Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes
These mini blueberry cheesecakes feature a cinnamon crust and a creamy blueberry filling. Individual servings are topped with whipped cream and blueberry sauce.
Equipment
- Three 4-inch mini springform pans
Ingredients
Cinnamon Crust:
- 75 grams cinnamon graham crackers (5 full wafers)
- 8 grams powdered sugar (1 tablespoon)
- 42 grams unsalted butter (3 tablespoons), melted
Blueberry Puree:
- 166 grams fresh blueberries (1 cup)
- 15 grams fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
- 15 grams water (1 tablespoon)
- 4 grams granulated sugar (1 teaspoon)
Blueberry Cheesecake Filling:
- 450 grams cream cheese (2 8-ounces each packages), room temperature
- 135 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or extract (1 teaspoon)
- 100 grams egg (2 large), room temperature
- 80 grams sour cream (1/3 cup)
- 80 grams blueberry puree (1/3 cup)
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
- 60 grams mascarpone cheese (1/4 cup)
- 240 grams heavy cream (1 cup), cold
- 15 grams powdered sugar (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
Cinnamon Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wrap the outside of three (4-inch) mini springform pans in foil. The foil should cover the bottom and come up the sides of the pan about an inch.
- Add cinnamon graham crackers and powdered sugar to food processor. Pulse until crackers are crumbs.
- Add melted butter and pulse until the butter has been fully incorporated.
- Divide the crumbs between the 4-inch mini springform pans. Using a flat bottomed drinking glass, press the crumbs down firmly and evenly.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges of the crusts are light brown.
- Remove springform pans from oven and cool crusts completely before filling.
Blueberry Puree:
- Add fresh blueberries, fresh lemon juice, water, and granulated sugar to a small saucepan.
- Heat over low heat until the berries soften and begin to release their juices. Remove from heat and cool.
- Add blueberry mix to blender. Puree until smooth. Push mixture through a strainer into a small bowl to ensure smooth puree.
- Cool to room temperat ure before using. Store refrigerated in an airtight container
Blueberry Cheesecake Filling:
- Add softened cream cheese to stand mixer. Beat on medium for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add sugar and fine sea salt to cream cheese. Beat on medium for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add vanilla bean paste and 1 egg to stand mixer. Beat on low for 1 minute to incorporate.
- Add second egg and beat on low for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add sour cream and beat on low for about 30 seconds or until the sour cream is incorporated.
- Add blueberry puree and beat on low for about 30 seconds or until the puree is incorporated.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Divide the cheesecake batter among the 3 mini cheesecake pans, going almost to the top of each pan, but leaving about 1/4-inch at the top for the batter to rise while baking.
- Place the springform pans in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Place the baking pan in the oven and pour enough hot water into the bottom of the baking pan to travel up the foil lined springform pans about 1/2-inch.
- Bake the cheesecakes for 35 to 40 minutes or until the sides are set and the very center of each cheesecake is still a little jiggly.
- Remove the cheesecakes from the oven. Cool in the baking pan for a few minutes and then remove springform pans and place on wire rack. After 30 minutes remove the foil wrapped around each pan and cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the cheesecakes for about 2 hours in the springform pan before releasing and removing the sides of the pan and transferring the cheesecakes from the springform bottoms to serving plates.
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
- Add mascarpone cheese to stand mixer. Using whip attachment, whip mascarpone on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Transfer mascarpone to small bowl using large spatula.
- Add heavy cream to stand mixer. Using whip attachment, whip heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- Add powdered sugar and whip on low long enough to incorporate.
- Add reserved mascarpone cheese to whipped cream. Beat on medium until mascarpone is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Chill until ready to use.