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A fluffier, more sponge-like version of the classic cheesecake, these mini cheesecakes will literally melt in your mouth.
1. Heat the cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, and ½ cup sugar in a double boiler until soft, then whisk to combine. Remove from the heat.
2. Add the 6 egg yolks, one at a time, and continue whisking until well blended. Sift the flour and add it to the batter. Add the lemon juice and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350º. Using a stick of butter, grease 18 muffin cups.
4. Place a cookie sheet in the oven. Fill it with ½ inch of hot water and close the oven.
5. Beat the egg whites, slowly adding the remaining ½ cup sugar, until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk batter one-third of the whites at a time. Pour the batter into the buttered muffin cups and place them in the cookie sheet with the water.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 300º and bake until the tops of the cheesecakes are golden brown, 25 minutes. Leave the cakes in the oven to cool, oven door closed, for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the cakes from the pans. Drizzle caramel sauce over the cakes and decorate with mint chocolate leaves.
Note: To create the the mint chocolate leaves you’ll need melted chocolate (dark and white), mint leaves, and a small paintbrush. Using the paintbrush, coat the underside of one leaf with a thick layer of chocolate. Drape the leaf, chocolate side up, over a skewer set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with more leaves. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. When the chocolate is set, gently peel the leaf from chocolate.
