Individual Strawberry Cheesecakes - indulge in super creamy cheesecake, buttery shortbread crust, and sweet summer strawberries that create this shortcake inspired dessert!
Ingredients
2cupsshortbread cookie crumbs, approx. 7 oz. cookies
Optional: whipped cream, mint, or basil leaves to garnish
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Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 325°F. In a food processor*, add shortbread cookies and pulse until they're a fine crumb. Place in a bowl and stir in melted butter. Place 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the crumb mixture in the bottom of 6 8-oz. wide mouth mason jars and pat down to create a crust. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat together room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the cheesecake batter evenly between the jars (approximately 1/2 cup in each jar). Top each jar with the remaining crumbs, gently pat down the crumbs to create the top crust. Place jars in a large roasting pan or baking dish with sides. Add enough hot water to the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the jars to create a water bath for the cheesecakes. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the center is just set. Remove from water bath and cool completely (approximately 1 hour). Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, combine strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Set aside and let strawberries macerate (become soft and release juices) for 15 minutes. Serve on top of cheesecakes, add whipped cream and garnish as desired.
Notes
If you don't have a food processor, you can put the cookies in a large ziplock baggie and roll over them with a rolling pin.
You could also use 8 oz. ramekins - if you use a differently sized ramekin you may need to adjust cooking time.