The end of another month has arrived and, if you’re a regular reader of food blogs, you’ve probably already noticed the flood of cheesecake pops at every turn. You know what that means… it’s Daring Baker time again!
This month’s Daring Baker Challenge - Cheesecake Pops - was chosen by our lovely co-hosts, Elle at Feeding My Enthusiasms and Deborah at Taste and Tell. These are girls after my own heart… I was drooling with anticipation!
For as excited as I was about this challenge (and I was VERY excited, since I’ve been meaning to make cheesecake pops for a while now)… I certainly did my fair share of procrastinating. The five (yes, five!) blocks of cream cheese sat in our fridge for weeks. And then, last weekend, I finally took the plunge. I made the cheesecake… and then… I ran out of time again and it sat in the fridge for another week.
Now, this presented a bit of a problem. Cheesecake in our fridge just cannot go untouched for a full week. Not possible. Nope… so spoonfulls kept disappearing (did you know that cheesecake is perfect for self-medicating after a bad day at work?)… and, by the time the weekend rolled around again, there was only half a cheesecake left. (What can I say? It was a particularly rough week for both of us.)
The procrastination trend continued and yesterday got away from me, too. So, here it is the afternoon evening of reveal day, and I’ve just finished dipping my little orbs of cheesecake into chocolate. Nothing like waiting until the very last minute! Whew! Someone remind me never to push it this far again.
Luckily, this recipe made a big cheesecake. So, even with half of it gone, we still came away with more pops than any two people need access to. I’m going to have some happy co-workers tomorrow!
I initially had big plans of dipping my finished pops into all manner of things… graham crackers, jimmies, caramel, nuts, etc… but - in the eleventh hour - and after trying to roll cheesecake into balls and ending up with cheesecake all over me… and a good part of my kitchen (there are worse things in life) - I opted to go with something simple… Taza shaved chocolate. There’s just no such thing as too much chocolate!
This recipe makes a wonderful, thick cheesecake. And, as was the experience of many of the other DB’ers, mine took longer than the recommended 35-45 minutes… about 20 minutes longer, as a matter of fact. No matter, though, this one’s worth every extra minute.
My husband agrees! I’ll definitely be making this again - both in pop form and in a more classic form (I’m already thinking about how great it would be with a chocolate crust). To see how the other DB’ers felt about cheesecake in the form of lollipops, check out the Daring Baker Blogroll.
Cheesecake Pops
(from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor)
5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped - you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate - candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional
Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.
Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 - 2 hours.
When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.
Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.
Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.
(Makes 30 - 40 Pops)








54 responses so far ↓
Kristen // April 27, 2008 at 6:29 pm
I cannot wait to try these! Mmmmmmm! Yours look especially delicious, Michelle!
Aran // April 27, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Love those shots!!!
veron // April 27, 2008 at 7:35 pm
great cheesecake pops and I love the first shot with the black background.
Carrie // April 27, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I love how you did the bite shots. I haven’t seen that on another post yet! Really great job…and the chocolate on chocolate…your killing me!
Carrie
http://fieldsofcake.blogspot.com
Bumblebutton // April 27, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Something about the handful of pops spoke to me! Great photos, and great job!
Deborah // April 27, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Your photos look great - as do your pops! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
JennyBakes // April 27, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I think if I knew these pops were the end result, I would hold off on self-medicating with plain old cheesecake! They just look amazingly decadent.
Barbara // April 27, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Great looking pops. I used chocolate shavings on some of mine too. That was my favorite topping of all that I used.
Chelle // April 27, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Absolutely beautiful shots!!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) // April 27, 2008 at 10:11 pm
That shaved chocolate looks wonderful — I haven’t seen it before but will definitely look for it. Your cheesecake pops look like truffles on a stick — the perfect party food.
JMom // April 27, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I stretched this challenge into a three day project too because of freezer space issues.
Your pops look great!
wildyeastsusan // April 27, 2008 at 11:25 pm
With so many steps I guess there were ample points for procrastination to creep in but I’m glad you made it. The shaved chocolate looks like a marvelous coating!
Melanie // April 27, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I absolutely love the simplicity of the chocolate on chocolate look - LOVE the shaved chocolate. So lovely! (And delicious, too, I agree!)
Kate // April 28, 2008 at 12:00 am
Awww they totally look like little lolly pops!
Barbara // April 28, 2008 at 12:17 am
I wasn’t aware of the shaved chocolate before - I’ll have to check it out. They look delicious!
Susan at StickyGooeyCreamyChewy // April 28, 2008 at 12:43 am
I’m chuckling at your post. I let my pops sit in the fridge for a few days because I was so anxious about taking the “perfect” pictures. I finally had to stop procrastinating this morning and just. do. it.
Yours came out great! Chocolate on chocolate sure works for me!
Rosa // April 28, 2008 at 2:23 am
Your pops look very pretty! Wonderful! You did a great job here…
Cheers,
Rosa
Lucy V // April 28, 2008 at 4:03 am
I love what you did with the chocolate. They look great.
zorra // April 28, 2008 at 4:37 am
I will make it again too, but just as a “normal” cheesecake. Love your pops!
Suzana // April 28, 2008 at 5:06 am
Oh so lovely, Michelle! Beautiful pops!
Kaykat // April 28, 2008 at 5:26 am
Yay! More chocolate-on-chocolate pops! They look delicious
kmorganmoss // April 28, 2008 at 8:16 am
I saw your photo on tastespotting they look delicous. It was a fun challenge wasn’t it!!
Cheryl // April 28, 2008 at 8:43 am
Ooooh, so pretty! I love your pictures!
Katie B. // April 28, 2008 at 9:19 am
Truer words have never been spoken - you can NEVER have enough chocolate!!! Great pops!
Tempered Woman // April 28, 2008 at 10:41 am
hah! Love that last picture. And Taza chocolate is on my to-do-chocolate list that seems to keep growing.
maria~ // April 28, 2008 at 10:45 am
Teehee, I was a big procrastinator on this challenge too! Somehow, I made it in time
Your pops are beauties, by the way!
BitterSweet // April 28, 2008 at 11:05 am
You certainly can’t go wrong with chocolate on top of chocolate- They look great! Good to know that this recipe can sit for a while without harm (except for the missing spoonfuls) if there isn’t time to work with it immediately.
Renae // April 28, 2008 at 11:08 am
Those look GREAT!!!
kimberleyblue // April 28, 2008 at 11:13 am
They look awesome! I kept mine pretty simple too, and just the cheesecake with the chocolate was a decadent enough treat for me.
Fabulous job!
farida // April 28, 2008 at 11:23 am
Michelle, thank you for your lovely comment on my Mr. & Mrs Cheezypops:)) It led me to your blog and your lovely pops! They look adorable and perfectly round. Great job!
I am going to subscribe to you to read more from you. Cheers!
Chez US // April 28, 2008 at 11:25 am
I like the shaved chocolate on them - I agree there is never TOO much chocolate in ones life!
Dayna // April 28, 2008 at 11:47 am
Looks delicious.
Nothing wrong with the 11th hour… more to enjoy when everyone’s pictures get posted.
Yes, I’m realizing this from experience
farida // April 28, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Michelle, thank you for the lovely comment you left on my blog. I came to check out yours and I love it! Your pops look cute. And the pictures are beautiful!
Kevin // April 28, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Those cheesecake pops dipped in chocolate shavings/bits look so good! Mine disappeared quickly as well.
Erin // April 28, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I definitely agree that there is no such thing as too much chocolate! Your cheesecake pops look so pretty! Great job
Marq // April 28, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Oooh, these look absolutely decadent!
Nina // April 28, 2008 at 11:24 pm
The dark chocolate on some more chocolate. I prefer the all grown-up version……yum
Jen // April 28, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I too cut it close, but not as close as you or Peabody
I have to say your cheesecake pops looks absolutely beautiful. What a nice job you did!
Gigi // April 28, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Stunning photos! I am going to have to hunt down some Taza shaved chocolate.
enza // April 29, 2008 at 2:05 am
oh as expected this was a great challenge!
glad to see your creation
Amber // April 29, 2008 at 8:36 am
Beautiful looking cheesecake pops!! Wonderful job.
Gretchen Noelle // April 29, 2008 at 8:45 am
Great job! I love the chocolate shavings. I am absolutely in agreement about the self medicating! Ha!
Deb // April 29, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Fantastic! Lucky co-workers!
Photos are great!
cookworm // April 29, 2008 at 6:45 pm
The shot with your husband is great! Nice job on the challenge!
Dolores // April 29, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Is that the solution to a stressful day at work? I just need a vat of cheesecake in the fridge into which to dunk a spoon? Sounds like the perfect antidote to a meeting-filled morning and harried commute.
Tina // April 29, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I love the idea of the shaved chocolate, gives them a wonderful elegant look to them. I say you got what you needed out of them, a week worth of distressing and wonderful chocolate coating treats
MyKitchenInHalfCups // April 29, 2008 at 10:05 pm
No such thing as too much chocolate - I’ll go for that. Ah, chocolate crust well now that does sound just about right.
Love your chocolate on chocolate!
texana // April 30, 2008 at 8:51 am
I love the pic with hubby–the coating looks so thin and smooth and delicious. Just perfect!
angie // May 1, 2008 at 8:58 am
Really like your über-chocolatey version :)!
Indigo // May 2, 2008 at 5:45 am
Such beautiful photos! And I agree that the more chocolate the better ^__^
Jessica // May 2, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I think it’s great that you kept eating your cheesecake through out the week
It was a pretty tasty cheesecake. Great job!
marion-il en faut peu pour ... // May 4, 2008 at 4:25 pm
great great job, they look fantastically yummy
and apparently your husband thinks the same !
Sheltie Girl // May 8, 2008 at 1:11 pm
You did a wonderful job on your pops!
Natalie @ Gluten a go Go
Angelique // July 5, 2008 at 12:00 am
These look absolutely fabulous. I want to make these for a late night dessert table for my grandmother’s anniversary party. The vow renewals, early dinner, cake cutting, entertainment, etc. start at 2 pm to midnight+. Around 8-8:30 a dessert table will be set out. There will be a chocolate fountain, cupcakes, candies and other goodies.
I would like to modify this recipe using white chocolate with a key lime cheesecake or raspberry filling covered in “red” white chocolate since there will already be plenty of “regular” chocolate on the table. Any suggestions for recipes would be great.
Cheers and thanks.
Angelique
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