Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes
Holiday Baking!
Hello and Happy Tuesday!
For as long as I can remember, I have always had a love for cheesecake. During the holiday season my grandma always made “Grandma’s Cherry Dessert.” It was a no-bake cheesecake topped with glossy maraschino cherries and tart cherry syrup.(I plan to turn that into something a little more elevated in the near future).
But, that is where I first fell in love with the tangy, sweet, custardy dessert we all know as cheesecake. And as the years have gone by, I’ve only grown fonder of it.
So with that as my resume, I hope you can trust me when I say that I take my cheesecake very seriously.
This cheesecake recipe uses extra yolks to really create a decadent smooth texture, graham cracker crust to stay traditional and a homemade raspberry syrup to help cut through the riches. It’s the perfect combo and I hope you make this recipe :).
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Total Cook Time: 35-40 Minutes
Cooling/Setting Time: 4-5 Hours
Servings: 12 Muffin Tins
Raspberry Compote Ingredients
6 oz Raspberries
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
Pinch of salt
Cheesecake Ingredients
16 Graham Crackers Squares
3 Tbsp Melted Butter
16 oz. Cream Cheese (2 packages)
2 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Flour
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
Whipped Raspberry Topping Ingredients (Optional but fun!)
2/3 Cup Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tbsp Raspberry Compote
2-3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
How I made it:
For the graham cracker crust:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Crush up the graham cracker cookies and add melted butter. Stir together. You should have a wet sand like consistency. Using a muffin pan with liners, add about 1 Tbsp of the crushed graham cracker in each muffin tin. Press down until its packed in. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the raspberry compote:
In a small sauce pan combine raspberries, sugar, fresh squeezed orange and a pinch of salt. Stirring frequently over medium low heat until raspberries have started to break down. (about 10-15 minutes). Remove from the heat and continue to mash the berries until broken apart. Set aside to cool
For the cheesecakes:
To a large bowl, add cream cheese, sugar, vanilla bean paste, flour and eggs. Beat on medium low speed until creamy and smooth. Using a spatula, fold in the sour cream.
Place mixture in muffin tins, filling about 75% of the way. Add a spoonful of raspberry compote to the top of each cake. Swirl until mixed. Place the muffin tins onto a large tray/sheet pan. Fill the sheet pan with about half an inch of near boiling water. Bake in the oven for 25-30 Minutes or until the center of the cheesecakes registers between 150-155ºF. (a water bath is important for texture!)
Allow to cool on top of the stove or on the counter for about an hour. Place uncovered in the fridge for 4 hours to completely cool.
For the whipped topping:
Add mascarpone, cold heavy cream to a bowl. Whip until peaks appear. Fold in 2-3 Tbsp of powdered sugar and raspberry compote.
For Final Touches:
I served these two ways! Once cooled, I added an extra spoonful of Raspberry Compote to the tops of half of the cheesecakes, to the other half I piped on the whipped topping. Garnish with a raspberry.
Serve and Enjoy!
Gosh these look heavenly! Can’t wait to try them out!