Raspberry cheesecake bites

I love love love all things cheesecake. Here is a very simple and tasty recipe for raspberry cheesecake bites that can be served up as a delicious mini dessert for any occasion. I picked raspberry because with summer finally here, the berries at the market are amazingly juicy and fresh.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 C sugar
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 C Nila wafer crumbs
• 16 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese (at room temp).. you can use another brand, but I love the taste of this one specifically.
• 2 eggs
• Raspberries
• espresso flavored choc chips (optional)
• Mini cupcake tins

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

2. Cream together room temperature cream cheese and sugar on medium in a mixer. Make sure it gets fluffy.

3. Add in vanilla and one egg at a time while mixing on low.

4. Scrape down side of the bowl then add in the Nila wafer crumbs.

5. Fill the tins 3/4 of the way full with batter and bake for 15 minutes.

6. Allow the cheesecakes to cool for 10 minutes and then top with a raspberry or a drizzle of melted espresso chic chips. (I did the latter only because I thought it would look better on the square bites be a nice contrast with the bright raspberries.)

*Note- if you are using tart raspberries, you can also add a bit of honey or powdered sugar for a little extra sweetness.

7. Put the bites in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Serve cold!