MINI-CHEESECAKES

Do you have company coming? Try mini-cheesecakes for dessert. Not only are they cute, but they are almost guaranteed not to crack!! Top them with your favorite fruit or pie filling and they will be a sure hit.
This is an original Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe for cupcake size cheesecakes, but I have these cute little 4" (two piece) tart pans that gave the cheesecakes a special scalloped edge. Directions here are for the cupcake size cheesecakes (my tart pan tweaks are in blue).

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter melted
(3) 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
(1) 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
3 eggs (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 300. Mix the crumbs, sugar and melted butter together (I do this in a plastic bag so I can just throw away the bag...not eco-friendly, but its handy). Divide equally into 24 paper-lined muffin cups (I used my 4" tart pans and it made about 6).

In a large bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese until its nice and fluffy. Gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk until well mixed. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Place about 3 tablespoons of this mixture into each paper-lined cup. I used about ½ cup of filling per tart pan. Bake 20 minutes or until the cheesecake springs back when lightly touched. My tart pans took 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

After the cheesecakes have cooled down, refrigerate them until they are nice and cold. Top with favorite fruit topping and whipped cream.

I topped mine with blueberry topping:

2 cups of fresh blueberries

½ cup of sugar

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place water, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla in saucepan and mix thoroughly. Add blueberries and bring to a boil. This will thicken as it boils. Keep stirring so you don't get lumps from the cornstarch. Serve slightly warm or chilled.