Mocha Cheesecake Squares
For half batch, halve all the ingredients and use an 8-inch square pan.
Servings 24 bars
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (160 grams)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (40 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus an extra pinch
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (170 grams)
- 8 oz package cream cheese, softened (228 grams)
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (420 grams)
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water or use 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2 large eggs
Chocolate Drizzle
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 3 oz good quality dark chocolate (like a Lindt bar)
- 1 teaspoon butter, heavy cream or neutral flavored oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 13x9 inch metal baking pan with Release foil or line with regular foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
- Combine flour, powdered sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in bowl of food processor. Add butter and pulse until coarse and mealy. Alternatively, you may mix dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Press into bottom of pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Rinse out food processor bowl – no need to use soap. Add cream cheese and condensed milk and process until smooth. Add coffee and process; add eggs and process just until eggs are mixed in. Alternatively, you may beat the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until set.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. When cool, transfer to the refrigerator and chill until very cold. Add the drizzle after the bars are chilled, that way you can cut through it while it is soft set.
- Make chocolate drizzle by melting 3 oz of chocolate chips or chocolate with a small amount of fat. If using a high quality chocolate like a Lindt bar, you can get away without adding fat, but the little bit of butter or oil will help keep melted chocolate chips from becoming too brittle when set.
- Drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake squares, then chill for about 15 minutes (check at 10) or just until chocolate is set but still not hard. Remove cheesecake from the pan, place on a cutting board and cut into squares. Put the cut bars back into the pan and return to the refrigerator to let the chocolate set completely.