Is it worth 10 minutes to make your own personal, fresh-from-the-oven cheesecake? Yes, yes it is.
Cheesecake1
I love anything miniature, but I don’t have the time or patience to make 48 little anything. And a cup of yogurt with graham crackers mixed in a mug does *not* satisfy my craving. I need the real thing sometimes–no substitutes or no-bake nonsense–but I’d rather a full-size cheesecake not sit in my fridge and taunt me for two weeks.

It took some finagling and fraction work, but I finally got it perfect–just one serving of a homemade, New York-style cheesecake. Enjoy!

New York Style Cheesecake
Serving size: One 4-1/2-inch cheesecake
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes

4 graham cracker squares or 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons egg or egg substitute (1 large egg is 4 tablespoons)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 4 1/2-inch springform pan.

2. Crush graham cracker into crumbs. In a small bowl, mix crumbs with 1 tablespoon sugar and all of the butter. Press onto bottom of pan.

3. With a small whisk or hand-held blender, whip cream cheese until smooth, no lumps. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, sour cream, and vanilla, and mix again until smooth. Fold egg in and just mix to combine; avoid over-mixing once you’ve added the egg or your top will crack. Pour batter over crust.

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until center is just starting to set. It should be the lightest of browns on the outside edge and barely set in the middle. Remove from oven and run a knife around the circumference to loosen the cake from the side of the pan to keep it from cracking as it cools. Place pan on cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate cheesecake in pan for 1 to 2 hours, then remove from pan for serving.

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Smaller Serving:
One 3-inch Cheesecake
SmCheeseWant a tiny cheesecake that’s just a few bites? Here’s how to make it in a cupcake liner. You’ll use the same ingredients as above, but in these quantities:

1 graham cracker square or 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (1/3 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon sour cream
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) vanilla
2 teaspoons egg or egg substitute

Use the same instructions as well, layering the ingredients in an ungreased cupcake liner, but bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely before refrigerating for 1 hour. Serve chilled.