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Mini Crème Brûlée Cheesecakes bring together two beloved desserts: rich New York cheesecake and classic French crème brûlée. Each bite offers the perfect contrast between crackly caramel, creamy filling, and buttery crust. This elegant fusion has become a signature dessert in professional pastry kitchens.
Essential Ingredients Guide
For the Crust:
- Graham Crackers - Finely crushed for a compact base. Can substitute digestive biscuits
- Butter - Use quality unsalted butter, melted to the right temperature
For the Filling:
- Cream Cheese - Full-fat, room temperature for smooth mixing
- Granulated Sugar - Fine sugar dissolves better
- Eggs - Room temperature for proper incorporation
- Vanilla Extract - Pure vanilla extract recommended
- Heavy Cream - At least 35% fat content
For Topping:
- Sugar for Brûlée - Superfine sugar for even caramelization
- Sea Salt - Optional finishing touch
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the Crust
- Preheat oven properly
- Process crackers to fine crumbs
- Mix with melted butter
- Press into molds
- Chill while making filling
- Make the Filling
- Beat cream cheese until smooth
- Gradually add sugar
- Add eggs one at a time
- Fold in vanilla and cream
- Strain mixture
- Baking
- Bake at 325°F
- Fill molds 3/4 full
- Use water pan for moisture
- Centers should be slightly jiggly
- Cool gradually in oven
Storage and Serving
Store cheesecakes refrigerated up to 3 days without caramel topping. Caramelize just before serving. Do not freeze. Let stand 30 minutes before torching sugar topping.
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Common Mistakes
Avoid these typical errors:
- Using too much sugar for brûlée topping
- Overbaking the cheesecakes
- Cooling too quickly
- Not bringing ingredients to room temperature
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How can I get a perfectly caramelized crust?
- Use a kitchen torch and fine sugar. Move the torch around to caramelize the top evenly.
- → Can these cheesecakes be frozen?
- Yes, but before caramelizing. Let them thaw in the fridge and brûlée the top just before serving.
- → How can I make variations of this dessert?
- Mix in some lemon zest, shaved chocolate, or fresh fruit to switch things up.
- → When should I take the cheesecakes out of the mold?
- After fully chilling them in the fridge, usually 2-3 hours after baking.
- → How do I store these cheesecakes?
- Keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Avoid caramelizing the tops ahead of time so they don’t lose their crunch.