Blueberry_Mini_CheesecakesTuesday was an epic day for me. My one and only child turned 21! Just how exactly did that happen so quickly? One of our birthday traditions is making her favorite dessert: cheesecake. My favorite version of cheesecake for Emily always has blueberries, either baked in or as a topping, playing off her nickname, Emily Blue. This year my cheesy blueberry combo included fresh Oregon blueberries, topping mini individual cakes and served in simple white cupcake wrappers. Since this is a traditional dessert in our house, I have had a lot of opportunities to test recipes and this one is by far the most tried and true. It’s a slight variation of a recipe from a book my mom gave me 20 years ago, so it’s a classic. My version substitutes gluten-free flour for wheat flour, though you can use what works best for you. This same recipe will make a full cheesecake by doubling the baking time for both temperatures.

For the party, I used stacked milk glass cake stands to play off the white and glitter gold theme of the evening. Needless to say, the mini cheesecakes were a hit and disappeared in no time.

It seems that the current trend for 21st birthdays here in the U.S. is to wear a crown for the evening. Knowing I would want to make a custom crown for her, Emily requested a fairy crown. But of course! At the end of the post, you will see a sneak peek of the paper-cut crown we made for her (and for me) that we WILL be sharing with you in the next few days, so stay tuned. Enjoy! ~ Lia

Mini_Blueberry_Cheesecake_RecipeMini_Cheesecake-Process Recipe_Mini_CheesecakesBlueberry_Cheesecake_MinisEmilys_Mini_Cheesecakes Cheesecake_Tower_minis Emily21