Santa Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

How to Make Santa Strawberry Cheesecake Cups

1. 1

   Step 1: Make and press the crust

   Active 12 min

   Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Stir the graham cracker crumbs and the melted unsalted butter until evenly moistened, then divide the crumb mixture among the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin and press firmly and evenly to form compact cylindrical bases (this recipe makes 12 mini cheesecakes). Chill the pressed crusts in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling so the crust firms up, about 5 minutes.

   For this step

   • 1 cupGraham cracker crumbs
   • 4 tbspUnsalted butter, melted
   
2. 2

   Step 2: Prepare the cheesecake filling

   Active 12 min

   Using a stand mixer or large bowl and hand mixer, beat 14 oz of the cream cheese (reserve about 2 oz / 4 tbsp of the cream cheese for the topping) until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat until incorporated, then add the large egg and continue to beat just until the batter is smooth and homogenous; scrape down the bowl as needed. Spoon or pipe the filling evenly into the 12 crusted wells (each will be roughly 1 heaping tablespoon of batter), leaving a small mound so the center settles slightly when baked.

   For this step

   • 16 ozCream cheese (total)
   • 1 largeLarge egg
   
3. 3

   Step 3: Bake the mini cheesecakes

   Active 3 min · Passive 18 min

   Place the muffin tin on a middle rack and bake at 325°F (163°C) for about 18 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still have a slight jiggle. Remove from oven and run a small offset spatula or butter knife around each cake to loosen from the tin; this prevents cracking as they cool. Let rest on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before the next step.
   
4. 4

   Step 4: Cool and chill until fully set

   Active 5 min · Passive 120 min

   After the short rest, transfer the tin (uncovered) to the refrigerator and chill the cheesecakes until fully set and cold, at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Chilling stabilizes the texture and makes the tops firm enough to pipe the 'beard' decoration. Keep the reserved ~2 oz (4 tbsp) cream cheese cold and slightly softened to use in the topping.
5. 5

   Step 5: Make a stabilized white topping (beard & ruff)

   Active 10 min

   To make a stable white 'beard' that will support fruit, whip the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar in a chilled bowl until it begins to thicken, then add the reserved 2 oz (about 4 tbsp) softened cream cheese and continue whipping to medium-stiff peaks; if desired, add the final 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar later for dusting. The small addition of cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream so it will hold its piped star-ruff shape and support a whole strawberry hat without collapsing. Transfer the stabilized cream to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.

   For this step

   • 1 cupHeavy cream
   
6. 6

   Step 6: Assemble Santas and finish with 'snow'

   Active 15 min

   Hull each strawberry (remove the green cap and a small cone of flesh so the strawberry sits point-up) and pat dry; keep about 12 strawberries for hats and the remaining strawberries for platter garnish. Pipe a ring of ruffled stabilized white cream on the top of each chilled mini-cheesecake using the star tip, leaving a slight center depression to tuck the malted milk ball. Press one malted milk ball gently into that center (this becomes the nose), then set a hulled strawberry, pointed side up, on top of the cream to create the red hat. Arrange the finished mini-cheesecakes on a serving platter, garnish the platter with the remaining whole strawberries and the red currants, and finish with a light dusting of the remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar to mimic snow just before serving. Makes about 6 servings.

   For this step

   • 18 mediumStrawberries (medium), hulled
   • 12 piecesMalted milk balls (small, ~5 g each) for noses
   • 1/3 cupRed currants (or small red berries) for garnish
   

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Stir the graham cracker crumbs and the melted unsalted butter until evenly moistened, then divide the crumb mixture among the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin and press firmly and evenly to form compact cylindrical bases (this recipe makes 12 mini cheesecakes). Chill the pressed crusts in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling so the crust firms up, about 5 minutes.
2. Using a stand mixer or large bowl and hand mixer, beat 14 oz of the cream cheese (reserve about 2 oz / 4 tbsp of the cream cheese for the topping) until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat until incorporated, then add the large egg and continue to beat just until the batter is smooth and homogenous; scrape down the bowl as needed. Spoon or pipe the filling evenly into the 12 crusted wells (each will be roughly 1 heaping tablespoon of batter), leaving a small mound so the center settles slightly when baked.
3. Place the muffin tin on a middle rack and bake at 325°F (163°C) for about 18 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still have a slight jiggle. Remove from oven and run a small offset spatula or butter knife around each cake to loosen from the tin; this prevents cracking as they cool. Let rest on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes before the next step.
4. After the short rest, transfer the tin (uncovered) to the refrigerator and chill the cheesecakes until fully set and cold, at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Chilling stabilizes the texture and makes the tops firm enough to pipe the 'beard' decoration. Keep the reserved ~2 oz (4 tbsp) cream cheese cold and slightly softened to use in the topping.
5. To make a stable white 'beard' that will support fruit, whip the heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar in a chilled bowl until it begins to thicken, then add the reserved 2 oz (about 4 tbsp) softened cream cheese and continue whipping to medium-stiff peaks; if desired, add the final 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar later for dusting. The small addition of cream cheese stabilizes the whipped cream so it will hold its piped star-ruff shape and support a whole strawberry hat without collapsing. Transfer the stabilized cream to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.

6. Hull each strawberry (remove the green cap and a small cone of flesh so the strawberry sits point-up) and pat dry; keep about 12 strawberries for hats and the remaining strawberries for platter garnish. Pipe a ring of ruffled stabilized white cream on the top of each chilled mini-cheesecake using the star tip, leaving a slight center depression to tuck the malted milk ball. Press one malted milk ball gently into that center (this becomes the nose), then set a hulled strawberry, pointed side up, on top of the cream to create the red hat. Arrange the finished mini-cheesecakes on a serving platter, garnish the platter with the remaining whole strawberries and the red currants, and finish with a light dusting of the remaining 1 tablespoon powdered sugar to mimic snow just before serving. Makes about 6 servings.