Paula Dean's Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts

What can I say other than, who doesn't love mini cheesecakes?! This recipe is the perfect finger food for parties and pitch-ins and the dessert is just as yummy as it is attractive.

The only suggestions I have for this recipe are:

1. Make a day ahead and allow them to refridgerate for atleast 12 or so hours - the longer these sit in the fridge, the creamier and denser they get, mm!

2. Try doing these with a graham cracker crust instead of the vanilla wafers. I like it either way, but the homemade graham cracker crust puts this over the top and the extra ten minutes really pays off =)

Paula Dean's Cherry Cream Cheese Tarts

Ingredients

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 12 vanilla wafers
• 1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling or other pie filling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of muffin pan. Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1at 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.