The next time you wanna impress someone, try mini cheesecakes. They are so easy to make and they look so darn pretty. I love making berries and fruit-based cheesecakes in mini sizes.
Mini raspberry cheesecakes
Preheat the oven at 300°F / 150°C/ Gas Mark 2.Lightly spray a silicone mold pan or removable bottom muffin pan. Alternatively, use cupcake liners in a regular muffin pan.Pro tip – You can use regular cupcake pans to make mini cheesecakes in liners or remove the liners once chilled.
Crust
Crush the Graham cracker in a food processor. Add sugar and the melted butter and stir to combine.Pro tip – You can also place them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.Divide the mixture between 10 to 12 molds or muffin cups. Use a pastry tamper or the back of a 1/4 measure cup to help press the crumbs firmly to the base. Let chill in the fridge while you make the filling.Pro tip – Make sure to press down firmly on the crumbs or the bottom will be a crumbly mess when you unmold later.
Raspberry filling
In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and half the water. Cook on low to medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Use a vegetable masher to mash some of the fruit.Pro tip – Mashing will add a nice thicker consistency to the topping but make sure to leave some raspberries whole.Combine the remaining water with cornstarch. Add it to the raspberries. Continue to cook on low heat until the filling is thick and glossy. Remove and let cool for a while.Pro tip – Cornstarch can settle to the bottom of the water so you must stir it just before adding it to the saucepan.Strain about 1/2 cup of the raspberry filling thru a mesh/sieve to get about ¼ cup of blackberry sauce for the cheesecake batter – set aside. Save the rest to use on the top of the chilled cheesecake in the end.
Cheesecake filling
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the whisk paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and sour cream. Then, add the sugar. Followed by the cornflour and vanilla extract.Pro tip – The cream cheese must be at room temperature. Otherwise, the batter will be lumpy. And if necessary, place a warm bowl on top of the cream cheese to help thaw faster.Add the egg, making sure to incorporate it well.Pro tip – We want the egg to incorporate well but we do not want to incorporate too much air into the batter. Otherwise, the top will crack when baking. So, do not overmix.Save 1/2 cup of cheesecake batter in a separate bowl. Then, divide the remaining batter between the prepared pans over the chilled cookie crumbs.Raspberry swirl – Combine the 1/4 cup strained raspberry sauce and 1/2 cup cheesecake batter until you have a lovely pink. Divide the raspberry swirl batter between the cheesecakes. Use a skewer to swirl the top just enough to create a marbled effect.
Bake and top
Place the muffin tray in a baking pan. Pour about a cup of hot water on the outside of the baking pan.Pro tip – The water will create steam in the oven and prevent the custard-based cheesecake from drying out.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is set but still slightly wobbly. Once baked, remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place in the fridge to cool completely.
Once cooled, remove each cheesecake from the mold onto a serving platter. Top each cheesecake with a tablespoon of the cooled raspberry filling.Pro tip – Do not try to unmold the cheesecake before chilling for at least 4 hours. Otherwise, they will fall apart. Chilling will ensure the crust comes out in one piece.Garnish with fresh or frozen raspberries and mint.Enjoy!
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