I'm not sure how June got away from me so quickly this year, but believe it or not, it's time to start thinking about Fourth of July plans!
July 4th is one of my favorite (non-gift giving of course) holidays. There's nothing better than spending a long day at the beach with friends, enjoying some cold beverages, cooking out, and ending the day with fireworks.
These individual cheesecakes are the perfect patriotic treat after a long day in the sun. They could't be easier to whip up, and would also be easy to transport to your picnic or bbq.
Ingredients (12 individual cheesecakes):
* 5 whole graham crackers
* 2 tbsp. butter, melted
* 1/4 c. greek yogurt (or sour cream)
* 1 (8oz) block cream cheese, at room temperature
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1 tsp. lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
* 2 tsp. sugar
Topping:
*3/4 c. strawberries, chopped
* 1/2 c. blueberries
* 1.5 tsp. sugar
Preheat oven to 325. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Pulse the graham crackers in a blender or food processor until you have small crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in melted butter, until all the crumbs are evenly coated. For each cheesecake, spoon about a tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs into the liners. Use the bottom of a shot glass to press the crumbs down. Bake the crusts for 5 minutes, then set on a rack to cool.
While the crusts are cooling, prepare the filling by combining yogurt, cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and sugar in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixture until smooth. Divide evenly throughout the pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheesecakes are just set. Cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours. For the topping, combine blueberries, strawberries, and sugar in a bowl. Top the cheesecakes with fruit when ready to serve. Enjoy!