Cheesecake Truffle Bombs

The first new recipe I’m profiling in my blog comes from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. If bakers had groupies, I would follow Ms. Goldman’s tour bus from city to city. Her ardent love of baking is contagious. I gained ten pounds just from browsing through this book. With most cookbooks, I might find a half-dozen or so recipes that I’d like to try, but with her books every recipe seems to be a keeper. I look forward to trying her recipes. If you’re shopping for a new baking book I highly recommend the book mentioned above and her book The Best of Betterbaking.com.

The first recipe I attempted from the book was for the Cheesecake Truffle Bombs, little chocolate-dipped, cheesecake bites. I like this recipe for many different reasons:

1. It’s a tasty dessert, and since most party and dinner guests love cheesecake, it will be a real crowd pleaser.


2. It’s a simple recipe that can be prepared in advanced and frozen.
   Even though it’s simple, it gives the illusion that hours were spent preparing this delightful dessert.


3. The base recipe can probably be adapted, so you can get creative and make a variety of flavors. I’d like to do a grasshopper bomb with some mint or work some fruit into the batter. If you have a favorite cheesecake recipe, I think you could incorporate it into this recipe. Guests will enjoying trying the different flavors.
4. These cheesecake bites are just cute (I know that using the word "cute" isn't very manly, but I'll try to overcompensate in later entries by injecting a healthy dose of testosterone).

Cheesecake Truffle Bombs Recipe

Cheesecake Batter

• 1 pound Cream cheese, softened


• 3/4 cup Sugar


• 3 Large eggs


• 2 tsp Vanilla extract


• 1/3 cup Whipping cream


• Tiniest pinch salt
  

Dipping chocolate

• 12 oz Milk chocolate, melted (Note: You may need to use more than this)
  

Optional

• 10 oz White chocolate, melted to drizzle over bites.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. This step is essential. It will make it much easier to remove the cheesecake from the pan and cut it into bite-sized morsels


2. Beat together cheesecake batter ingredients until smooth. I used a hand mixer, but a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a food processor would also work. Pour mixture into pan. Bake until set about 30 minutes. Cake should be firm to the touch but not dried out or curling in at the sides. If the cheesecake cracks, don't fret; it will be covered in chocolate later, and we all know that everything looks better with a layer of chocolate. Cool well in fridge.
   
3. After cooling the cheesecake, cut into 24-32 small squares or scoop out portions of cheesecake using a mini ice-cream scooper. (Note: This part was difficult for me. I’ve never quite mastered the art of slicing a cheesecake. It always looks as if a four-year old did the slicing. I’ve tried many of the tips offered up on successfully slicing a cheesecake. I’ve placing my knife under hot water throughout the slicing, and this helps, but I still struggle. Definitely place foil or parchment paper in the bottom of the pan in step 1 – this will facilitate the process.) Place squares or scoops on a waxed-paper lined baking sheet and freeze for two hours or overnight.


4. To finish, using a fork to assist, dip and turn each frozen cheesecake portion in chocolate. Let set on wax paper lined baking sheet and then dip in or drizzle with another type of chocolate, if desired. With the truffle bombs on the baking sheet, freeze for a couple of hours. Then place Truffle Bombs in a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze up to 2 months. Serve frozen or chilled.

If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to buy Marcy Goldman's book. I like to give a special thanks to my wife, whose delicate touch helped drizzle the white chocolate.

Take care,
muddywaters