Mini Rainbow Cheesecakes

My daughter, Lily, is obsessed with rainbows. She asks me all the time when we see a rainbow if we can find the end and see if there is a pot of gold. It makes me smile. Why do we have to grow up? Can't life just be rainbows and cheesecake forever? Tonight we made a birthday cake and put sparklers in it and we all made wishes. None of us actually have a birthday this month, but life's too short not to live a little. We all laughed, made wishes, and ate cake. It doesn't get better than that.

These mini rainbow cheesecakes are ammmmmmazing. A total pain in the butt - no seriously - but they look beautiful and taste amazing. If you make them please send me a picture! And make sure you enjoy today and every day. Xx

Mini Rainbow Cheesecakes

Ingredients
Crust
2 cups crushed graham crackers
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened

Filling
4 8oz packages cream cheese (room temperature)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
1 cup heavy cream (room temperature)
4 large eggs (room temperature)
liquid food colors - red, blue, yellow, green

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place silicone or paper cupcake liners in cupcake pans. 

2. Mix graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Add cubed butter and mix with your fingers until crumbs are pea sized. Divide the crust mixture evenly into your cupcake liners. Press firmly forming an even, flat crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

3. Cut cream cheese into pieces and place in mixing bowl. Whip until smooth (approximately 4-5 minutes). Add sugar and beat until smooth again. Add vanilla, salt, sour cream and heavy cream again beating until smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating briefly between each egg.

4. After the filling is well combined and very smooth, divide evenly into 6 bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl to get the desired colors. Red - 20 drops. Orange - 12 drops yellow & 4 drops red. Yellow - 12 drops. Green - 12 drops. Blue - 12 drops. Violet - 12 drops red & 8 drops blue. (Adjust colors to your personal preference)

5. Starting with the red filling add approximately 1 tbsp directly in the center of each cooled cupcake crust. Continue adding each color by tbsp directly in the center to complete your rainbow. This will create the layers. The cupcakes should be filled to slightly below the top of the liner.

6. Bake at 325° checking for doneness at 25-30 minutes (centers should jiggle slightly). Turn off the oven and crack open the door. Let the cupcakes cool for 1 hour in the oven (this should help them to not crack). Remove from oven, wrap loosely and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

7. Serve chilled.