Have Leftover Cheesecake? Make Easy Cheesecake Truffles
Leftover baked goods can be complicated this time of year. An abundance of sweets can be great if you work in a large office that can absorb the overflow, or are entertaining multiple times in close proximity, or have a houseful of guests who are staying for the week who will whittle them down day by day. But if you don’t have these options, then it can be a lot to face down.
Luckily, most baked goods freeze pretty well. Even luckier, sometimes leftover desserts can become more than just a frozen version of themselves. If you have leftover cheesecake, you have two options that will take it totally next level: Cheesecake pops and cheesecake truffles. And in both cases, all you are going to need is chocolate.
Cheesecake pops are nothing new. They're just frozen cheesecake on a stick. But they are a great way to save leftover cheesecake after a party and turn them into an easy frozen treat. Separate out your cheesecake slices on a piece of parchment on a sheet pan and insert a clean popsicle stick into the wide end, deep into the center of the slice and leaving about a two-inch handle on the outside.
Place uncovered in the freezer for abut two to four hours until frozen solid. Melt a complimentary flavor of chocolate in a double boiler and pour into a tall vessel that is wide and deep enough to hold the piece of cheesecake without touching the sides. Take the frozen slices and dip them into the chocolate, letting the excess drip off the point, then return to the parchment-lined sheet pan. If you want to add nuts or sprinkles, add them while the chocolate is still wet. Once all your pops are dipped, return the pan to the freezer until the chocolate is set, and then store in individual ziptop bags. You can eat frozen, or let thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours to soften.
Cheesecake trifles are just turning leftover cheesecake into a filling for fun little bon bons. They could not be simpler to make, just put room temperature leftover cheesecake in a bowl, and mash it into a paste, crust and all. You should get something that holds together when you squeeze some of the mixture in your fist. If your cheesecake was plain flavor, you can mix in anything from nuts to dried fruit or chopped chocolate, just be sure that whatever you add is chopped very fine. Once you have your mixture, roll tablespoons of the paste into balls and then coat in melted chocolate and put on a parchment-lined sheet pan in the fridge until the chocolate is set, then move to an airtight container. Store covered in the fridge for up to a week and serve as an elegant meal-ender or with afternoon coffee or tea.
