Minnesota - Murder, Mayhem and Munchies?

Minnesota on my mind...OK, so the real song is about Georgia, but we just got back from Minnesota, so Minnesota it is! ;-)

While in Minnesota, we were visiting Chris & Steph (our bro & sis-in-law) and their two girls, Aimée and Olivia. (We'll be posting pictures soon. You can visit Steph's blog by clicking here.)

Steph was interested in a recipe for mini cheesecakes (there are the "munchies") that we'd found in a Minnesota murder mystery (there are the "murder and mayhem"). The book's title? Why, Cherry Cheesecake Murder, of course. But don't worry, no cheesecakes were harmed in the writing of this post.

The recipe comes from the Hannah Swensen mystery series that we've mentioned before on the blog, by Joanne Fluke. Hannah is a 30-something cookie bakery owner in small-town (you guessed it) Minnesota. The books are a light, fun read in the "cosy" mystery genre, perfect fare for curling up with a cup of coffee or tea and some goodies.

Without further ado, here is the easy-cheesy, yummy recipe, for Steph and all the other cheesecake aficionados out there.

Mini Cheesecakes

Preheat oven to 350, rack in middle.

Ingredients: 

• 2 x 8-oz pkgs softened cream cheese (room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 24 vanilla wafer cookies
• 24 cupcake papers
• 1 can pie filling, any kind

Instructions: 

1. Line muffin pans with papers. Put one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each, flat side down. Meanwhile, chill the unopened can of pie filling.
2. Mix softened cream cheese with sugar until thoroughly blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy.
3. Spoon batter into muffin tins, dividing it as equally as you can. When you’re through, each paper should be between half and 2/3 full – they will look a bit empty but will rise in the oven.
4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min, or until top has set and has a satin finish. If the centre sinks a bit, it’s OK, as the topping will cover it.
5. Cool mini cheesecakes in pans on wire racks.When cheesecakes are cool, open can of pie filling and spoon some onto each cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving; overnight is even better.

These mini cheesecakes are a great alternative to making one large, baked cheesecake. They're less finicky to make, there is no messy cutting involved, and the portions are just right for dessert or snack time.