Indulge in Fall Flavors with Black Garlic and Caramel Mini Cheesecakes
Elevate your fall baking with the unexpected twist of black garlic in these irresistible mini cheesecakes from The Garlic Companion.
In the Fall, fresh garlic is readily available and revered for its incredible flavors. Farmers’ markets and festivals celebrate the return of a favored harvest, and there’s palpable excitement as customers seek specific varieties.
As the days get shorter and nighttime temperatures dip a little lower, I am often drawn to comfort foods and festive aromas coming from the oven. There are few things I love more than the intoxicating smell of freshly roasted garlic! Whether you are enjoying the spoils of your first crop or sourcing an ingredient locally, I think that you, too, will realize that a moody fall day is the best time to create a garlic-forward dish.
Some of my favorite garlic recipes (as featured in The Garlic Companion) for fall include Barbecued Roasted Garlic, Roasted Garlic and Sage Butter, and Roasted Carrots with Black Garlic Glaze. And who can resist Black Garlic and Caramel Mini Cheesecakes?
Black Garlic and Caramel Mini Cheesecake
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup black garlic (roughly 2 bulbs), peeled and mashed with a fork
- 2 eggs
For the topping
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Caramel sauce, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Chill a large mixing bowl for use in step 8.
- Make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar in a second large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Spoon the crumb mixture into the prepared muffin pan, pressing the mixture firmly into each cup.
- Bake the crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Using an electric mixer on low speed, cream together the cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and garlic and mix to fully combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix the batter until just combined.
- Scoop the filling into the baked muffin crusts. Fill each cup until nearly full.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the cheesecakes are set.
- Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan for at least 1 hour. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. The cheesecakes will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Just before serving, make the topping: Combine the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in the chilled mixing bowl. Mix on medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Top each cheesecake with a swirl of the topping and drizzle with caramel sauce, if desired.
Tip: Make the cheesecake filling with room-temperature ingredients to prevent cracking.
I love the surprise and awe that accompanies this cheesecake. With a sweet, nutty finish, this heavenly combination of black garlic with cream cheese will leave guests begging for more. They will never guess the secret ingredient—black garlic!
Excerpted from The Garlic Companion © Kristin Graves.
In The Garlic Companion, author and garlic devotee Kristin Graves celebrates the wonderful world of this pungent herb, including how to plant, grow, harvest, and preserve it, as well as how to use both the bulbs and the scapes (flowering stems) in decorations and crafts such as garlic braids and wreaths. She has created 36 recipes that focus on using garlic in all its various forms—from Garlic Scape Refrigerator Pickles to Honey Garlic Ribs to Black Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies—and offers dozens of ideas for celebrating the garlic harvest.
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