Baby Cheesecakes

When you just can't be trusted with a grown-up size cheesecake in the house, you have no alternative than to make four individual baby cheesecakes. Sometimes a whole cheesecake can be a weight around your neck (aka two chins), especially if there aren't enough of you to eat it in one sitting. Single portion cheesecakes to the rescue. That way there's no temptation to go back for another slice. No giant cheesecake to haunt you from the fridge when you return home from the gym. No biscuit based, creamy filled, 20cm dream to call to you in the middle of the night. Nope, once they're gone, it's all over... no evidence, no guilt, perfect.

Baby Cheesecakes
Makes 4

For the Base:
3 digestive biscuits, or shortbread biscuits
20g unslated butter, melted

For the Filling:
170g cream cheese, room temperature
80g golden caster sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

To Garnish:
50g fresh blueberries
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line 4 holes of a muffin tin with paper cases.

Make the Base:
Crush the biscuits to fine crumbs using a food processor or put them into a plastic bag and  bash them to smithereens with a rolling pin.

Put the crumbs into a bowl with the butter and mix to combine. Put a tablespoon of the mixture into the base of each muffin case and press down firmly. I used the base of a glass the same size as the muffin case. Refrigerate the bases while you make the filling.

Make the Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and golden caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla and lemon zest. Spoon the mixture over the bases.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheesecakes are puffed and just starting to colour. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until ready to eat.

Combine the sour cream and brown sugar together in a small bowl.

Remove the cheesecakes from the muffin paper cases. Drizzle with the sweetened sour cream, top each one with a few fresh blueberries and grate over some finely grated lemon zest.