Mini-Cheesecakes

I live in fear of overcooking my baked goods… and I usually shorten the baking time stated in a recipe, especially because I bake on convection. I made these mini-cheesecakes twice because the first time I made them they were undercooked! They were still edible (of course!) and tasty, but not perfect enough to give to my friend for her birthday. 🙂 (We have been eating a lot of cheesecake lately… so glad they are “mini” portion-sized!!) It was difficult to tell that they were undercooked until after they were chilled- I had baked them until they were puffed and set.

For the second batch, I increased the baking time and added two pinches of salt. Thank goodness (…for many reasons… could/should we eat another batch?) they were cooked perfectly. 🙂 They are pure and simple. Perfect to give to my cheesecake-purist friend for her birthday!! …and to bring to Fiesta Friday #11 at the Novice Gardener! This recipe was adapted from Carla Hall of The Chew. She baked them in mini-muffin pans (with 1 teaspoon of crust, baked for 10 minutes) with optional toppings which would be great for a party. A fun touch was to serve them inverted- mine with a fork, my husband’s with a spoon. To each his own! 🙂 Nice!

Yield: Makes 8 mini-cheesecakes

• 4 honey graham crackers
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 6 T  granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 T milk (I used 1 percent)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 pinches of coarse salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (convection)(175 degrees C).
2. Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to crush. Add melted butter and pulse until the butter is evenly distributed.
3. Place liners (I used parchment paper liners) into muffin tins and press 1 1/2 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each. Using the bottom of a glass, compact the crumbs to form a crust.
4. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.
5. Blend in milk, and then mix in the egg, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth.
6. Scoop or pour filling on top of crusts. (I use a cookie scoop.)
7. Bake in preheated oven for 17 minutes, or until puffed, set, and slightly brown on the edges. Cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator until serving.
8. Serve inverted. Can top with berries or chocolate sauce, if desired.

One Year Ago:

•  Apple-Spice Layer Cake

If you like this you may also like:

• Cheesecakes with Raspberry Hearts

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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