Croissant Cup Cheesecakes

Croissant Cups:

• Line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Spray 4 (2” high) food molds or empty cans with cooking spray.
• Preheat oven to 390ºF on the convection bake setting.                      
• Unwrap the dough and roll it into a square 10” wide and 1/4” thick.
• Mark the dough at 2” increments and cut into 5 equal strips.
• Stretch each strip, wrap around prepared cans and place in molds/cans in the prepared pan.
• Use the last strip to roll and stretch over the tops of molds. (This will be the bottom of the croissants.)
• Invert another 8-inch cake pan, cover your cups and allow to proof for 2 hours in a draft-free space.
• After the first hour, cover the croissants with a parchment square and weight down the croissants using the bottom of the other 8-inch cake pan.
• Bake for 5 minutes, with the croissants covered and weighted down.
• Reduce the heat to 330ºF convection for an additional 20 minutes, or until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 200ºF.

Candied Kumquats:

• Slice kumquats very thin and remove any seeds. Place in a heat-safe bowl.
• In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the kumquats.
• Let sit at room temperature to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

No Bake Cheesecake Filling:

• Refrigerate the stand mixer bowl for an hour.
• Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold cream on high speed until stiff peaks appear, about 2 minutes.
• Using a hand mixer, in a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, creme fraiche, Meyer lemon juice and zest, and vanilla bean paste. Beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth. Stir in the kumquats, reserving a few for garnish, and HERSHEY’S Cream Cheese Flavored Chips.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.
• Spread filling into the prepared croissant cups. Use a spatula to smooth down the top or add a decorative piping tip. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Garnish cheesecake with reserved candied kumquats and additional cream cheese chips.