Daring Bakers Challenge : Cheesecake Pops
I’m hoping that I’m not the only person who realised late late yesterday afternoon that the Daring Bakers Challenge was due on Sunday. Yikes! A quick powerwalk to the shops then, to source some cream cheese, eggs and lollipop sticks. The first two weren’t hard to find (and cream cheese always reminds me of Philly spread on bagels.. mmmm..), but I didn’t manage to get any lollipop sticks. Completely forgetting that skewers were a possibility, I decided to use some fondue forks I had at home instead. [Note to self : How about buying and eating 30 chuppachups for their sticks? Viable option?]
Anyway. Woke up this morning, splashed some water on my face, and thought, Right. I’m going to dip me some balls. Call the nurse. Nurse! Bring forth the balls from cryostasis! This is going to require the couverture.
And the end result? Well, cheesecake, pumped full with dairy as it is, is like kryptonite to B, and I personally am not a big cheesecake fan either, but I was very fascinated by this recipe all the same. I mean, who would’ve thought you could serve cheesecake in this way? I’m keeping this one in mind for the next time my little nieces are in town, with one important change : I think it might be easier to handle and subsequently eat these pops if they were smaller. Maybe half the size, would make them much better for dipping in chocolate, and a little less of an assault on the stomach, seeing as they’re quite dense balls of cheese! Or is that just the non-cheesecake eater in me speaking?
Many thanks to Elle and Deborah for picking such an interesting recipe. Also, I’d also like to give a big shout out to Ivonne and Lis who worked hard at creating a new home for the ever increasing family of Daring Bakers. Thanks guys! It must feel like a second full-time job by this stage, so just so you know, we all totally appreciate it! 🙂
Cheesecake Pops :
(Makes 30-40 pops; from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor)
5 x 226g packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
453g dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Assorted decorations – optional [I used coloured sugar, strawberry powder, shredded coconut and maple sugar]
Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 166’C. Set some water to boil.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.
Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 56g balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.
When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.
Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.
Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.
Dolores said,
April 27, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
I’m kind of bummed the cheesecake pops don’t work for you or your family… your presentation is *sensational*.
KJ said,
April 27, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
Well they look sensational!! What are all the sprinkles that you used?
Y said,
April 27, 2008 @ 4:54 pm
Dolores: Ah, if only I could’ve sent them to you!
KJ: Thanks. I rummaged through the cupboard to see what I could use, and ended up with maple sugar chips, strawberry powder, a coloured sugar mix (in shades of red and yellow) and shredded coconut (a leftover from the last DB Challenge).
Cakelaw said,
April 27, 2008 @ 7:04 pm
Your pops are absolutely perfect! Mine look like elephants next to yours.
Aran said,
April 27, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
I love what you did with them! Beautiful!
belle said,
April 27, 2008 @ 9:30 pm
Your cakey pops look delightful. I’ve been on the lookout for a cheap melon baller recently so that I could make the exact same thing!
Deborah said,
April 27, 2008 @ 9:49 pm
I’m sorry you didn’t love them, but they look absolutely phenomenal!
Bumblebutton said,
April 28, 2008 @ 12:18 am
Well they sure look fabulous, all in a row! You get an A for effort, for sure! Nice job–and I’m sure someone you know will be grateful!
MyKitchenInHalfCups said,
April 28, 2008 @ 1:01 am
They look so cool!
Smaller – yeap me too!
What are the little cups you put them in? Wonderful fit and great look.
Tartelette said,
April 28, 2008 @ 1:10 am
Love the little cheesecake saucers! You did a great job with the dipping and dunking!
zorra said,
April 28, 2008 @ 1:20 am
Yes, I love the cups too! Great idea.
courtney said,
April 28, 2008 @ 2:52 am
Just beautiful for a non cheesecake eater. I have to limti my dairy as well. The neices will love them.
jasmine said,
April 28, 2008 @ 3:24 am
These look great–and like the rest, I really l like the cups…
j
Lisa said,
April 28, 2008 @ 3:32 am
Your lollipops are gorgeous, Y! Those photos are amazing! 🙂
Beautiful job!
xoxo
baking soda said,
April 28, 2008 @ 4:20 am
I’m with you, realised I had to post -and thus bake- today! I also briefly contemplated to let my kids go wild at chupachups and save the sticks….
Yours turned out so elegant, very nice!
Susan said,
April 28, 2008 @ 5:36 am
What an elegant presentation! The strawberry powder is especially intriguing. I like how you put the sprinklings on the stick side so they would show when the sticks are up.
jasmine said,
April 28, 2008 @ 5:47 am
Oh, sorry…forgot to answer your q about garlic bonbons…
A local chocolatrie puts bits of dried garlic into the ganache and coats it in more chocolate. Really, really nice. They also do a red pepper jelly bonbon in much the same way.
j
Jen Yu said,
April 28, 2008 @ 6:31 am
OMG, those are so cute! I love how you set them on their own edible pedestal. And the shape and dipping are skillfully done. Great job!
Andrea said,
April 28, 2008 @ 10:19 am
Your pops are lovely! Nicely done.
giz said,
April 28, 2008 @ 11:16 am
I’m not a big cheesecake fan but these are such a great show stopper that I would make them just for the effect.
maybelles mom said,
April 28, 2008 @ 11:37 am
soo cute (even if you didn’t lvoe them) but, like everyone I wonder about the cups.
Lisa said,
April 28, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Forget about the sticks – where did you get the custom cheesecake pop holders? And yes, eating 30 suckers is totally a viable option.
Y said,
April 28, 2008 @ 6:48 pm
Thanks for the good vibes, guys!
For everyone who’s been asking, those little dishes underneath the pops are soy sauce dishes. They were a gift from a friend who visited Thailand on holiday a couple of years ago. They came in a beautifully crafted box, along with matching chopsticks and chopstick holders.
veron said,
April 28, 2008 @ 10:49 pm
We are not big cheesecake eaters at my house either although it’s not very hard to twist my arm when it is right in front of me, the hubby though has no desire to eat it. But I agree , this dessert would be heaven for all the cheesecake connoiseurs (our nieces!)
Dianne said,
April 29, 2008 @ 3:54 am
They look great! Sorry you couldn’t really enjoy them that much though.
jasmine said,
April 29, 2008 @ 8:50 am
Hey–
Saw your response on my blog. Drop me an email and I’ll give you details 🙂
j
Lorraine E said,
April 29, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
They look spectacular! I can’t believe how picture perfect they are. I want one now lol
pixie o said,
April 29, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
your pops are photographed so beautifully! wonderfully elegant pops! pity you don’t really like cheesecake….
JennyBakes said,
April 30, 2008 @ 6:13 am
I love the little cups, and these are perfection.
marion-il en faut peu pour ... said,
May 4, 2008 @ 6:48 pm
they look just perfect !!!!!! fantastic work, they’re really beautifull 🙂
Ivonne said,
May 5, 2008 @ 6:46 am
Very chic presentation!
chocolate shavings said,
May 12, 2008 @ 4:57 am
That looks delicious! I love the picture.
Dayna said,
May 20, 2008 @ 7:39 am
Beautiful shot. I’m not a cheesecake fan either, but this almost makes me want to eat cheesecake too.