Gluten Free Mini Cheesecakes

On my continuing quest to come up with some simple gluten free desserts for the Holidays this year, I remembered the simple but tasty mini cheesecakes that I have eaten numerous times at parties and buffets.  During a "Sandra Lee" moment of thinking, I decided to combine ready made gluten free cookies and cheesecake filling to make this little dessert, instead of using the normal vanilla wafer on the bottom that the original recipe calls for.  The result was delicious, and it really didn't take much time at all to prepare this yummy gluten free dessert!  

Getting ready for some gluten free Holiday baking!

Recipe
- 2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese or Neufchatel Cheese
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh if you can)
- gluten free cookies, I used a combination of Pamela's Simplebites Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies and their Extreme Chocolate Cookies.  I found them at Whole Foods, but any small gluten free cookie would probably work fine
- 12 cupcake liners
- topping - I used fresh blueberries because I had them on hand
Directions
1. Cream the room temperature cream cheese and sugar together.  Add eggs and lemon juice.
Beat until smooth.
2.  Line a cupcake pan with the liners.  Place the gluten free cookie, flat side down in the bottom
of each liner.
3.  Fill 3/4 full with cream cheese mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees around 20 minutes.   Check them and
test with toothpick to see if it pulls out clean.  You may have to keep them in a little longer depending on your oven.
4.  Allow cheesecakes to cool, then refrigerate.  Before serving you can top them with pie filling if you'd like...or put a berry on top like I did 6 minutes into the baking time.
These cheesecakes can also be frozen.  Also try topping them with a dollop of whipped cream before serving.  Be creative!
   This recipe makes 12 mini cheesecakes.
 

Buddy and Kevin keep a careful eye on this process...

Finished and on to the dessert table!