Mini Cherry Cheesecakes

I’ve been making these Mini Cherry Cheesecakes for as long as I can remember. We always had a big gathering of family and friends on Christmas Eve and these became a traditional dessert (in addition to the over-abundance of holiday cookies I would bake). Then, all of a sudden, my recipe wasn’t working out the way it always had. During the baking process, the wafer bottoms would float to the surface of the cheesecake (which they had never done in all the years I made these). I tried using toothpicks to hold them down; but, that didn’t work. My original recipe called for sweetened condensed milk. I figured either the weight of the condensed milk changed; or the vanilla wafers were getting smaller and lighter. To try and resolve the problem, I decided to use a basic cheesecake filling with sugar instead (hoping the sugar would have more weight). That did the trick. Thank goodness, a holiday tradition is not lost! These are ideal for parties, or any large gatherings. They’re just the right size, so there’s no “kiddie” waste.  What I mean by that is, “a child’s eyes are always bigger than their stomach.” They take one bite, then decide they are too full to eat anymore, or they get distracted and just walk away. Not gonna happen with these mini gems, as they are perfectly child-sized. With all the holiday hustle and bustle, sometimes you need to throw together a stress-free, quick and easy dessert for an impromptu event. These are great for that. Good thing the holidays are upon us, because something tells me I’m going to have a craving for these soon.

Before I continue, I need to forewarn you of another problem I experienced recently with this recipe. The mini baking cups that are ideally sized for the vanilla wafers are no longer available through local retailers. You can, however, still get them through restaurant supply outlets. I order them in bulk online now, so that I always have plenty on-hand. Ateco seems to be the only brand left that makes this size (1-3/4 inch diameter x 1 inch):

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, eggs and vanilla. Beat at high speed for 5 minutes. 

Line cupcake pan with recommended (shown above) paper liners. Put one vanilla wafer (flat side down) in bottom of each. 

Spoon about 1 heaping Tablespoon of cheesecake mixture in each cup.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until set and thin cracks appear on top of each cheesecake. Remove from oven. Let cool. They will fall in center, but, don't panic, this is normal. Drop a heaping teaspoon of fruit filling on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MINI CHERRY CHEESECAKES
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 18 to 24* vanilla wafers (depending on what size cupcake liner you use)
• 1 can cherry pie filling (or pie filling flavor of your choice)
• 18 to 24* cupcake liners (if possible, 1-3/4" diameter x 1", which is perfect size. If using larger size, you will only need 18 liners.)

             

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat at high speed for 5 minutes.
2. Line cupcake pan with small paper liners and put 1 wafer in bottom of each. Pour about 1 heaping
    Tablespoon of cheesecake mixture in each cup.
3. Bake at 350° F. for 20 minutes or until set and thin cracks appear on top of each cake. Remove
    from oven and let cool. They will fall in center, but this is normal.
4. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of fruit filling on top and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note:
* If you use recommended small size cupcake liners, this will yield 24 cheesecakes.