Well, it was my last day at the bank Friday.  I used this as another excuse to pawn off my bake goods to coworkers.  I came across this recipe in about 10 of the five thousand blogs to which I’ve become addicted because it was a Daring Bakers Challenge last month(?).  They ended up being quite tasty and very aesthetically pleasing.  

2 – 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pinches of salt
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I did not have heavy cream so I substituted 1½ tablespoons of 2% milk and a teaspoon of butter [melted and then cooled to room temperature]) 
2 bags of melting candy coating
Sprinkles

Bake the cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 325°.  Set some water to boil for the water bath. 

• In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth.  If using a mixer (which I did), mix on low speed.
• Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla and cream.
• Pour the batter into an 8 inch round cake pan coated with cooking spray.  Place the pan on a jelly roll pan and fill the jelly roll pan with the boiling water.  I did use the water bath but I don’t know how necessary it is since it doesn’t matter if the cheesecake crack…
• Bake until the cheesecake is firm in the center and slightly golden on top, about 40 minutes.

Prepare for the pops:
• Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature.  (I was impatient and only let it cool for about 30 minutes and then stuck it in the freezer.)  You are supposed to cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour and a half.
• When the cheesecake is (very) cold and firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2 ounce balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Insert the sticks into each cheesecake ball.
• Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very, very hard, at least 2 hours.  It is important that they are practically frozen otherwise you’re going to lose some of your balls to the melted chocolate [as I did].

Prepare for the candy coating:
• In the microwave or in a double boiler, melt your chocolate or candy coating.  Stir until completely smooth.  I used white chocolate and peanut butter candy coatings from a craft store. 
• Get your cheesecake pops out of the freezer, prepare to speed dip into the melted chocolate if your kitchen is 80 degrees as mine was.  Cover the balls completely.    Right after you dip in the chocolate, dip in your sprinkles, sanding sugar, crushed up candy bars, etc.  
• Place the pop on a clean parchment (wax paper worked) lined baking sheet to set. 
• Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.  I put them in the freezer for about an hour and then individually wrapped them in little lollipop sleeves and tied with a ribbon until I ran out, then I used silver twisty ties.

Quite the photogenic cheesecake, eh?