Mini Cheesecake Tartlets

Makes 8 tartlets

2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
12 tsp. vodka
6 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. unflavored gelatin
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup plus ¼ cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
6 tbsp. whipping cream
3 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries and halved strawberries)

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Mix first 3 ingredients in large bowl until evenly moistened.
2. Divide mixture among eight 4 ½ x ¾-in. tartlet pans with removable bottoms; press over bottoms and up sides. Bake until light brown, about 12 minutes. Cool crusts completely in pans on racks.
3. Mix 8 tsp. vodka and 4 tsp. vanilla extract in small saucepan; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir over very low heat just until dissolved. Cool to barely lukewarm.
4. Combine cream cheese, ½ cup sugar and ½ tsp. vanilla extract in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla beans. Beat in cream, then gelatin mixture.
5. Divide filling among crusts. Press bottoms of pans up releasing tartlets. Arrange tartlets on baking sheet. Chill 3 hours or overnight.
6. Gently stir berries, 4 tsp. vodka, 2 tsp. vanilla extract and ¼ cup sugar in bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Top tartlets with berry mixture.

All menus by Mindy Weiss

Recipes courtesy Peggy Dark/The Kitchen for Exploring Foods, from Fabulous Parties by Mark Held, Richard David and Peggy Dark; Ryland Peters & Small (April 2008). Reproduced with permission