Samoa Cheesecake Bites

What you need:

For the Crust:

    • 8 oz. shortbread cookies, crushed
    • 2 Tbsp. sugar
    • 4 Tbsp. butter, melted

For the Cheesecake:

    • 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 2/3 cup sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 yolks
    • 2 tsp. vanilla
    • 12 Samoas, roughly chopped (or Keebler Coconut Dream cookies)

For the Topping & Bottom:

    • 1 cup coconut
    • 4 oz. chewy caramels
    • 1 Tbsp. milk
    • Pinch of salt
    • 3 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

    1. For the Crust: Mix cookie crumbs and sugar. Add butter and stir to combine.
    2. Spray a mini cheesecake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide 1 Tbsp. crust mixture into each cup (9 total).
    3. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes; cool. Lower oven temp to 300*.
    4. For the Cheesecake: Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
    5. Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
    6. Stir in cookies. Fill cups with batter.
    7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and crack the oven door; let sit for 15 minutes.
    8. Remove pan from oven and cool to room temperature. Then chill in fridge for 2 hours.
    9. For the Topping & Bottom: Toast coconut in a 300* oven. Watch closely because it will go from toasted to burnt quickly.
    10. Melt caramels with milk and salt in a saucepan.
    11. Add coconut and stir to combine.
    12. Place 2 tsp. coconut-caramel mixture on each cheesecake.
    13. Melt chocolate in a saucepan. Dip each cheesecake bottom into chocolate to coat, then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    14. Drizzle top with remaining chocolate and let set. Chill until serving time.

Recipe from Angie's Sweet Natured Treats