Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

These little cupcake-sized cheesecakes are pretty and delicious. They are the perfect ending to a big meal, along side a cup of hot coffee.

* This recipe will make 16 cupcake-sized cheesecakes

Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

• 1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 2 T Butter, melted
• 1/2 Cup Sugar + 4 T Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 - 8 oz Packages of Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 1/2 t Vanilla
• 1/8 t Cinnamon
• 12 oz Sour Cream
• 16 paper cupcake liners
• 2 cupcake pans
• 1/2 cup Strawberry Preserves, warmed

Preheat oven to 375*. Line cupcake pans with liners. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and 1 T sugar together. Press one tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in each liner. Then, beat 1/2 cup sugar and the cream cheese in a medium size mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon to mixture and beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Divide the cream cheese mixture among the 16 liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops of the cheesecakes have a dull finish on the tops. You do not want the cheesecakes to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream, 3 T sugar, and 1 t vanilla until the sugar is dissolved and the sour cream is smooth. After the cheesecakes are cool, top with about 1 teaspoon of the sour cream mixture. Place the cheesecakes back in the oven and bake at 350* for 5 minutes (the sour cream does a wonderful job of covering up any cracks or imperfections in the cream cheese layer).  Cool completely. Warm preserves in microwave for 30 seconds. This makes the preserves easier to spread thin on top of the cheesecakes. Place a dollop of preserves on top of each cheesecake and spread to coat the top of each. Refrigerate in pans for at least 12 hours.

~ yum!