Good Things Come in Small Muffin Tins

I like miniature versions of things. We grew up with miniature daschunds, and though my ex-boyfriend used to call them "rats," I still love them. Those mini lip glosses are a staple of my handbag, and, when it comes to desserts, I prefer mini to monster.

For her birthday, my co-worker Wendy wanted a cheesecake (it's a tradition around here that I bake whatever the birthday girl/boy wants for her/his birthday. But the thought of lugging in a gigantic cheesecake to work and knowing that, after everyone had their slice, it would probably become a moldy blob in the refrigerator inspired me to change my approach. I'd miniaturize the cheesecake into bite-sized, single servings. People always eat more and feel less guilt with mini versions, I reasoned.

Graham cracker crust making in mini form

I saw a mini cheesecake recipe on Giada's page on Foodnetwork.com, but gathered from the reader reviews that the recipe wasn't as easy to make as Giada would like to think. Many complained that they could not get the cheesecakes out of the mini muffin tin or that half of the graham cracker crust was left behind in the struggle to remove the cakes. One reader suggested cooling the cakes for 30 minutes (as instructed by Giada) then putting them in the freezer for 15 minutes (instead of a refrigerator as instructed by Giada).

Armed with that information, I set out to make the mini morsels o' cheesecake. I changed a few things in Giada's recipe; no chocolate crust since Wendy gets migraines from chocolate, and instead of an orange zest flavor I went for raspberry. Pressing the graham cracker bits into the muffin tin is very time consuming, but not difficult at all. The filling is incredibly simple. Just cream cheese, ricotta, vanilla, egg and sugar. It blends into a liquid that is easy to pour via a gravy boat or tea pot (pictured below) or anything with a nozzle or narrowed pour spout.

Tea, cheese, or me?

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan

After baking for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, the cheesecakes came out looking firm and delicious. Letting them cool for 30 minutes on the counter and another 15 minutes in the freezer was torture for me, since I was dying to decorate! But, recalling many previous cooking disasters that were a direct result of my impatience, I resisted temptation.

Oh little wonders of cheesy delight!

When the time finally came for me to coax the little cheesecakes out of their mini nests, I whooped with joy and went to work with a slanted butter knife. The little creatures of cheese came out clean and easy. Next I swirled a little raspberry jam on the cakes and topped each with a single raspberry.

Little mini cheesecakes all in a row

The best part about making mini foods? You can try one (or two!) and no one will ever notice. And each is its own little wonder of amazing flavor, texture and taste. I plan to make these again and experiment with different flavor combinations.

Be still my heart: Mini raspberry cheesecake