Triple "Box of Chocolates" Cheesecake Cups

Valentine's Day is still a month away, but it brings to mind heart-shaped boxes (can I reference both Nirvana AND Forrest Gump in the same post?) filled with chocolate. This cute little cheesecake cup is triple the chocolate with bittersweet in the filling, white chocolate in the ganache topping, and milk in the heart on top. This is the same base as my White Chocolate Cheesecake Cups with Sparkling Cranberries in an ealier post.

I love cheesecake and have made some decent ones over the years, but no matter what methods I use (waterbath, pan wrapped in foil, two different oven temperatures) my full-size cheesecakes never fail to have a big, ugly crack in the middle after they cool. Plus, I find them difficult to slice neatly into 12 even slices. So I'm really digging on these individual cheesecake cups... much less time baking, no cracks, and neat, portable portions!

As Forrest Gump's momma always said, "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." With these treats though, you should get some extra points from those lucky enough to receive them from you!

Triple "Box of Chocolates" Cheesecake Cups
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place 12 cupcake liners in muffin tin, preferably Wilton's ruffled paper baking cups, or foil liners if you can't find the paper cups.  The foil liners are smaller, so fill accordingly, only 2/3 full.  I believe the foil liners will give you closer to 18 cheesecake cups.

12 Simply Sandie cookies, finely crushed
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 t. salt
Combine crust ingredients in glass bowl with a fork. Place about a heaping tablespoon of crust into the bottom of your cupcake holders. Tamp down lightly with the bottom of a small (child-size) cup.

4 oz. Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips, melted in microwave for about 90 seconds and cooled slightly
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. white sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
Beat softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Fold in white chocolate.
Place about a heaping 1/4 c. of filling into cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes, or until tops are puffy and the cheesecake is still a bit "jiggly" in the centers.

In the meantime, prepare the white chocolate ganache...
1/2 pkg (about 1 c.) of Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chips
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Place white chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl. Heat cream to a simmer over medium heat.  Monitor closely so it does not burn. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let sit for one minute. Whisk chocolate and cream until smooth.

About 10 minutes after cheesecake cups have come out of oven, top each evenly with about 1 T. ganache and immediately top with one Dove brand milk chocolate heart.  Let cool for about 20 more minutes on counter top, then transfer to fridge to chill for at least 4 hours before serving. Paper cups can be removed and cheesecake can be eaten on a plate with a fork.