I am often mistaken for a cook because of my love for baking. Surprisingly, my knowledge in the kitchen is limited. I am a baker — not a cook! I can manage the basics: pasta, chicken, maybe even stir fry; however that’s about where it ends. Dinner is not my forte but dessert is where I shine the most!

My entire family is in town this week and my mother and sister-in-law are joining forces to prepare dinner. That leaves me to dessert duty. They’re making a spicy Italian soup and I thought creamy cheesecake would be the perfect finish to our gathering. I incorporated fresh blueberries for a light touch to this already rich dessert.

MINI BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKES

YIELD: 24 MINI CHEESECAKES

INGREDIENTS:

1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
11 oz fresh blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix well until combined. Press 1 tbsp of the mixture into the bottom of 24 cupcake tins sprayed with nonstick spray. Place the crusts in the fridge for 5 minutes to set.

Wash the blueberries and set 1/3 cup aside for garish later. Crush the remaining blueberries with a fork and distribute evenly atop the graham cracker crusts.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and the sugar until light and creamy. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Lastly, add in the vanilla. Evenly distribute the batter among the tins and bake for 40 minutes until the center is set and the edges begin to golden.

Turn off the oven, crack the door, and allow the cheesecakes to cool in the oven for one hour.

Transfer the pans to the fridge to completely cool for 4 hours.

Once cool, garnish with the remaining blueberries, and enjoy!