Name: Mini Butterbeer Cheesecakes
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H45M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT6H45M0.000S
Yield: 24 mini cheesecakes
Ingredients: Nonstick baking spray; 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note); 3 tablespoons cornstarch; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/3 cup sugar; 3 tablespoons heavy cream; 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3/4 cup butterscotch chips; 1/4 cup heavy cream; Mini white sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

Special equipment:

a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin tin; a disposable piping bag; a piping bag fitted with a small round tip

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 24-cup nonstick mini muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined; do not overwork.
Roll the dough into 24 equal balls (1 tablespoon each). Transfer the dough to the prepared pan; press your fingers into each to create a “cup.” Use a fork to prick the bottom.
Bake until the dough has puffed slightly and starts to turn golden brown at the edges, about 25 minutes. While still warm, push down the center of each “cup” with a 1/4 teaspoon to make a deeper hole to hold the cheesecake filling. Cool the crusts in the pan completely.
For the cheesecake: Whip the cream in a medium bowl with a whisk until stiff, fluffy peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes (or 1 to 2 minutes using an electric mixer); set aside.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until fluffy and smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula. Transfer to a piping bag and snip the tip.
Pipe the batter evenly among the cups of the muffin tin (about 1 1/2 heaping teaspoons per cup). Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly and level off the tops. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is set, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
For the butterscotch ganache: Add the butterscotch chips to a medium bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the cream over the chips. Let sit until the chips have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
Run a paring knife or offset spatula around the edges of each cheesecake and transfer them to a serving platter. Pipe a small dollop of butterscotch ganache onto each mini cheesecake, leaving a small border of the cheesecake showing. Immediately sprinkle with mini white sprinkles. Serve chilled.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)