Caramel Chocolate Seduction
These miniature cakes, with their crisp cookie crust, creamy filling, and caramel-nut topping, will be the centerpiece of your dessert buffet.
Crust
2/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
heaping 3/4 cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Chocolate Glaze
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup, light or dark
pinch of salt
heaping cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, or chocolate chips
Topping
3 ounces caramel, from a block, or 8 to 10 unwrapped candies
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
Find a pan that makes 12 individual (1 1/2" to 2") round or heart-shaped
cakes; a pan that makes small muffins (not mini muffins) would work. There’s
no need to grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the crust: Mix all of the crust ingredients, and place a tablespoon
of crumbs in each cup of the pan, pressing into the bottom and about 1/4" up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and cool slightly.
Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.
To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Mix in the
sweetened condensed milk. Stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and egg.
Use about 2 heaping tablespoons to fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 35
minutes, until the cheesecake is set around the edges-a small spot in the
middle should still look soft. Remove from the oven and cool slowly to room
temperature.
To make the glaze: Place the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan over low
heat, or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at low
power. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture
is smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, so that the
glaze thickens slightly but is still pourable. Pour about 1 tablespoon of
chocolate glaze onto each cheesecake. Tilt pan to cover completely. Chill
cheesecakes before removing from pan.
To make the topping: Place caramel and cream in a small saucepan and warm
over low heat, or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave
at low power. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. You can adjust the
consistency by adding more cream to thin the sauce, or by chilling slightly
to thicken. Just before serving, drizzle cheesecakes with melted caramel and
sprinkle with toasted nuts.
Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes.