Blueberry Lemon Cheesecakes

Okay. We all know by now that I still despise cheesecakes, yet I keep making them. I figured out why today. THEY'RE GORGEOUS FOODS. Disgusting, but gorgeous. At least the co-workers like them. A lot. Well, I won't speak to these just yet, but they at least make for a good photo-op.

See?

GORGEOUS!

They look like amazing little edible dalmations! I love the little wrappers that I found. ADORABLE. Add in the fantastic splashes of purple from the blueberries, and it just makes it heavenly to look at. I have absolutely no need to eat them. Can I just preserve them to look pretty? For eternity?

Okay. Onto the recipe before I get myself into trouble rambling.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1/2 c Nilla wafers

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tbsp melted butter

Filling:

3 pkgs cream cheese, softened (8oz each)

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Juice & zest of 3 lemons (I used 2 HUGE ones)

3 eggs

1 heaping cup frozen blueberries, thawed 

68 blueberries for topping (depending on how many yours actually makes, one for each)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325º. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

Combine nilla wafers and cinnamon in a food processor, pulse until fairly fine crumbs. Add melted butter until the consistency of wet sand is achieved. If you want a more lemony flavor in the crust, you can also add a 1/4 tsp of lemon extract as well, or 1/4 tsp of lemon zest.

Cream the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, mix well. Beat in eggs until almost mixed, add blueberries and mix until eggs are finished barely mixing in. DO NOT OVER BEAT. Plus, if you get some of the juice from the thawed blueberries in, it'll make a pretty purple swirl. SCORE.

Place one teaspoon of crust mixture in the bottom of each mini muffin cup liner, press down with your fingers or the back of a spoon (I've been known to do either, they both work equally well for me). Place one tablespoon of filling over each crust. I tried to get 2 blueberries in with the batter in each cup. Place one blueberry on top of each cup.

Bake for 15-20 mins. Mine took 17-18, and my oven's pretty average, so adjust accordingly. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes at least before removing gently to a cooling rack. Cool for another 20-30 minutes then refrigerate (or freeze as my husband prefers).

Wanna see the pretties again? Of course you do. Especially since I only got one picture while I was making them.

GAWGEOUS, dahling. 

I'll be sure to post reviews tomorrow after the co-workers get at them!




**REVIEWS**
Well, the co-workers devoured all 50 or so that I brought with me in a matter of hours. Several people came said they took one or two, but had to come back for more because they were ridiculously delicious!