NEVER-FAIL CHEESECAKES

Never-Fail Cheesecakes image

Provided by Joan Shi

Yield Makes 48 small cakes

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 1/2 pints sour cream, at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
Your choice of cherry pie filling, maraschino cherries, pineapple chunks, half an apricot, etc.

Steps:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Cream the cheese (easy to do if it's at room temperature). Add eggs, one at a time, and then beat in 1 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla. Using small muffin tins filled with paper liners, fill the tins to 1/8-inch from the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops begin to crack (if tops have not cracked after baking 30 minutes, remove them from the oven anyway, as they are adequately baked by that time).
While cakes are baking, mix sour cream with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in a bowl.
Remove the cakes from the oven, leaving the oven on, and cool on wire cake racks in tins for 5 minutes, or until the cakes drop. Then cover the tops of the cakes with the sour cream mixture and put them back in oven for 5 more minutes. Remove the cakes from their tins, use a teaspoon to help get them out, and set them on wire racks to cool. Once they have cooled, put the cakes in the refrigerator. Before serving, add topping of your choice.