Ingredients
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers (about 30 wafers)3 tablespoons butter, melted1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened1/3 cup sugar2 teaspoons lemon juice1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beatenTOPPING:1 pound pitted canned or frozen tart red cherries1/2 cup sugar1 tablespoon cornstarchRed food coloring, optional
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine crumbs and butter; press gently onto bottoms of 12 foil-lined muffin cups. In another bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Add egg; beat on low speed just until combined. Spoon over crusts.
Bake until centers are almost set, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely.
For topping, drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice in a saucepan; discard remaining juice. To reserved juice, add cherries, sugar, cornstarch and, if desired, food coloring. Bring to a boil; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Cool; spoon over cheesecakes. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours.
