Bake your heart away

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

-11/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
-1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
-2 cups softened cream cheese
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-2 large eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/4 cup sour cream
-1 cup fresh strawberries
-2 tosp strawberry jam

Strawberry Compote:
-1 cup fresh strawberries
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp cold water

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and get your cupcake pan ready with liners.

2. Mix up those graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter until they're all cozy together, then press them into the bottom of each cupcake liner like you're giving them a little bed to rest in.

3. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until they're smooth like Sunday morning. Then, one by one, add in the eggs, followed by the vanilla and sour cream.

4. Now for the fun part - gently fold in those fresh strawberries and strawberry jam. Don't go too wild, though, we want them to be evenly distributed but not overly mixed.

5. Fill up each liner with your creamy cheesecake mixture, and pop them in the oven for about 20-22 minutes. You want them to be set but still with a slight jiggle in the center.

6. While those cupcakes are getting all cozy in the oven, let's whip up the strawberry compote. Toss your strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a saucepan and let them hang out until the berries start to break down and get all syrupy.

7. Once the berries are nice and cozy in their sauce, stir in that cornstarch mixture you made earlier and let it all thicken up until it's just right.

8. When the cupcakes are all cool and ready, give them a little crown of that strawberry compote and maybe even pop an extra fresh strawberry on top for good measure.