Oh, hello there! Fancy a little something sweet? These mini lemon and blueberry cheesecakes are just the ticket. They’re ever so easy to whip up and look absolutely beautiful, perfect for a garden party or just a quiet afternoon with a nice cuppa. They have a lovely, sharp lemon flavour that cuts through the creamy filling, and the little pops of blueberry are simply divine. Let's get cracking, shall we?
Makes: 12 little cheesecakes Prep time: 20 minutes Chilling time: At least 3 hours (or overnight) Baking time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients
For the Biscuit Base:
150g digestive biscuits
50g unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling:
300g full-fat cream cheese (the block kind, not the soft tub, you want it to set properly!)
75g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
150g fresh or frozen blueberries
For the Topping (optional but lovely!):
A little lemon curd
A few extra fresh blueberries
A dusting of icing sugar
Method
Right then, preheat your oven to a moderate 170°C (150°C fan). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cupcake cases. You'll want to use the stiff, freestanding ones if you have them, they hold the shape beautifully.
Let's do the base. Pop your digestive biscuits into a bag and give them a good bash with a rolling pin until they're just crumbs. Tip them into a bowl and pour over the melted butter. Give it a good stir until it all looks like wet sand. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each paper case and press it down firmly with the back of a spoon.
Now for the filling. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and the caster sugar together with an electric whisk until it's smooth and has no lumps. Don’t over-mix it!
Add the egg, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk again, just until everything is combined. We're aiming for a lovely, smooth mixture, not an airy one, so don't get too carried away.
Gently fold in the blueberries with a spoon. You want them to be evenly distributed but try not to mash them all up.
Spoon the filling equally into each of the 12 cases, right on top of the biscuit base. Pop the whole tin into the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes. They're done when they’re set around the edges but still have a slight wobble in the middle. Don’t worry, that means they’ll be perfectly creamy!
Once they're out, let them cool down completely in the tin on a wire rack. This is a very important step. Then, transfer the whole tin to the fridge and chill them for at least three hours, but preferably overnight. This is what makes them firm up and taste so much better.
When you're ready to serve, you can dollop a little bit of lemon curd on top of each one, scatter over a few more fresh blueberries, or simply give them a little dusting of icing sugar for a pretty finish.
Enjoy, my dear! They're absolutely delicious.
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