Black Bottomed Nutella Mini Cheesecakes

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope that you all had a Valentine's Day weekend as awesome as I did!!  I know that this recipe is late, but I have yet to master releasing a post when the recipe to be posted is a gift or surprise. Of course, I made these little cheesecakes for my guy! (Remember the slogan here at Bonbons and Biscotti: Love Begins in the Kitchen!!) The reason for the delay is I was just finishing up the post as he was about to leave his house and I was afraid he might see it before he got here. So... I had to make a choice and because of him, you get this recipe late. Sorry... a girl has to have priorities!!

But don't worry, I love y'all too! So... this weekend, we ate one of these delicious, Nutella cheesecakes for each of you (my devoted readers) and as always, I am sending you love!

XOXO

Black Bottomed Nutella Mini Cheesecakes

These pretty, layered cheesecakes are not as dense as a traditional New York style cheesecake but they are still creamy and cheescakesque. The Nutella taste definitely comes through perfectly. These would be great for any holiday dessert, special gift or maybe a girl's night with a few cocktails (recurring theme, LOL.)

 

3/4 cup (3-3/4 oz.) finely ground chocolate cookies            
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) unsalted butter, melted      
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened      
2/3 cup (4-5/8 oz.) granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Pinch of table salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (10 oz.) Nutella      

Line 12 regular-sized (2-3/4-inch diameter) muffin cups with foil liners (paper ones won’t work here) and lightly grease the bottom and sides.
Put the cookie crumbs and butter in a small bowl and mix with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Firmly pack 1 tablespoon of crumbs in each of the foil liners . If you have a tart tamper, this is a great time to use it. If not, use your fingers to press firmly to make a compact layer.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Put the cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium high until very smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Continue beating until well blended and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently; there should be no lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until just blended. Once the eggs have been added to the batter, it’s important to mix thoroughly without over beating or the cheesecake will puff and crack during baking.
Scoop out 1 cup of the vanilla batter and set aside. Add the Nutella to the remaining batter and stir until well blended. Portion the Nutella batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups (about 4 Tbs. per cup). Next, portion the vanilla batter evenly among the cups (about 1 Tbs. in each). The cups should be completely filled.
Drag the tip of a wooden skewer or toothpick  through the two batters in a swirled pattern. There should still be solid streaks of each batter visible, and the cups should be filled to the brim. Tap the muffin tin on the counter to settle the batters. Bake until the centers barely jiggle when the pan is nudged, 20 to 22 minutes. Set the muffin tin on a rack and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 6 hours. Top with fresh whipped topping and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Recipe from Fine Cooking