Recipe Station

Like I said, you'll need to block off some time to make sure your mini-cheesecakes come out just right, but your efforts will definitely pay off. Before you get moving, make sure you have the following ingredients ready:

Ingredients To Gather: 

• 1 pkg semi-sweet (or milk) chocolate chips (or baking melts)
• 2 Tbsp butter or shortening
• 1 sleeve of graham crackers
• crushed into crumbs
• 1 large container of strawberries or 2 small ones (1 quart)
• 6 oz cream cheese
• softenend
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• zest from 1 lemon (about 1 tsp)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla

After cleaning and hulling the strawberries, crushing the graham crackers, and combining the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla, there's only one more step before you put it all together. Tip: make the mixture first so you can refrigerate it while preparing the strawberries and graham crackers. Then:

In a double boiler or microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate with the shortening or butter. If melting in the microwave cook on high for about 20 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir the chocolate. Return and cook on 10 second increments until the chocolate is smooth. Do not over cook the chocolate will get thick and lumpy and will not coat the strawberries nicely. If you are having a hard time with the chocolate you can add more butter/shortening and reheat until smooth again.

Now that everything's prepared, you're ready to create your masterpiece. Once the strawberries have been topped with chocolate, cheesecake, and graham crackers, let them cool in the fridge for a while. They should keep for about 3 days, but I doubt they'll even be around for that long! Enjoy!

Article Source: Gourmandize