Chocolate-Mascarpone Cheesecake

We are going to friends house tomorrow night and the menu is "Italian" for 33 people. Along with my famous Caesar salad and my marinara sauce (totally perfected and I am threatening to bottle and sell it) I wanted to make a dessert that would tie in with the theme.

Originally I wanted to make a "Nonna's cake" but after reading a few of my cookbooks, cheesecake became the winner. After going to the market and measuring out all the ingredients in preparation for the assembly, I receive an email from the hostess asking what my plans were for dessert. After answering her, she replied by asking me to freeze it for a rainy day(she was hoping for finger desserts). I will admit, I was sad.

After I got over my sadness, the light bulb went off and I decided to make mini chocolate mascarpone cheesecakes. I know my friend will be relieved and I am almost positive everyone will be happy with a bite size treat.

I found this recipe in Baking with Julia. The recipe doesn't really call for a crust, but I felt the minis needed it. I had some left over homemade graham crackers that I crushed up and made for the crust. Next time I would use a shortbread or an animal cracker type cookie for the crust. I think the contrast in color would have made these a little prettier.

With that said, these are FANTASTIC!!! I took three and a half dozen and all were gone within minutes (one of the guys ate 10 of them).

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temp.

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 lb mascarpone, room temp

3 eggs, room temp

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted-keep very warm

cookie crumbs

butter, melted

Directions

1 preheat oven to 350*. If using spring form pan, butter all over and line outside with foil. If using mini muffin cups, spray with cooking spray

2. Cream cream cheese until perfectly smooth, about 4 minutes. Add sugar and beat for another 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add flour, vanilla and mascarpone beat until incorporated

3. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down side of bowl after each egg. Add the sour cream until incorporated.

4. Remove one cup of mixture and stir into the warm melted chocolate. Mix until you no longer see white streaks. Pour batter either into small mini cups or your prepared 8" spring form pan.

Baking

If using spring form pan, set the pan in a roasting pan and place in the center of the oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides. Bake 50-60 minutes. Bake until you send a quivering wave across the cake when shaking the pan. Remove pan from oven and place cake only on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

If using mini cups. Place 1 teaspoon of crumb mixture in each muffin tin. Press down to make a crust. Fill muffin tins to the top. Bake for 12-16 minutes, rotating pans back to front, top to bottom. Let cool to room temp.

For both, place in fridge for at least 3 hours or over night. Unmold large cake before putting in fridge. Flip cake over on a cake and sprinkle bottom of cake with crumbs. Press crumbs into cake. Once set, re flip cake so crumbs are ultimately on the bottom.

If you have left over minis freeze your left overs for a rainy day!