Mini Cheesecakes

The smartest thing I did with this recipe was run out and buy many silicone muffin trays. I started making these cheesecakes and after making one tray in my nonstick pans, I knew I was going to be in trouble. I purchased 4 trays. Nearly not enough. I will be getting 4 more and now I am a little obsessed. I need to find square ones. All shapes, all sizes.

This recipe for mini cheesecakes is from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Christmas cookie book. You all know how much I adore this book. With that said, this is not one not one of the better cheesecake recipes that I have made. However, they were still pretty yummy.

I really wanted to top these little bite size treats with her lemon curd that she suggests. I had the perfect morning to make the curd. My kids were playing next door, Mitch was golfing which means my house was quiet and I had no distractions. I did everything the recipe told me to do, yet instinctively, I knew something was weird when the recipe said to cook the mixture to 196 degrees on the thermometer? I knew when the curd was ready, but I was too insecure to follow my gut. I am generally a rule follower, and in this case I followed the rules, much to my chagrin.

Now instead of lemon curd, I have lemon "paste". I will find something to do with it.

Instead of topping these little morsels of joy with lemon curd, I am topping them with the same cranberry yummy stuff I put on our bread pudding (made a fresh batch, of course)!

So not in the mood to type up the recipe. Simply use your favorite cheesecake recipe (as this one was so-so), your favorite crust and top with whatever concoction you see fit(after the cheesecakes are baked and set). Bake for about 10-16 minutes, depending upon your oven.

Don't make these without the silicone muffin trays. By using these trays, they just pop right out! Easy, peasy and clean up was a breeze!