Mini chocolate-hazelnut cheesecakes

I'm going to sound like a killjoy when I tell you, at the very beginning of a post about cheesecake, that I actually don't love cheesecake.  Not a great way to start here but I have to be honest and the truth is I've never been a cheesecake lover and it's not something I've made much effort, or dared, to explore since there are so many other ways to fill my daily caloric intake.

Maybe you feel a "but..." coming on right about now?  I guess if there's going to be a caveat, it's that the idea of a chocolate cheesecake is far more appealing to me than a plain one.  And one that's both chocolate and hazelnut is infinitely more so.

Everything is better with chocolate, in my humble opinion.  So when it comes to cheesecake, I'd prefer chocolate, please.  If we find ourselves at the Cheesecake Factory, it's going to be a slice of the Godiva chocolate cheesecake to share for dessert.  My little one and I are in sync on that one. My husband, who enjoys cheesecake far more than I do, would likely prefer classic cheesecake with some strawberries on top once in a while but he is far too agreeable a person to say so to us.

So it won't come as a surprise when I tell you this is the first time I've ever made cheesecake.  I've wanted to try it in the past since my husband enjoys it but the idea of a big, hefty cheesecake always seemed too overwhelming.  I came across this recipe some time ago and it really appealed to me.  It's got all the flavors my family and I enjoy, it's in small quantity, and it's easy to make!   I'm so very glad I finally tried it because this really is a delicious, very easy-to-make dessert for anyone who loves cheesecake or that combination of chocolate and hazelnut.  I think that covers just about everybody!

These little cheesecakes are baked in a standard muffin tin.  Mini desserts are always cute and convenient.  I know true cheesecake lovers appreciate the pure tang and flavor of a good smooth, plain, cheesecake but I just love the irresistible combination of chocolate and hazelnut. And yes, there's Nutella involved!  

Mini treats can be time-consuming to make but these are not.  They really were surprisingly easy to put together because the crust and filling are both prepared in the food processor in a matter of minutes.  They're a great make-ahead option since they can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. I divided the recipe in half and made 6 mini cheesecakes for this first trial.  It was just too tempting to have a dozen sitting in our fridge; I could see my husband polishing most of them off.

The bottom of these mini cheesecakes are made with ground Oreo cookies and some hazelnuts.  It makes for a delicious crust - the hazelnuts really infuse it with an oomph of flavor and fragrance. The filling is classic cream cheese, sour cream, and...a healthy dose of delicious Nutella!  Taking pictures of these mini cakes was torture - they smelled incredible!  This delicious aroma of chocolate and hazelnut kept wafting up at me and it made me a little weak.

To summarize this story, this is good cheesecake.  I know that comes from a cheesecake novice but if you need an "expert" opinion, my cheesecake-loving husband loved these!  He polished two off in his first sitting.


A few baking notes and pictures because I had to show you how easy these are to make!  You do need a food processor and if you have that, this is going to be a breeze.

I made half the recipe, or 6 cupcake size cheesecakes, so the portions will look skimpy here.  The crust is a combination of chocolate sandwich cookies (i.e., Oreo cookies) and some raw or roasted skinned hazelnuts.  I use already-skinned hazelnuts that I pick up from Target (I was so excited when I first found them).  A little bit of softened butter goes in also.

I was wondering why the crust called for the cream-filled cookies instead of plain chocolate wafers when I noticed that the recipe actually explains that the cream filling sweetens the crust (so no need to add more sugar) and it keeps the crunchy crust from being too crumbly.  They read my mind!

Once the mixture is finely processed, just divide it among your lined and greased muffin cups (this might be a good time to use foil muffin liners if you have it but I didn't have trouble with sticking using the greased paper ones). Press and compact the mixture into the cups.  You can use the bottom of a glass cup but I found that the pusher on the cover of the food processor works perfectly.

These just need to bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or so to set.  In the meantime, make the cheesecake filling in the processor.  Just wipe the processor down with a paper towel (watch out for the blade) and put in the cream cheese, sour cream, and that delicious Nutella!

You also add eggs and a little bit of sugar.  Blitz the whole thing until smooth and pour the batter into the cups, reaching pretty much to the very top.  Some mini chocolate chips scattered over the filling make for a nice bonus.

Bake the cheesecakes for about 20 minutes.  They will puff up a bit and the tops might crack slightly.  The very center could still look a bit wet but I pull them out to avoid over-baking as they'll continue to set out of the oven. When cooled, the center sinks down just a bit. I know some people are particular about cheesecake and have an opinion on the "crack" on top of a cheesecake or how to avoid it.  I suppose a good cheesecake, without a crack, is one that's baked delicately with a water bath. We don't worry about water baths and such in this recipe and this cheesecake came out plenty smooth for me but I'm no expert.

Let the cheesecakes cool slightly at room temperature.  Then, freeze the pan with the cheesecakes in them, for about 10 minutes.  When I first read the recipe, I wondered about that!  Why do we need to pop it in the freezer if they're to be served chilled or at room temperature?  I had my answer after baking these.  Once out of the oven, I could see I'd have a very hard time removing them from the muffin tin if I didn't chill them first!  I have a narrow freezer so my pan couldn't fit in there.  I placed the pan in the refrigerator instead.  They firmed up and constricted a bit after a little chill time so I was able to easily remove them from the tin.  Then, I did pop them in the freezer so I could remove the paper lining more neatly (and take some pictures) but if you're not planning to eat or serve them right away, you could simply refrigerate them.

If you want to play around with presentation, you could highlight the Oreo cookies by sticking half an Oreo on top of one.  Or scatter some finely chopped hazelnuts around the plate.  I think they're just fine all by themselves.


Recipe:

Mini Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecakes
From Food & Wine

- Makes 12 mini cheesecakes - 

For the crust:
15 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo cookies)
2 tablespoons raw or roasted hazelnuts, skinned
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the cheesecake filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.  Lightly spray the liners with cooking spray.

The crust: Place cookies, hazelnuts, and butter into a food processor.  Process until the mixture comes to very fine crumbs.  Divide the crumbs among the cups.  Then, using the flat bottom of a glass (or the pusher on the food processor cover), compress the crumbs into the cups.  Bake for 5 minutes to set the crust.

The filling: In the meantime, wipe down the food processor with a paper towel (being mindful of the blade).  Add cream cheese, Nutella, sour cream, eggs, and sugar into the bowl and puree until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Pour the filing into the cups until it nearly reaches the top.  Very carefully tap the muffin tin on the counter to disperse air bubbles.  Top each cup with some mini chocolate chips.  Bake for about 20 minutes, until cheesecakes have puffed slightly.  The surface might be slightly cracked.

Let cheesecakes cool slightly at room temperature, then place the muffin tin in the freezer for 10 minutes.  This allows the cheesecakes to firm up and constrict so you can easily remove them from the tin.  If you can't fit the tin in the freezer, chill the pan in the refrigerator.  

Store cheesecakes in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.