Recipe: Hershey Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes with Chocolate Crumb Crust (using muffin cups)

CHOCOLATE MINI CHEESECAKES

Chocolate Crumb Crust (recipe follows)
1/2 cup Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Line muffin cups (2 1/2-inches in diameter) with paper bake cups or spray with vegetable cooking spray.*

Press about 1 tablespoonful Chocolate Crumb Crust mixture onto bottom of each cup. Stir together cocoa and 1/4 cup butter. Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Fill muffin cups with batter. Bake 35 minutes or until set. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Refrigerate.

Before serving, spread with Chocolate Glaze. Allow to set. Serve at room temperature.

*If vegetable cooking spray is used, cool baked cheesecakes. Freeze 15 minutes; remove with narrow spatula.

CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST

In medium bowl, stir together:
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
6 tablespoons Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Makes about 2 cups glaze

2 cups (one 12 oz. pkg.) Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with heavy cream and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Use immediately.

Make about 24 mini cheesecakes
From: Vicki,La - 09-27-97