Pretzel Bottom Berry Cheesecakes

Description

A perfect summer treat for a perfect summer evening! Our friend Brandon came over for a socially distanced backyard BBQ. Of course I had to make him his favorite dessert but I couldn’t justify making an entire cheesecake for 3 people (although we could have probably eaten an embarrassingly large amount). I decided instead to make mini berry cheesecakes! They have a crisp, salty and sweet pretzel crust, a classic cheesecake filling and beautiful homemade strawberry/raspberry sauce on top. Feel free to play around with toppings, use caramel, chocolate sauce, or your favorite fruit. Enjoy!

Recipe

For the crust-
2/3 cups gluten free pretzel crumbs (I used Glutino brand pretzels)
2 T melted butter
1 T sugar

For the cheesecake filling-
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg, room temperature

For the topping-
1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, I used strawberries and raspberries
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons water (if using fresh fruit)

For the crust-
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a standard muffin tin with 10 liners. Spray each liner with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In blender or food processor, pulse pretzels until you have 2/3 cup fine crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, combine pretzel crumbs, melted butter and 1 T granulated sugar.
4. Mix to combine.
5. Firmly press 1 1/2 T of mixture into each liner.
6. Bake at 350° F for 5 minutes.

For the cheesecake filling-
1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. Add sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add egg and mix until just combined.
4. Divide batter equally between the 10 muffin liners.
5. Bake at 350° F for 18 minutes, the centers should be slightly jiggly and not cracked when cheesecakes are done.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 30 minutes.
7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. The cheesecakes will sink a bit in the middle while in the refrigerator (more room for toppings!)

For the topping-
1. Thaw frozen fruit (if using) in microwave.
2. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally to break up the fruit.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator, it will thicken more as it cools.
6. Once cheesecakes and filling are both cool, top each cheesecake with a spoonful of fruit sauce.
7. Enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days.

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