MINI MARBLED MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

I don't bake cheese cake much, may be it from the fact that I really love it, ^ ^, and I just can't resist eat them all. Anyway, last week I really want to eat them.

I choose to make them in tiny size (so, when eating it I will feel better, haha, at least it's small). But don't let the small size fool you, this cheese cake packed with both of my favorite ingredients, chocolate and mascarpone!

Each bite will fill you with joy of smooth cheese flavor and the density of dark chocolate (ok, it will depend on the kind of chocolate that you use, but I love dark so I used Green & Black's 70% so my cheese cake is heavenly sent ^ ^).

I don't like my cake to be extra sweet, but if you like the amount of the sugar can be 150g instead of 120g. And if you don't have mini cheese cake pan (I know that not everyone crazy about the mini size, haha), you can use 7 inch springform pan and the baking time will be 60-65 minutes (or you can double the recipe and use 9 inch springform pan and the baking time will be 70-75 minutes). But believe me, size doesn't matter, they will be delicious in any size, haha.

I adapt this recipe from:The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

MINI MARBLED MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE

Makes 12 mini cheese cakes

CRUST
50g	Chocolate sandwich cookies (removed the filling and crushed in a food processor)
MARBLED MASCARPONE FILLING
100 g	Bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
40 ml	water
300 g	cream cheese, softened
120 g	granulated sugar
2	large eggs, at room temperature
140 g	Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoons	Vanilla extract

MAKE THE CRUST

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a mini cheese cake pan. Dust the pan with the crumbs, covering the bottom. Cut 12 pieces of 4-inch square of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap the foil around the outside of the pans.

MAKE THE FILLING

2. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate with the water over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove the chocolate from the heat and set aside to cool.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until blended. At low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

4. Spoon the mascarpone cheese into a medium bowl and stir it with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Stir about 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture into the mascarpone until well blended and smooth. Mixing at low speed.

Gradually add this mixture to the remaining batter in the bowl. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir the batter with a spatula a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.

5. Stir ¾ cup of the batter into the melted chocolate. Mix until blend.

Scrape the white batter into the prepared pan. Lightly spoon the chocolate batter on top of the white batter and spoon the remaining white batter on top. Using a spoon (or toothpick), pull the white batter up from the bottom of the pan (without disturbing the crumbs) to create a marbled effect (but don’t overdo it, or the two batters will end up blended instead of marbleized).

6. Place the pan into a roasting pan or a large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the larger pan to come about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cake in the water bath for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is set but slightly wobbly (the cake will continue to set up as it cools). Remove the pan from the water bath and set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving.

MINI MARBLED MASCARPONE CHEESECAKE