September 28, 2020

Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bites

Name: Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bites
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 12 round vanilla wafer cookies; 16 oz cream cheese ((softened)); 3/4 cup sugar; 2 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil; 250 g strawberries ((tops trimmed off)); 250 g sugar; 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

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Do you ever get hit with an idea, and you’re not sure if it’s a “good” idea per se, but you know you absolutely won’t stop until you see the idea realized? That’s kind of how these strawberry basil cheesecake bites came about. I asked Twitter what I should make and cheesecake was a common answer. But, as I explained to my friend, I can’t just do something plain. “Why not add strawberries?” he asked. To which I replied, “If I’m adding strawberries, why not basil?” To which he replied, “What?”

But hear me out: strawberries, basil, and balsamic are a classic combo. They might not be the most common, but the herbal grassiness of the basil and the sharp tang of the balsamic counteract the natural sweetness of the strawberries and make a more complex dessert than, say, a regular cheesecake. So you can see why I chose to jazz it up a bit! If you’re not sold on the idea, you can of course leave out the basil. But I definitely encourage you to be a little adventurous!

Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bites | The Kitchen Gent

Oh yes, I mentioned balsamic. There is balsamic vinegar in the strawberry compote topping, which really shouldn’t be left out! It’s just a hint, nothing overpowering, but it adds a depth to an otherwise overly sweet compote. Acid is added to things like jams, jellies, and compotes to aid in the breaking down of the fruit and setting of the resulting product. Normally you’d use lemon juice, as the floral notes complement the fruit, but here we’re throwing in balsamic vinegar. Just like the brown butter in my chocolate chip cookie recipe, it adds that grown-up je ne sais quoi that you didn’t even know you were missing.

Regardless of whether you choose to add basil or not to your cheesecakes, they are going to require a topping of some sort. Unlike the cool, calm, and collected approach I had you take with my apple pie cheesecake, you can just whip these babies out of the oven and cool them in record time. No gentle propping of the oven door, no cooling for hours on the counter before you date to touch the fridge. Just bring them out and leave them to cool in the tins so they cook a little longer before popping them out to cool on a baking rack. This means that they go from puffy to sunken and cracked real fast, but the little dip this creates is perfect for holding a filling, and the filling hides the cracks. Win-win-win.

I hope you enjoy this strawberry basil cheesecake bites recipe, as it’s a little different from most dessert recipes you’ll find. Whether you’re bold and include the basil, or play it safe and make them plain, you’re sure to come out with a party-pleasing dessert that’s easy to share. Or sneak from the fridge at midnight. Whatever floats your boat. Until next time, here’s to good drinking, great eating, and even better living!