Mini Cheesecakes / Individual Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that have always fascinated me - by its awesome taste, smooth and creamy texture and stunning looks. This is one thing I have always wanted to try out and never had the courage thinking it would be complicated. This time I brought all the ingredients and wanted to make a proper cheesecake, but then again I was not sure whether I should really start off with a big cheesecake recipe. Then I came across this Individual cheesecake recipe at Joy of Baking, which said it is a quicker version, the size being smaller reduces the baking time. So I decided to go for this. This version helps serving smaller portions in lesser time with no compromises on the Cheesecake taste.

For the Crust

Graham Cracker Crumbs	- 1 cup
Granulated White Sugar	- 1 tbsp
Salted Butter	- 4 tbsp (Melted)

1. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 12 small pieces of parchment sheet on each cup with the ends hanging out. I buttered the cups before lining each with the parchment paper for the paper to stick in.

2. In a bowl, combine the Graham Cracker Crumbs, with the sugar and melted butter.

3. Press a heaped tablespoon of graham cracker mixture to the bottom of each of the muffin cups lined with parchment paper. I had some extra and so pressed in the mixture to 2 additional ramekins as well.

4. Cover and Refrigerate and proceed to make the filling.

For the Filling

Cream Cheese	- 16 oz (at room temperature)
Granulated White Sugar	- 2/3 cup
Eggs	- 2 large (at room temperature)
Vanilla Extract	- 1 tsp
Sour Cream	- 1/2 cup

1. Beat Cream Cheese in a bowl with an electric mixture on low speed until smooth. Do not over beat the mixture as it will cause cracks in the cheesecake.

2. Add Sugar and beat until combined.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating about 30 seconds.

4. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until incorporated.

5. Remove the crusts from the refrigerator and evenly divide the filling among the crusted cups.

6. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes or until firm but the centers of the cheesecakes still wobble a little.

7. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (a few hours or even overnight).

8. Taking hold of the two strips of parchment paper, carefully lift each cheesecake from the muffin cups. Gently peel off the parchment paper and place on your serving plate.

This recipe makes 12-14 Mini Cheesecakes, as mentioned I had used 2 additional ramekins.

For the Blueberry Sauce

Blueberry	- 5 oz
Sugar	- 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice	- 2 tsp

1. Keep apart a few blueberries for garnish.

2. Blend the remaining blueberries in a mixer.

3. Heat a pan and add the pureed blueberry and sugar.

4. Mix well until it starts to boil.

5. Add the lemon juice and stir in for a minute or two.

6. Turn off the stove and allow the sauce to cool and refrigerate it.

The Cheesecake could be served with the blueberry sauce and the blueberries. The tartness in the blueberry sauce together with the sweet cheesecake and slightly salted crust makes it the perfect dessert! I would say it is definitely a must-try!