Remember that post I did on some of my recipe fails?? When I started making my own jam for the filling of these mini cheesecakes, I was super close to adding another entry to that list! Everything was going swimmingly until…..I decided to add more cornstarch! My jam wasn’t thickening fast enough and I was in a hurry because I had to bring these babies to my sister-in-law’s house. With just the slightest shake from the box, an avalanche of cornstarch clumps dumped into the hot strawberry slurry. I was left absolutely stunned. Crap crap CRAAAP!! I tried to push the jam through a fine mesh sieve to save it, but no dice. I learned a good lesson: Always measure/sift your cornstarch in advance. Have a little on the side or maybe even mix it with water so you have your thickening agent ready to go just in case you need it! I mean… I already knew that but…I get a little impatient in the kitchen sometimes.
What does one do in a such a desperate situation? QUICK! Time is limited and your strawberry supply has dwindled! Buy a dessert from the store? HELL to the NO! Run to the fridge and pull out some strawberry jam?! YES!! It will totally save your ass. It saved mine.
As I took my first bite to test my improv, I closed my eyes and was instantly beamed onto the steps of my back porch. If I remember correctly, I was wearing a cute sundress from anthropologie paired with flip flops and freshly pedicured toes. I was dipping a buttery graham cracker into a creamy sweet strawberry milkshake and it was hot outside. Yes…these little cheesecakes brought that summery feeling I’ve been so desperate for. I’m sooo over thick winters sweaters and boots right now. Aren’t you? If you wanna go ahead and make your own jam for this recipe, DO IT. You’ll totally get extra credit points…but then I might call you teacher’s pet. BTW! There’s something brown on your nose!
