The mini berry cheesecakes are delicious and scenic sweets perfect for spring and summer. The freshness of the citrus-flavored cream goes very well with the acidity of the berries, a perfect combination that makes these small portions ideal as a dessert.
I don’t particularly love cheesecakes, they quickly tire me, but if they are rich in fruit, then I adore them. A layer of jam and lots of fresh fruit make these creamy treats truly special.
Last week, I prepared four new versions; today, I propose the most classic one. The recipe is very simple: the mini cheesecakes are made with a biscuit base and a cream with ricotta and Philadelphia cheese. After baking and cooling, they are topped with jam and red fruits.
Easy, delicious, fresh, and creamy, the mini cheesecakes can be customized to taste and are truly irresistible.
Also, try other cheesecakes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 16 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Spring, Summer
- Energy 281.54 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 33.27 (g) of which sugars 21.45 (g)
- Proteins 5.79 (g)
- Fat 14.31 (g) of which saturated 5.75 (g)of which unsaturated 3.47 (g)
- Fibers 1.23 (g)
- Sodium 131.40 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 7 oz Digestive cookies (or other cookies as desired)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tbsps powdered sugar
- 12 oz ricotta cheese
- 9 oz cream cheese (like Philadelphia)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 3 tbsps cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
- 1 tsp orange zest (grated)
- 7 oz raspberry jam (or blackberry)
- 1 lb 2 oz berries (mixed fresh)
Tools
- 1 Food processor
- 2 Bowls
- 16 Cupcake liners stiff muffin liners
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Cutting board
Procedure
To bake the mini cheesecakes, I used stiff muffin liners. If you prefer, you can use the muffin pan with regular liners, you’ll need to do 2 batches since it only holds 12.
Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
Place the cookies in the food processor and pulse them into crumbs. Pour them into a bowl, add the powdered sugar, melted butter, and mix.
Put 20 g (about 3/4 oz) of cookie mixture into each muffin liner and press firmly with a small spoon.
Refrigerate the base while you prepare the cream.
Place the ricotta and Philadelphia in a bowl, add the granulated sugar and mix with a fork until smooth and creamy.
Add the cornstarch, then the eggs, one at a time, incorporating the first egg before adding the second.
Stir in the vanilla and citrus zests, and the cream is ready.
Pour 55 g (about 2 oz) into each liner and level with a spoon.
Place the liners on a baking sheet.
Bake the cheesecakes in a preheated fan oven at 330°F (165°C) for about 20 minutes. The center should remain very creamy, it will set in the fridge as it rests.
Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely, then refrigerate for a few hours. If you have time, you can prepare them in the evening and decorate them the next day.
After resting, remove the liners and transfer the mini cheesecakes onto a rectangular tray (if you want a more regular shape, you can use a round cookie cutter to remove the outer ridges left by the liners), place a teaspoon of raspberry or blackberry jam on each and spread it on the surface.
Wash the berries you’ve chosen, gently pat them dry with paper towels, and decorate the cakes to your liking.
The mini berry cheesecakes are ready to serve.
Tips
The mini berry cheesecakes will keep in the fridge for 4/5 days, well-covered.
Store them on the coldest shelf and always check the freshness of the fruit before serving.
If you plan to store them for a few days, I recommend decorating them with fruit just before serving.
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