Kristina's Mini-Cheesecakes – Kristina Knight

 

The perfect reward after a hard day of work is cheesecake. Don't argue with me, I know I'm right. The thing is, an entire cheesecake isn't good for anyone so I changed the way I make cheesecake – I make them mini with the help of cupcake wrappers.

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Kristina's Mini-Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

1 cup of smashed graham cracker crumbs (buy the crumbs or just toss a packaged of crackers in a plastic bag and use your rolling pin to crumble)

3/4 cup plus 2 TBS sugar, divided

3 TBS melted butter

3 pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup whipping cream

**Toppings - lemon zest + blueberries, strawberries, cherries, a mixture...go to town!

**18 cupcake wrappers

Preparation:

Heat your oven to 325. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, 2 TBS sugar and butter together; press into the bottoms of paper lined muffin pan cups. Next, beat the cream cheese, remaining sugar and vanilla until it's well blended. Then, add eggs and mix on low until well blended. Pour this over the crumb lined cups. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the center is nearly set and then set out to cool. Let it cool completely. Place in the fridge for at least two hours. Once cooled, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form and then spread over the cheesecakes. Top with whatever toppings and serve.

**Note from Kristi: this makes 18 mini-cheesecakes. But who needs to eat 18 cheesecakes all at once, right? So, I like to freeze them once they're made - I place them in an oblong tupperware container and stack, putting wax paper between the layers. They're perfect an afternoon snack. To thaw, just set them out on the counter for 20 or so minutes and badda-bing, top with the lemon zest and the fruit of your choice and enjoy!

The wrong guy might be just right for her. When her celebrity boyfriend of three years dumps her and claims he's now gay, unlucky-in-love author Casey Cash decides to get out of New York. A cruise seems like the perfect escape: everyone onboard will be locked away from television, newspapers and internet gossip pages, allowing her some much needed relaxation. There's only one problem: her oh-so-helpful agent has hired a male escort for her...and a big NYC paper has sent a pesky reporter on-board, vowing to get the dirt. Mason Drury doesn't want to write an expose on Casey, but he's in a bind. After a source flipped on him, he's persona non grata at his newspaper. Celebrity trash or not, this story will put him back on top. Too bad he finds himself breaking the first rule of reporting by getting attached to his subject and letting bias influence his story. Casey's much more interested in sexy Mason than the annoying escort who's bunking in her room. Mason might even have romantic potential if she can shake her well-meaning-but nosey-fans. Oh, and that reporter. She's got to avoid him at all costs...

CONTENT WARNING: A smattering of sass, sex and a heaping happily ever after. A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance

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