These adorable mini cheesecakes do not require many ingredients, come in perfect bite sized portions and employ a crust that requires such little work. Friends and family will love the combined flavors of fresh Madagascar Vanilla Beans and chocolate cookies. This dessert tastes perfect with caramel sauce drizzled on top and you’re in luck because we have a great recipe for the sauce that we will post later!
 

Yield:  21 Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients
 

3 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 whole Vanilla Bean
11 chocolate wafer cream filled cookies
Full kettle of water

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2.   Split 11 chocolate wafer cookies open with the point of a steak or pairing knife, scrape cream out from center and discard.
3.  Place foil cupcake wrappers in muffin pan and place one chocolate wafer at the bottom of each each wrapper.
4.  Place cream cheese, cup of sugar and half cup of sour cream in bowl.
5.  Carefully split vanilla bean down center lengthwise with the sharp pointy edge of a pairing knife.
6.  Scrape vanilla bean seeds into large mixing bowl with cream cheese, sour cream, sugar.*
7.  Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat contents of bowl on a medium high speed for twenty seconds.  Turn mixer off and scrape bowl.
8. Mix for twenty seconds again on medium high speed.  Turn mixer off and scrape bowl.
9.  Add first egg on slow speed and turn mixer speed up to medium high until egg is incorporated.  Repeat this process with next two eggs.
10.  Turn mixer off, scrape bowl and beat for an additional twenty seconds on medium high speed.
11.  Allow water in tea kettle to come to a boil over high heat while you fill each cupcake wrapper ⅔ of the way up with cheesecake batter.
12.  Place muffin pan on sheet pan and place on center rack of oven.
13.  Fill sheet tray half way up with boiling water, creating a bain-marie.
14. Bake cheesecakes for 45-55 minutes, until center springs up when lightly touched.  (Use caution when removing sheet try filled with water from oven.)
15.  Allow cheesecakes to cool for at least an hour in the refrigerator before plating up and drizzling with caramel sauce.