These individual desserts are filled with a creamy, mascarpone filling and only the crust needs to be baked in the oven. The crust becomes crunchy and cookie-like. For a more traditional crust, you can use a graham cracker crust recipe, as is used with a New York Cheesecake.
Directions for: Individual Chocolate Swirl Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust1 cup whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
cup unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp honey
⅛ tsp salt
Vanilla Swirl2 large egg yolks
cup sugar
1 Tbsp water
vanilla bean OR 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
Chocolate Swirl & Assembly2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large egg yolks
cup sugar
3 Tbsp coffee
1 cup mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
Directions
Chocolate Crust1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Place eight 3-inch individual tart rings on a parchment lined baking tray.
2. For the crust, stir the flour and cocoa powder together. Stir the melted butter and honey together and add this to the flour, mixing until blended (the mixture will seem dry and crumbly). Divide this between the tart shells and press it flat. Bake the crusts for 10 minutes and then cool before filling.
Vanilla Swirl1. For the vanilla swirl, whisk the egg yolks sugar and water, along with the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean (or paste, if using) in a metal bowl placed over a pot of gently simmering water until doubled in volume and the eggs hold a ribbon when the whisk is lifted, about 3 minutes. Remove this from the heat and gently whisk in the mascarpone until smooth. Set aside while preparing the chocolate swirl.
Chocolate Swirl & Assembly1. For the chocolate swirl, melt the chocolate by gently over the simmering water, then set aside. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and coffee in another metal bowl and place this over the simmering water, whisking until doubled in volume and the eggs hold a ribbon when the whisk is lifted. Remove this from the heat, stir in the melted chocolate and then gently whisk in the mascarpone until smooth.
2. Using 2 ladles or 2 pitchers, one for each batter, ladle or pour the fillings onto the cooled crusts, at the same time, gently swirling as you fill. Use a skewer to swirl the two cheesecakes further and then chill then for at least 6 hours to set. To serve, run a small spatula on the inside of the tart ring to loosen and then place onto plates.
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