Miniature Lemon Cheesecakes

Mini Cheesecakes are a great little dessert perfect for New Year's Resolution portion control! These diminuative cheesecakes are creamy and satisfying in a small package! My friend Bonnie has been making them for years and gladly shared the recipe.
Lemon Cheesecake Muffins
Crust
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 3/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers (For Grahams, that is one whole sleeve of the crackers plus 3 whole crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
Batter
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 large eggs
Glaze
1/2 cup sour cream
1 T sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter for crust over low heat or in the microwave. Combine butter and crumbs and sugar. Press into 24 muffin tins. With mixer, combine cream cheese and sugar. Add lemon juice. Add eggs. Do not overmix. Pour into crusts and bake 12 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Remove muffin tins from oven and let sit for 2 minutes. Put on glaze. Return to oven for 2 minutes. Chill before serving. Makes 24 muffin sized cheesecakes or 48 mini-muffin sized cheesecakes.
Step 1: Mix together the grahams, sugar and butter. Actually, the butter is on the way from the microwave.
Step 2: If you are using regular sized muffin tins, then you will press one tablespoon full of the graham mixture in the bottom and slightly up the sides of the tin. If you are opting for the mini muffin tins, then you will use 1/2 tablespoon.
I call this next photo "Sunrise over the Grahams."
At this point, I'm sure you're wondering, "How did she ever get those grahams pressed so perfectly into the pans?" Well, I feel that I must share my secret kitchen wonder gadget that no home should ever be without. It's the Kermit the Frog plastic spoon! He is graham-pressing perfection. 
Great Job! He gives it a webbed thumbs up! You, too, can have this wonderful kitchen utensil by going to your local grocery store and looking in the plastic spoon aisle.
Step 3: Mix together the cream cheese and sugar. 
Step 4: Add the lemon juice. I used a fresh lemon and then used the zest for garnish.
Step 5: Add the eggs, one at a time, and you will have a nice creamy filling.

Step 6: Use 2 tablespoons of filling for the regular sized muffin tins and 1 tablespoon for the mini muffins. 
After I brush away the crumbs, it will be ready for the oven. Bake for 12 minutes for regular size and 10 minutes for mini size. Remove from the oven. Wait two minutes. Add the glaze and return to the oven for 2 additional minutes.
Calories? I used full fat cream cheese, sour cream, and grahams so the calorie count would probably be less if you use reduced fat items, but the count is...88 calories for a mini cheesecake and 175 for a regular size cheesecake.
Good luck on your New Year's Resolution diets. Hope these help to satisfy your cravings!





These look delicious!! I'll have to try making these. If you ever need a taste tester, I'm available
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