Description
These lavender mascarpone mini cheesecakes are such an elegant dessert. A floral, rich cheesecake filling on a gorgeous spiced gingersnap crust!
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST:
- 12 whole Ginger Snap Cookies
- 2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
- ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
- FOR THE CHEESECAKE:
- ½ pounds Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
- ¼ cups Mascarpone Cheese
- ⅓ cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Lavender Vanilla Bean Sugar (found In Spice Shops)
- 1 teaspoon Lavender Extract
- ½ teaspoons Ground Lavender
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
- ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoons Nutmeg
- 1 whole Egg
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 1 Tablespoon Flour
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 12 well standard size muffin pan with paper liners. Set up your food processor and get the gingersnaps into the bowl. Pulse them until they become fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and mix them thoroughly with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
2. Add two heaping teaspoons of the gingersnap mixture into each muffin well and press it down firmly to form a solid bottom crust. Get the crusts in the oven to bake and set for 12 minutes.
3. While the crusts bake, prepare the cheesecake mixture. Set up a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in the stand mixer bowl and beat them together until smooth and fluffy. Add the two sugars, lavender extract, ground lavender, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and let them get completely beaten in.
4. Then add the egg and egg yolk and beat until fully incorporated. Then mix in the flour. The crusts should just be done by this point. Take them out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Reduce the heat of the oven to 325 F.
5. Add 4 heaping teaspoons of the cheesecake mixture into each muffin well and smooth the top. Get a sheet tray onto the second rack of the oven and pour a thin layer of water into it. The steam from the water will keep the tops of the cheesecakes from cracking. Then put the pan of cheesecakes into the oven to bake on the top rack for 20 minutes.
6. When they are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 10-15 minutes. Then cover them to let them chill and set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
7. When you are ready to serve them, just unwrap the mini cheesecakes and enjoy!
