Valentine's Day Mini Cheesecakes

My parents have always had a Valentine's Day tradition of surprising my brothers and I with gifts on the kitchen table the morning of Valentine's Day. There was something so special about running down the stairs to find wrapped gifts at each of our places on the kitchen table. Although I live across the country, my sweet mom has kept up the tradition by sending me a gift every Valentine's Day. A couple of years ago she gave me mini heart shaped spring form pans. It gave me the perfect excuse to bake some mini cheesecakes for V-Day yesterday.

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used a food processor)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

3 8oz packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

Stir-In Options (for each 1/4 of batter)

Peanut butter - 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 tablespoon milk (or almond milk)

Chocolate chip - 1/4 chocolate chips

Other options from the recipe that I haven't tried:

Apple pie - 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup warm apple pie filling, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

New York cheesecake - 1/4 cup sour cream and 1 tablespoon flour

S'mores - 3 tablespoons chocolate chips, 1/4 cup mini marshmallows, 1 tablespoon broken graham crackers

Mocha - 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules mixed with 2 teaspoons hot water, 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

In a small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. With a spoon press about 1/3 cup of the mixture onto the bottom of each of four mini spring form pan. 

Bake at 300 degrees for about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing at a low speed until just blended. Pour about 1 cup of the batter into each of the four spring form pans, unless you are planning to do a stir in option.

If you are doing the stir in option pour the batter into 4 separate small bowls. Add in the stir in ingredients, mix well and then pour into the spring form pans.

Bake at 300 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until the centers are almost set. Run a knife or metal spatula around the rims of the pans. Let the cakes cool before removing the rims of the pans. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Enjoy!