Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts

These mini-cheesecakes are a wonderful alternative to bustin' your hump for hours, and you still get to enjoy that delicious, light, cream cheese flavor and the fruit topping of your choice. People always remark about how good they taste!

I recommend that you share them with friends, family and neighbors to avoid that "oh-my-god-I-just-ate-12-mini-cheesecakes" feeling.

TIPS/USEFUL INFO:
Instead of spooning the cream cheese mixture over the vanilla wafers, I pour mine into a large ziptop bag, close it, and cut off a corner for a quick piping bag. Much, much easier!

When you first pull your tarts out of the oven, they will be these gorgeous rounded top muffins.


But before you know it, they will be cooled...and sunken. Don't Panic.
This is supposed to happen. Place your fruit topping in the indentation, it fits perfectly!


Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts - AKA Blueberry
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (they MUST be softened...can't skip this step)
1 cup sugar (white, granulated)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 vanilla wafers
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling or other pie filling

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pan. Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lay a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with cherry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.