Mini white chocolate and lemon baked cheesecakes

It’s time for my second instalment in my mini Kiri Cream Cheese series and today I’m going to share a recipe for these Mini White Chocolate and Lemon Baked Cheesecakes.

I figured I went all savoury on the first one (if you missed it, just click here for Snoek Pate and Baked Caraway Cream Cheese Cracker) so I better take care of everyone’s sweet tooth with the next one and this recipe will not disappoint any of your enamel-coated lovelies 🙂

When I first set out to make mini cheesecakes I was a bit hesitant because I was imagining water baths and all sorts of other tricks that one needs to make a perfect cheesecake. But this recipe couldn’t be less fussy if it tried! Which you all know is my kind of jam!

Once again you’re going to need very little and there are very few steps involved. For the base you could use a variety of biscuit but because I thought that these would be nice a little sweet and tart at the same time so I paired the lemon with a caramel/toffee flavoured biscuit.

INGREDIENTS for mini white chocolate and lemon baked cheesecakes:

· 200 grams Kiri Cream Cheese, at room temperature

· 80 grams of plain white chocolate

· 100 grams/half a box of Nuttikrusts

· 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter

· 90 grams white sugar

· 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

· 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. I had a little more on hand and tasted as I went along to see if it needed a bit more tartness.

· 2 eggs

· 125mls whipping cream for the tops.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat your oven to 180°C.
2. Melt your white chocolate and set it aside for a little later. I just used the microwave.
3. In a food processor blitz the biscuits until you get a fine crumb. Then in a bowl mix the biscuits and melted butter together.
4. Set up a standard cupcake tray with cupcake liners and then add about 1 tablespoon worth of crumb to each one pressing it down with your thumb to form a solid base.
5. Mix the Kiri Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl with an electric mixer or a whisk. Then add the melted chocolate and lemon, mix well.
6. Add the eggs one at a time mixing on a low speed until just blended.
7. Spoon your mixture into your prepared cupcake liners. You can fill until it’s pretty close to the top but not touching the rim.
8. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the centres are almost set.
9. Let them cool in the fridge for an hour or so.
10. Beat your cream with a drop of vanilla essence and half a teaspoon of icing sugar. Once the cheesecakes are cooled add a dollop to the top of each one. I also decorated mine with edible flowers.