Last month I joined a food challenge group called The Daring Bakers. Each month, there is a specified dessert recipe and everyone is given guidelines on how they need to follow it and any exceptions. This was my first month participating. The recipe was for cheesecake pops, and you can find this delicious recipe here.

I’ve baked dozens of cheesecake, but let me tell you, none of those cheesecakes came out as wonderful and delicious as this one did. The recipe called for using the water bath method, which means you put the pan of cheesecake into a larger pan filled with water. The water should only come up half way around the cheesecake pan. This creates a steam effect in the oven and the cheesecake won’t be so prone to cracking and drying out. The cake fell in between creamy and dense.

The guidelines stated we could flavor our cheesecake, as long as it stayed a white cheesecake. I decided against using a flavoring and opted to stick with the original cheesecake flavor. It was smooth and tasted delicious. All in all, it was the perfect cheesecake.

I cut my cheesecake into squares and triangles because I thought that might look more visually interesting. The dipping part was surprisingly easy, if not a little messy. Only two pieces of cheesecake fell off their sticks while I was dipping. It was important to make sure the cheesecakes were well-frozen before dipping so that the chocolate would harden fast. The only substitution I had to make during this time was using vegetable oil in place of vegetable shortening for adding to the chocolate. Oil will still help the chocolate harden up and have a glossy look, as long as you don’t use too much oil. I dipped my pops in milk chocolate and/or peanut butter candy coating, then piped stripes of white chocolate.

Let me stop talking now and get to the pictures.

Cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour.

After the eggs, vanilla extract, and cream have been added and it’s nice and smooth, I pour it into my baking dish.

About an hour in the oven, the cheesecake comes out perfect!

I’ve cut the cheesecake into squares and triangles and stuck lollipop sticks in the center of each. In the freezer they go to harden up before dipping!

The cheesecake has been dipped in combinations of chocolate and peanut butter candy coating and striped with white chocolate. Delicious!

Both me and my husband loved these! The chocolate, peanut butter, and white chocolate flavors with the cheesecake were yummy, and the combination of textures was great. I had such a fun time making these and I would love to make them again for a party or special occasion. I’m so thrilled my first Daring Bakers challenge was such a success!