Sweet Tooth: Mini Bailey's Chocolate Cheesecakes

Cheesecakes come off as one of those desserts that cost an arm and a leg in a restaurant - but there's really not much to them if you wanted to make them at home!

And of course - there's absolutely nothing wrong with eating a few of these MINI portions!

What's the secret? A muffin pan to bake these - there's the portion control bit...now whether or not you actually stick to eating only one is a whole other story!

I love making mini cheesecakes and have created a variety of different flavours (I'll post them at the bottom) and am always experimenting when given the chance to bake these little delights!

I CAN'T FREAKING ROTATE IT!

So why Bailey's and chocolate? It was a date night treat.
And why the heck not?!

What you need (makes about 14):

• Muffin tin
• Muffin tin liners (silicone are more environmentally friendly but if you're going to a potluck or a bake-sale with these - paper might be more ideal!)
• Room temperature package of cream cheese
• NOTE: I did NOT need vanilla extract because I used vanilla flavoured cream cheese!
• Oreo cookies or similar
• 1/4 Cup of sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder
• Hefty splash of Bailey's
• Flour (possibly you'll need it to thicken the batter if you put too much Bailey's!)
• A couple squares of dark chocolate (melted)
• Optional:
• whipped cream
• strawberries or other fruit for decoration
• crushed almonds

What to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 175*C.
2. Line muffin tin with 1 muffin liner and 1 Oreo cookie in each spot
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and egg.
4. Add vanilla extract, cocoa powder and Bailey's.
1. There is no measurement for Bailey's.  I'm sorry.  I go based on smell and I try to not make it too boozy-smelling. 
5. If you put too much Bailey's - sprinkle some flour in there so it's thicker and not too wet of a batter.
6. Pour batter into each lined cup of the muffin tin - filling them about 3/4 of the way.
1. They'll puff up a bit when they bake and sink as they cool down.
7. Once cooled down - remove from the pan and chill in the fridge.
8. Let them chill a bit first in the fridge then drizzle the tops with melted chocolate and refrigerate again.
9. Decorate even more before serving with nuts, fruit and whipped cream!
10. Remove wrapper before eating.
11. Enjoy responsibly.

Some other varieties you can try:

• Peanut butter and jelly (put the jelly in the center or directly on your Oreo and then a peanut butter mixture on top!)
• Rocky Road: make a vanilla-based cheesecake flavour and top with mini marshmallows, peanuts, candied cherries and drizzle melted chocolate when they've cooled
• Triple chocolate
• Chocolate mint - use a peppermint liquer or peppermint extract
• Orange chocolate - use an orange liquer or orange extract
• Nutella
• "Reese's PB Cups" - mix up chocolate and peanut butter
• Berries (whatever is in season!)
• Fresh Lemon - use a lemon to get the juice and make sure to remove any seeds!
• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Other liquer

Experiment and have fun!

Happy Foodie Adventures!
Dominique

Sweet Tooth: Chocolate PIZZA!

No you aren't blind and while your glasses might be dirty like mine - I did write "chocolate pizza" in the same subject heading.

I don't know about you but this thing has been making it's way all over social media.

Via Google Search

Even Finland has it...Canada too apparently.
I wanted to try it but had my doubts.  So I decided to make my own.

I was seriously conflicted with whether or not to make an actual pizza dough (the nice fluffy kind) with cocoa powder mixed in and chunks of chocolate so it'd be all nice and gooey when baked...then I looked at the time and realized my BFF Alison was coming over soon - so I'll nix that idea for another time.

I thought quickly and decided I'll go with option 2.

I whipped up a chocolate chip cookie dough, sprayed my hands with cooking spray, spread it on parchment paper then baked it.
Once it was cooled down - I spread Nutella then I placed sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries and chopped dark and milk chocolate chunks.  I took a veggie peeler and shaved some white chocolate all over and sprinkled toasted coconut on it.

BAM.

It wasn't too sweet and a friend of mine said it looked like "tasty diabetes"...Alison confirmed it was delicious...

Please note something crucial here:

I don't like chocolate that much.  I am NOT that woman that needs chocolate monthly or daily...I'm okay without it.  Once in awhile I'll enjoy chocolate with some kind of filling inside - a piece or two.  That's it. I never get chocolate ice-cream because that's boring to me.  I prefer vanilla or some other fancy pants flavour.

So...want to live dangerously with me and make this yourself?

Let's do this!

What you need:

1. Chocolate Chip Cookie dough (use your favourite recipe for chocolate chip -or other favourite cookie  for the base) - or keep reading and wing it like I did:   

• ½ cup of butter softened
• 2 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• splash of vanilla extract
• ½ cup of brown sugar (softened)
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• ½ tsp of baking soda
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• a heavy shaking of chocolate chips (I used dark ones - but use what you got or like!)

Place ingredients in mixing bowl and mix as you add the ingredients as ordered above.

• Cooking spray (just a bit for your hands)
• Nutella (or any knock off store brand will do!)
• Dark chocolate cut in small chunks
• Milk chocolate cut in small chunks
• white chocolate 
• fresh berries or fruit of your preference (bananas, kiwi and others could work well for this!)
• toasted coconut (optional)
• veggie peeler for the white chocolate

Before baking

What to do:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 175C and make your cookie dough.    
2. Spritz your hands lightly with cooking spray to prevent sticking to the dough and spread your dough evenly along your lined baking sheet.
3. Once your oven is ready - bake it until golden brown.  About 15 minutes.
4. Let it cool a bit and spread your Nutella evenly all over the giant cookie.
5. Top with mixed chocolate chunks, berries and/or fruit.
6. Using your veggie peeler - shave white chocolate on top.
1. Add toasted coconut too if you like.
7. Cut and enjoy!

The final product!

This is totally flexible with flavours - you can make the cookie base your favourite cookie - a standard single batch recipe should be fine and just stretch it thin enough and evenly to cover your pan.

Other topping ideas I have:

• nuts
• peanut butter sauce
• chocolate sauce
• caramel sauce 
• jam/jelly or marmalade
• various sliced fruit
• other berry combinations
• granola/museli
• mini marshmallows
• crushed cookie crumbs
• candy

I hope you enjoy making this as I did!! It was so easy and delicious!  Definitely something different for your next potluck or baby shower and it's eye catching too!
Let me know if you make it!  I would love to see pictures!

XO,
Dominique