Elegant Strawberry Cheesecake Tartlets

Cheesecake and Strawberries! Don’t they just go together like peas and saaaaaay carrots? When I was growing up this was always my restaurant dessert of choice and I simply couldn’t enjoy it without the vibrant red strawberries nestled on top. The only thing better than a slice of cheesecake would probably be my own individual strawberry cheesecake tartlet. Less guilt, right? No really…I prefer tartlets because of the 50/50 or even 60/40 🙂 crust to filling ratio. I’m definitely a crust gal so I want lots of it in each and every delicious bite. Of course, the melt-in-your-mouth, smooth, rich and creamy texture of the filling is a must but when combined with the tasty cinnamon & nutmeg spiced graham crust along with the juicy, sweet strawberries, this tartlet is over the top GREAT! {sorry for the run on guys} Not only are they great, but they make a beautiful presentation and they’re so simple to make!

Let’s get started! Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Crush 12 whole graham cracker sheets either in a food processor or by hand. To save myself from pulling out the food processor, I just simply place the crackers in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Easy-peasy and one less thing to wash when I’m all done!! You could also just use 1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs. Add 1.5 T. sugar, 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. of nutmeg to the crumbs. Melt 6 T. of butter and pour right into the bag with the crumbs and massage well until combined. Pour about 1/3 c. of the crumbs into each of the six 4 inch tartlet (removable bottom) pans and press into the bottom and along the sides until your crusts are even. Place your crusts onto a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Your nose will tell you when they’re ready as well.

While your crusts are baking, beat 8 oz. of room temperature cream cheese with 1/3 c. of granulated sugar at medium speed until nice and creamy. Add 1/2 c. of room temperature sour cream, the zest of one lemon, the seeds from 1/2 inch of vanilla bean, 1 T. of lemon juice and beat well. Now add 1 room temperature egg and beat on low just until the yellow disappears, then add and blend 1 room temperature egg yolk until the yellow disappears. Pour the filling evenly into each tartlet. You should have approximately 1/3 c. of filling in each tartlet. Place them back in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Watch and wait guys…don’t do laundry as these come together quite fast! However, feel free to fill the dishwasher and sweep the kitchen floor while you watch and wait. 🙂 They should be slightly jiggly in the center when done.

Allow the cheesecake tartlets to completely cool before decorating with whole strawberries. Ok, you could make your own glaze with strawberries, cornstarch, lemon juice and the rest of the kit and caboodle OR you can just melt about 1/4 cup of strawberry jelly in a saucepan and brush the strawberries all over with the glaze. I just kept it simple with the latter. 🙂 Remove the bottoms from the rims for an elegant presentation. Now invite a couple of your girlfriends over for a quick, fun and tasty dessert. {Ok…one day, I’ll be less busy and able to really do this. My apologies in advance. Love you Lisa and Toy!} 🙂 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (KJV) Say Grace and enjoy!!

Easy Strawberry Cheescake Tartlets

Felesha Bell

Easy yet elegant strawberry cheesecake tartlets with the perfect cheesecake to graham crust ratio!

5 from 3 votes

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Cook Time 21 minutes mins

Total Time 21 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 whole graham cracker sheets 1.5 cups
• 1.5 T. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 6 T. butter melted
• 8 oz. cream cheese room temperature
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. sour cream room temperature
• zest of one lemon
• 1/2 inch vanilla bean seeded
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 whole egg room temperature
• 1 egg yolk room temperature
• 42 medium strawberries whole
• 1/4 cup strawberry jelly

Instructions

 

• Crush the graham cracker sheets either in a food processor or by hand in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
• Add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to the crumbs and pour butter into the bag with the crumbs Massage well until combined.
• Pour about 1/3 c. of the crumbs into each of the six 4 inch tartlets with removable bottom pans and press into the bottom and along the sides until your crusts are even.
• Place your crusts onto a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes.
• While your crusts are baking, beat cream cheese with sugar at medium speed until creamy . Add sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla bean seeds, lemon juice and beat well.
• Add whole egg and beat on low until the yellow disappears, then add egg yolk until the yellow disappears.
• Pour the filling evenly into each tart. You should have approximately 1/3 c. of filling in each tartlet.
• Place them back in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes. They should be slightly jiggly in the center when done.
• Allow the cheesecake tartlets to completely cool before decorating with whole strawberries.
• Melt strawberry jelly in a saucepan over medium heat and brush the strawberries all over with the glaze. Now remove the bottoms from the rims. Say Grace and enjoy!!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Adapted from momma’s recipe