Baked Mini Cheesecakes with Raspberry Coulis

I did not have the internet growing up.  However, now that I have it, I cannot do without it.  You can find the recipe to almost anything on the internet - and the only trouble is that you have to try out a couple before you hit on the one that takes your fancy.  

Summer brings an abundance of berries to the market in Melbourne and I have used berries to counter act the cloying sweetness of cheesecakes.  

I find this particular recipe from Coles / Taste.com.au great because the serving size is not too big - as it is the size of a muffin.  The raspberry coulis which I add to this cheesecake adds another dimension of tangy freshness to the cheesecake which I find is very refreshing.   

Ingredients for cheesecake:

•          250g cream cheese, at room temperature
•          1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
•          1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•          1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•          2 eggs
•          6 or 7 Arnott's Granita biscuits, crushed roughly
•          1 teaspoon butter, melted 
•          Berries and a few mint leaves, to serve
•          Icing sugar, to serve

   Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 6 large muffin pans each with 2 paper cases.

Use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until light and     creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add a teaspoon of melted butter to the biscuit crumbs and mix well. Place about a tablespoon of the biscuit mixture in the base of each muffin case, pressing down firmly. Top with the cream cheese mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly risen and just beginning to crack a little on the surface.

Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes, before placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Top with raspberry coulis and fresh berries and mint leaves.  Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

To make Raspberry Coulis:

Ingredients:

• 350 g fresh raspberries
• 8 tbs caster sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1 tbs lemon juice

Method:   

Place raspberries, caster sugar, water and salt in a saucepan and simmer over heat until sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Transfer mixture to a blender or use a stick mixer and puree until smooth. Using a mesh strainer, strain mixture into a bowl pushing the mixture through. Discard seeds. Transfer bowl of puree to fridge and leave at least 1-2 hours before serving. Coulis can be diluted with lemon juice if too thick. Use fresh or frozen raspberries. If using frozen use 450g and thaw them.