I mentioned on social media the other day that I was going to start sharing recipes from my Mam\u2019s handwritten cookbook that she left me. I decided to start with our favorite- dessert. We used to make cheesecakes together often, so I thought I\u2019d share this recipe for her Cherry Cheese Tarts. Mini- Cheesecake Cupcakes that would make a perfect summer treat. Kids and adults will both enjoy these portable desserts that are fluffy, light, and sweet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Opening up her recipe book and reading her handwriting feels like she\u2019s right here with me. It\u2019s like I spent an afternoon baking with her again, like I did once a week my entire childhood. I\u2019m so thankful to have this cherished treasure and a lifetime of great memories.<\/p>\n This recipe is a simple one- easily made for an impromptu get together. It\u2019s sweet and delicious, and a crowd pleaser. Who doesn\u2019t love cheesecake?<\/p>\n<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/a>Before you do anything, set out 2 bricks of cream cheese to soften. It has to be nice and soft to make a fluffy and creamy cheesecake.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Fill a muffin pan with liners, and put a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each one. Perfect for tiny toddler hands to help with.<\/p>\n
<\/a>All of the other ingredients are super simple, you probably have them at your house already. Once your cream cheese is softened, you\u2019re going to mix it up with with eggs, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.<\/p>\n
<\/a>And this isn\u2019t in the original recipe, but go ahead and zest some lemon in there too. It adds a nice, fresh zing to your cheesecakes.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Then fill the cups, I used about 2 heaping Tbsps per each muffin cup. They\u2019ll puff up a bit in the oven, so don\u2019t overfill them too much. Then put them in the oven. The original recipe called for 10-20 minutes, but mine took 30. And that seemed like the perfect amount of time for this size of cheesecake.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Once you take them out of the oven, the middle will fall slightly which is perfect for adding your filling. Let them cool COMPLETELY, and then fill them with your cherry pie filling.<\/p>\n
<\/a>I found that 3 cherries and some of the filling was the perfect amount for each cup. I went ahead and zested a little more lemon on top, because I can- but you don\u2019t have to. The whole purpose is that this is simple and tasty.<\/p>\n