Cheesecake Bites

Here's a dessert I have been dying to make again ever since I made them with the Daring Bakers back in April 2008. This time around, however, I wanted to take it easier on myself and instead of dipping them in chocolate I rolled them in graham cracker crumbs and drizzled them with chocolate sauce. The resulting dessert was literally a cheesecake on a stick. I don't remember much from the last time I made these, but this time I felt horrible ruining the cheesecake by scooping out balls because the cheesecake was, by far, the most beautiful cheesecake I have ever seen or made in my life. It was stunning. The best part about this dessert is that I stuck the bites in the freezer and they are a perfect snack for whenever the sweet tooth pops up. 

Cheesecake Pops
Source: Jill O'Connor's Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey
Makes 20 – 25 Pops

2 8-oz. plus 4 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature

1 cups sugar
1⁄8 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
2.5 large eggs (I scrambled the third egg and just used half of it)
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1⁄8 cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Twenty to twenty-five 8-inch lollipop sticks
~1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 chocolate sauce

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 9-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 roll in graham cracker crumbs. When all balls are rolled, drizzle with chocolate sauce. Refrigerate for another hour or so and then serve and enjoy.