But a little gargoyle on my shoulder mocked my copy cat aspirations. So I decided to dither from a path oft traveled.So I baked.And made them . Mini.Mini pleasures.Mini Desserts.Mini CheeseCakes.Because then you can keep count.
Target- 18 Mini Strawberry Curd and Hung Curd Cheesecakes with a chocolate base.So I went scouting in my fridge.I had hung two tubs of yogurt last night with the intention of making dahi ke kebab. But I guess,they will have to be another meal another day.
I was just about to pop Oreos into my mixer jar, but then I realised I was doing the same old, same old.Little realising that gargoyle was directing me to plain Jane Marie Biscuits -Unused, languishing in a sad corner of my cupboards, I brought them out and popped in a pack and a half. Time for a change. Cocoa powder. And salted butter.I never use unsalted white butter. It's the most insipid thing to add. So a twist or two of my favorite recipes,made for awesome Mini Strawberry Curd and Hung Curd Cheesecakes with a Chocolate base
A dessert in three steps.Just bring the stuff together and you are ready to go.This is enough for 18 mini cheesecakes.
For the
Baking- Mini Strawberry Curd and Hung Curd Cheesecakes with a Chocolate base
You'll need to follow three steps.
For the base
You need
1 1/2 packets Marie biscuits ( I used Sunfeast Marie light 100 GMs packets)4 tbsp granulated sugar2 tbsp cocoa powder 60 GMs cold cubed salted butter
Run this through a food processor. My food processor is still packed in some cartons,so I use my wet / dry grinder jar of my mixie.I tasted the final product and added a little more sugar. So the total for me was 4 tbsp.
The base needs to be loose but will be packed into the base of the cheesecake. Not too buttery,because that becomes difficult to bite through when the base is chilled.Sst aside.
For the strawberry curd
You need
1 cup hulled and chopped strawberries 5-6 tbsp sugar- to taste1 tsp cornflour or cornstarch 1-2 tbsp red wine or water for slurryLemon juice if the strawberries are not tart enough
Chop the strawberries into a saucepan -or not -and add the sugar.
Add in 1/4 cup water and cook the strawberries, mashing them with a potato masher till the strawberries are pulpy. Strawberries are soft. After 5 minutes on heat they yield to muscle. You can pulp them in the PAN with a spoon. Once the mix comes to a boil, taste and adjust the sugar.
Mix the cornflour or cornstarch in red wine or water as you so desire. I had Port ,that I love...so ai added the port to my strawberries. Let's face it, it's all about the love of food.Beautiful strawberry red color. Why else will I sweat out the morning in the gym and come and bake mini strawberry cheesecakes?Ok, add in as much slurry as needed-not all. You don't want a jam. Just a jiggle on the cheesecake. Stir to get a thick sauce like consistency. Turn off the heat.Cool.Taste again, if the strawberry curd is too sweet, add lemon juice to make it a little tart.Or sugar,if it's not sweet enough.Remember,you need it to be just sweet and sour. Not sickening sweet like a preserve or jam.
Now line your muffin tray with cupcake liners.
I tbsp of the chocolate Marie biscuit mix per mini cheesecakes.First fill all 18 holes, divide the remaining equally and press down. I used my espresso machine coffee tapper. Perfect. You can use a clean spice bottle. So your cupcake liners are filled 1/4 of the way.Turn on your oven to 160C and start with the cheesecake.
For the cheesecake
You need
1 200 mils tetra pack Amul Cream 400 GMs hung curd (I hung two 400 GMs yogurt overnight to make 400 GMs of cream cheese ratio)1/4 tin condensed milk1/2 cup sugar powdered1/2 tsp vanilla essence 1 tbsp flour3 eggs
Last night I merrily hung two tubs of yogurt and allowed the whey to drain. This is my to go ratio - the ratio of 2 parts cream cheese to one part cream . So I use two tubs yogurt and 1 tetra pack cream with three eggs. Easy? Right? Sugar and stuff can always be tasted. Or...
You can use cream cheese straight from the tubs. I adore the taste of Philadelphia cream cheese ,though not the local brands available here. So until I plan a trip to purchase the Philadelphia cream cheese, I stick to hung curd.
First in a clean, steel or glass bowl place the hung curd, sugar and the condensed milk . Too much of condensed milk makes the cheesecake dense.
This is just enough to add to the richness. Remember, no Philadelphia cream cheese in this.Use your hand blender or stand mixer and scrape the sides periodically to blend the sugar and cream cheese together.Once the sugar is done , add in the 1 tbsp flour and eggs one at a time.
For the mini cheesecakes , I always add flour. Once the cheesecakes are baked and cooled, it becomes easy to peel off the cupcake liner. I've baked the mini cheesecakes without flour earlier and its murder to get the liners off.The cheesecake breaks or just doesn't allow the liner to peel off easily.So this is what you mean by experience.learn from my mistakes.Anyways, once the eggs are blended in, blend in the cream. Just a minute is enough.Taste.
You can add a dollop of the strawberry curd to a bit of cheesecake batter to taste the combination...essentially to see if the sugar or lemon juice is enough.Just taste...The oven beckons.Using an icecream scoop,fill the cupcake liners almost to the top.
Now spoon a wee bit of the strawberry curd over the cheesecake mix.
Swirl the strawberry curd around a bit using a knife and pop the trays into the oven for about 40-45 minutes.
After 35 minutes,just poke a toothpick into any one mini cheesecake to check how much they need to bake.They don't need to be overdone. So if your toothpick looks a weeeee bit damp, it's time to turn the oven off.There'll be no crumbs ,remember this is not cake.Open the oven door and allow the trays to cool.After half an hour or so you'll be able to lift the cheesecake out of the muffin trays.Cool for a while.Place in Tupperware or any other airtight container and place in the fridge.If you eat them warm...I'm warning you...you'll miss the awesomeness of a chilled cheesecake.So taste,but don't feast...yet.After 24 hours,peel the papers off these babies... Place on a pretty platter... Pour yourself some Sangria- I told you about the Port wine...and enjoy the fruits of your labor.Tell me what you think of when you take that first bite.
Tart strawberries,smooth cheesecake and just enough chocolate,just bite able crust.The combination of strawberries and chocolate is classic.Add to that a bite of cheesecake.Awesome doesn't get any better.Serve with some chopped strawberries,or without.Light enough to not screw your work out if you believe in sharing the calories.Mini...Yumminess...Wet...ok moist is a better word. Slightly salty,because of the butter...and crisp and not gooey... So we start a Cheesecake Factory here in my kitchen...
Come on over for a bite of heaven.The menu for Mediterranean Romance was Sangria Gazpacho Paella and Mini Strawberry Curd and Hung Curd Cheesecakes with a Chocolate base
It's a meal to enjoy.... So let's start...
So what are you baking today???
