the filling would spill over the top, but it did not.  They looked perfect!  There is a little excess batter.)  

Bake for 20 minutes in a 300° oven.

 Remove from the oven and cool on the wire baking rack.  

Remove each from the pan and place it in a covered platter or dish.  Chill for two hours.

Chocolate Ganache

 Melt the chocolate and the heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat.  Stir until smooth with no lumps.  Pour into a glass bowl and let cool a little.  

 Stir and spoon on top of the little cheesecakes or using a pastry bag and a medium round tip, pipe a large chocolate dot.  (I piped the ganache onto the tops of the ones I made.  It was easier to control.)

 Garnish with red raspberries.

Notes

Tip*** Forgot to set the block of cream cheese out to soften?   Don't worry!  To soften cream cheese, completely unwrap the package of cream cheese and place it in a glass bowl.   Microwave on high for 10 seconds just until softened.