Mini Key Lime Cheesecake Bites

 I helped a good friend of mine prepare a wedding shower for her nephew.

He and his fiance' are to be married on the beach, 

so the shower had a beach theme. 

I wish I had a picture of the decor...she did a fantastic job!

I offered to make one of the desserts, 

and chose these mini cheesecakes. 

After searching the web for a good recipe, 

I decided on one from Pure & Yummy's blog.

I had to leave before the shower began to attend my granddaughters ballet recital, so I wasn't there to find out how well they were liked.

Turns out...my friend said they were a big hit!

Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes

For crust
3/4 cups fine cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh key lime juice (strained from about 1 1/2 lb Key limes) or bottled if you can find it
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk

For topping
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup shredded coconut

 Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. 

This recipe can be made in a mini cheesecake pan or in a muffin pan with or without papers.

 Stir together crumbs and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, divide the crumb mixture into the 12 holes of your mini cheesecake pan (or muffin cups) then press evenly onto bottom of each hole of the pan. Bake crust in middle of oven for 4-5 minutes and cool in pan on a rack.

I doubled my recipe, so I'm thinking I may have needed more butter in the crust. But while baking, the butter and crumbs came together and formed a nice crust. 

Make filling: Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy,

 then beat in sugar.

Add lime juice, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until smooth. 

 Mix in flour and salt at low speed, 

scraping down side as needed, until just until all ingredients are mixed together.

Add eggs all at once and mix just until all ingredients are blended together.

Pour filling onto the crusts in each hole of the pan.
I used papers.

Bake cakes in the middle of the oven until set in center, 

about 25-30 minutes 

(be sure to watch your mini cheesecakes 

as they can over cook since they are small).

Aren't these the cutest papers?
I found them at Wal-Mart in the cake decor section.

While you're little cheesecakes are in the oven,
you have time to make the toasted coconut and allow it to cool.

 Place the shredded coconut in a saute pan and heat over medium heat on the stove until lightly toasted (it is important that you watch it closely as it can burn very quickly).

Check on the cheesecakes....

take them out of the oven when ready...

 Cool completely in pan on a rack. 

(Cake will continue to set as it cools.)

In a medium size bowl, beat cream with sugar,with electric mixer, until stiff peaks form.

Spread or pipe on top of each cheesecake.

I used a cake decorating tip inserted in the cut corner of a zipper bag. 

Fill the bag with whipped cream and squeeze out over top of cheesecakes. 

Place the toasted coconut on top of the whipped cream.

Aren't they just the cutest things ever?