Mini chocolate Cheesecake bites

My very first tutorial, and it is about a desert that I LOVE!



This is a family favorite recipe, and I'm a horrible blogger but I didn't even thing about blogging about it until I was already half way done, so I only have pics for the second half (so sorry!)  However, I think that you will really enjoy this recipe, even if they aren't the most healthy thing around.

The first thing you MUST do, is soften your cream cheese (just take it out of the fridge, open it and leave it on the counter for an hour or so).

When you are ready, preheat your oven to 350

Then make the chocolate batter.
In a large bowl sift these ingredients together:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Once the dry ingredients are sifted, add the following liquid ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 Tbl white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together until well mixed.  It should look something like this.

Yummy chocolate batter.  

Set this bowl aside.

Now we are going to make the cream cheese filling.
Beat together:
11 oz of cream cheese
1 unbeaten egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Once it is well blended, fold in:
12 oz of chocolate chips.

It will look like this (except a larger amount, again picture fail, sorry!):

Line mini cupcake tins with mini cupcake papers (this is IMPORTANT, don't just spray the tins, you will NOT like the final results), and fill 1/3 full of the chocolate batter

Then, 1 tsp at a time, place the cream cheese filling in the middle

 It may be tedious and time consuming...

 but when they are all filled you can place them in the oven for simply 15 minutes.

Now this recipe does make about 4 dozen so if you only have one tin, this is a bit time consuming.  I have two, so while one is in the oven I can prep the other and then flip them.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND having at least two muffin tins, it makes this process SOOO much faster.



Once they have come out of the oven you simply scoop them out gently with a spoon.  Do this while they are hot to prevent the cream cheese filling from cracking.

Then simply place them onto a cooling rack.  

Once they are room temperature.  Place them in an air tight container (ie tupperware) and place them in the fridge or even freezer.  Serve cold.

A few helpful hints this recipe.
1) Don't put too much chocolate batter in or you will have too much cream cheese left over 1/3 means 1/3 not 1/2 (I ALWAYS forget this and end up w/ extra cream cheese batter).
2) They are 1 million times better cold.  So don't let them set out to long before eating.
3) Don't over bake.  They really are done after 15 minutes, and if you over bake the cream cheese will burn.


Here is a recap of the recipe to make it easier for you to copy and paste!  Enjoy!
For chocolate batter:

In a large bowl sift these ingredients together:

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Then add:

1 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 Tbl white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and set aside

Cream cheese filling.

Beat together:

11 oz of softened cream cheese

1 unbeaten egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Once it is well blended, fold in:

12 oz of chocolate chips.

Line a mini cupcake tin with liners and fill 1/3 of chocolate batter.  Add 1 tsp of cream cheese mix to the center of each.  Bake at 350 for 15 min.  Serve cold from fridge or freezer.

ENJOY!  They are delicious!