Mini Cheesecakes Blackberries

Have you been enjoying the amazing desserts this summer? We are in the mood for the mini version of things so we can do more social distancing. I love serving mini desserts when I have guests, so there is less for me to do in terms of cutting and serving.

Why make mini cheesecakes?

These are perfect crowd-pleasers and a lot less hassle when entertaining. At a party, you already have so much to take care of, so slicing and serving a large cheesecake is one less thing to do with these mini cheesecakes. You can even use one cheesecake recipe with many different fruit fillings to give your guests more varieties, as I have done with my raspberry mini cheesecakes and blackberry mini cheesecakes. These baked blueberry cheesecakes have three components. The crust– the rich batter is then poured over a graham cracker crust. Today, I have used cookie crumbs, but you can also use my homemade cheesecake crust. The cheesecake batter—Rich, creamy, and decadent; it is made with full-fat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, and eggs. It is my no-fail vanilla cheesecake batter that can be used in so many variations. The blackberry topping – This takes just five minutes to make, and you can use fresh or frozen blackberries.

Blackberry mini cheesecakes

Preheat the oven to 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 they are 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.

Blackberry Filling

In a saucepan, over medium heat, add the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup 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 blackberries whole. Combine the remaining water with cornstarch. Add it to the blackberries. 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 blackberry filling through a mesh/sieve to get about ¼ cups of blackberry sauce for the cheesecake batter—set aside. Save the rest to use on 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 it thaw faster. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to incorporate each well.Pro tip – We want each egg to be incorporated 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. Add the prepared blackberry sauce we strained earlier to the cheesecake batter and combine well.Pro tip – This will give the cheesecake batter a pink color and blackberry flavor. Alternatively, you can skip the sauce to make white cheesecakes. Divide the batter between the prepared pans over the chilled cookie crumbs. 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 and Top

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is set but still slightly wobbly. Once baked, remove it and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, place it in the fridge to cool completely. Once cooled, remove each cheesecake from the mold and place it on a serving platter. Top each cheesecake with a tablespoon of the cooled blackberry filling. Pro tip – Do not try to unmold the cheesecake before chilling for at least 4 hours; otherwise, it will fall apart. Chilling will also ensure the crust comes out in one piece. Garnish with fresh or frozen blackberries and mint. Enjoy!