Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cheesecake Food

CHOCOLATE-TOPPED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Mix cracker crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 1 in. up sides of a 9-in. springform pan coated with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved; remove from heat., Hull strawberries if necessary; puree in a food processor. Remove to a bowl. Add cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar substitute to food processor; process until smooth. While processing, gradually add gelatin mixture. Add pureed strawberries; process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl; fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Pour into crust. Refrigerate, covered, until set, 2-3 hours., Loosen sides of cheesecake with a knife; remove rim. To serve, top with chocolate topping, remaining whipped topping and quartered strawberries.

MINI CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pulse the cookies, almonds, butter and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Spray 6 cups in a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Press the crumbs on the bottom and up the sides of the cups. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Heat the chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until just melted. Add the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese and heavy cream, and beat on medium-high speed to combine with an electric mixer. Spoon into the muffin cups and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.
• Toss the strawberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until syrupy, about 15 minutes. Remove the cheesecakes from the muffin tin and serve topped with the strawberries.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• Hull strawberries if necessary, puree in a food processor. Remove and set aside. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water, let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Transfer to the food processor, add cream cheese, cottage cheese and sugar. Cover and process until smooth.
• Add strawberry puree, cover and process until blended. Transfer to a large bowl, fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until set.
• For garnish, wash strawberries and gently pat with papertowels until completely dry. Cut tops off berries. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate at 50 percent power; stir until smooth. Dip each berry tip until half of the berry is coated, allowing excess to drip off. Place with tips pointing up on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Carefully run a knife around edge of springform pan to loose; remove sides of pan. Arrange berries, chocolate tips up, around edge of cheesecake and place one in the center. Garnish with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED CHEESECAKE FILLED STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• Wash the strawberries. Then, slice the bottom point off the strawberry, so that it can stand up straight. Next, pluck the stem off. Using a paring knife or strawberry huller, scoop out the top to make room for the cheesecake.
• This is the most important step...dry off the strawberries individually with paper towels. If the strawberries are wet, the chocolate will not stick.
• Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or microwave. (Note: if using a microwave, only melt it in 20-second increments to make sure it doesn't burn). I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips.
• Line a cookie sheet (that will fit in your freezer) with waxed paper or a Silpat. Dip the bottom half of each strawberry into the melted chocolate and place on the lined pan. Once the pan is full, place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate has hardened.
• While the chocolate is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk, until smooth. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk.
• Spoon the cheesecake mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. If you don't have a piping bag, scoop it into a large Ziploc bag and snip off the corner. Remove the strawberries from the freezer and pipe in the cheesecake filling. Top with a slivered almond and serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.