SUPER SIMPLE CHEESECAKES

Let’s see…where do I begin. I have an absolute love for cheesecake, it is overwhelming for me to think about all the great things I can say about it. Well first off, I don’t just like any cheesecake. I definitely prefer a more crumbly texture versus a creamy one, but am pleased with one that falls somewhere between the two.

My obsession with cheesecake falls in line with my love for sushi, in that my favorite cheesecake is served at one of my top rated sushi spots, Blowfish Sushi To Die For in San Francisco. Every time I visit Blowfish, without fail, I order ‘The Gion’ or green tea cheesecake. A friend of mine who also loves this cheesecake contacted Blowfish in an attempt to get the recipe, but was unsuccessful. I have contemplated going to great lengths to get their recipe, including propositioning the chef. What I can decipher from eating it, is that is has a shortbread cookie like crust, with a perfect not too creamy green tea filling, topped with a green tea whipped cream, green tea ice cream and a spun sugar web. Yes, it sounds like overload, but the combination of all these accompaniments make it delectable.

Green tea may be a bit adventurous for some and if that is the case my second favorite cheesecake spot is Stella Pastry Shop in North Beach. They once featured a Mexican Chocolate cheesecake that had a cinnamon spiked chocolate crust and crumbly filling with a chocolate ribbon. These are pretty much the only ‘out of the box’ variations of cheesecake I like. If these aren’t available, I stick with good old plain, with a graham cracker crust.

Over the years I have made some cheesecakes that were quite successful. I usually make them in a springform pan and have enough to feed at least 20-30 people. A few years ago I came across a recipe for individual cheesecakes in Food and Wine magazine and was drawn to the recipe because of its short list of ingredients.

This recipe is very simple and quick and most importantly, the cakes have the perfect texture. They also make a beautiful presentation as they have a chocolate crust and are topped with raspberry preserves. They are baked in foil cupcake liners, so they are easy to transport and the foil wrappers peel off easily, so serving them is a cinch.

This time around, I made a few alterations to the recipe (as pictured above). I used good quality vanilla wafers for the crust, added matcha green tea powder to half of the filling and topped them with a strawberry puree.

Following is the recipe for Mini Black-Bottom cheesecakes from Food and Wine magazine. I have also noted my variations below.


Mini Black Bottom Cheesecakes

Vegetable oil spray
24 plain chocolate wafer cookies
3 T unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
2/3 cup (6 oz.) fromage blanc, at room temperature*
2 large eggs
¼ cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

* I found fromage blanc at my regular grocery store, but you may need to go to a gourmet store to find it. If you cannot find it, you can substitute crème fraiche or goat cheese.

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.

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.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.

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.
Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups. Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve.

VARIATIONS

*Substitute good quality vanilla wafers (available at Trader Joe’s) or graham crackers for the chocolate wafer cookies.

*Add 3 t matcha green tea powder to the filling mixture.

*Instead of topping with raspberry preserves, puree 1 cup frozen strawberries, 2 T water and ¼ sugar in a food processor or blender and spoon on top.