National Chocolate Wafer Day

Chocolate wafers are definitely not my go-to cookie, I’d take a pecan sandie, snickerdoodle, Polish tea cookie, or even a chocolate chip cookie over a wafer any day.  But they work in this mini-cheesecake recipe.  I couldn’t find plain chocolate wafers so I settled for the cream filled and even with that slight modification, these turned out great!

Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes
Adapted from Grace Parisi, via Food & Wine

Canola oil spray
24 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 – 1/2 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with canola oil spray.  Set aside.
2. In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies.  Add the melted butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a small glass to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the Greek yogurt, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.
4. Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.
5. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread some of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove the cheesecakes from the pan, peel off the foil baking cups, and serve.