Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes

Photo: M Baldwin

Ingredients

Vegetable oil spray

24 plain chocolate wafer cookies, preferably Nabisco

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup fromage blanc (6 ounces), at room temperature

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies. Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the chocolate cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a glass to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the fromage blanc, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.

Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.

Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups. Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve. The mini black-bottom cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

TIP: Instead of fromage blanc, substitute crème fraîche or goat cheese.