Halloween Cheesecakes are cute little New York style cheesecakes with chocolate crumb crusts that are dressed up for Halloween with cobwebs of chocolate. These cheesecakes would make a nice ending to a Fall dinner party where an unexpected surprise is always appreciated. You can serve these alone or else with a strawberry or raspberry sauce, or even a medley of fresh berries.

Before the cheesecake batter is made and poured into 12 individual muffin cups, each muffin cup needs a strip of parchment paper. This is done so the cheesecakes can be removed easily from the pan, simply by lifting the ends of the paper. Once the parchment paper strips have been cut and placed in each muffin pan, the chocolate crust needs to be made. The crust is a combination of finely ground chocolate wafers, with just enough melted butter to hold the crumbs together. A heaping tablespoon of crumbs in placed into each muffin cup and then refrigerated while you carry on with the recipe.

Now, whenever you make a cheesecake batter, all the ingredients need to be at room temperature, particularly the cream cheese. Beat the cream cheese just until it is creamy and smooth (no lumps) and then beat in the sugar. Next, add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the bowl often to remove any lumps. (Beat at low speed to reduce the amount of air incorporated into the batter.) Then add the vanilla extract and sour cream and the batter is complete. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffins cups and bake (about 18-20 minutes) until the filling is set, but it is still a wobbly in the center.

Once the cheesecakes have been baked and cooled (several hours or even overnight), remove them from the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment paper strips. Peel the parchment paper off the cheesecakes and then pipe a cobweb design on each cheesecake with melted chocolate. You can serve the cheesecakes straight away or else refrigerate until serving time. These cheesecakes can be made several days in advance of serving.

Cheesecakes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 12 - 2 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch muffin cups with one - 2 inch (5 cm) wide x 6 inch (15 cm) long strip of parchment paper. (The ends will hang over the sides of the cups to be used as handles to lift out the baked cheesecakes.)

For Crust: In a small bowl combine the chocolate crumbs with the melted butter. Press a heaping tablespoon of crumbs on the bottoms of the 12 muffin cups lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat just until incorporated. Remove the crusts from the refrigerator and evenly divide the filling among the 12 muffin cups.

Bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until firm but the centers of the cheesecakes still wobble a little. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (a few hours or overnight).

Remove cheesecakes by first running a sharp knife around the inside edge of the muffin cups to loosen the cheesecakes. Then, taking hold of the two strips of parchment paper, carefully lift each cheesecake from the muffin cups. Gently peel off the parchment paper and then pipe a cobweb design on each cheesecake.

Chocolate Cobwebs: Melt the chocolate and place in a parchment pastry cone or a small piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (can also use a small plastic bag with a small hole cut from one end). Taking one cheesecake at a time, pipe a cobweb design by piping four straight lines to make an "asterisk" and then connecting the lines by piping two circles, one circle around the outer edge of each cheesecake and another circle halfway to the center of each cheesecake. Let the chocolate harden and then cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Can serve with strawberry or raspberry sauce and/or fresh berries.

Makes 12 individual cheesecakes.

Sources:

Mead, Matthew. Matthew Mead's Monster Book of Halloween. Time Inc. New York: 2009.

Usher, Julia M. Cookie Swap. Gibbs Smith. Layton Utah: 2009.

Hoffman, Phyllis. Celebrate Halloween Magazine. Hoffman Media LLC. Birmingham AL: 2009.

Chocolate Crust:

1 cup (120 grams) finely ground chocolate wafers (homemade or store bought)

3-4 tablespoons (42-55 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

2 - 8 ounce (454 grams) packages of cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Chocolate Cobwebs:

2 ounces (55 grams) semi sweet chocolate, melted

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