The Hearth
Bourbon Berry Cheesecake Cup
HTH-009.1
Bourbon, berries, crunch, and a crisp little shell.

Individual baked cheesecake cups with bourbon-maple blueberries and blackberries, orange, toasted nuts, and a crisp tortilla shell.

Yeild
Servings
4
Prep Time
20
Cook Time
30
Rest Time
15
Ingredients

Tortilla shells
4 small flour tortillas, about 6 inches
1½ tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp sugar
Small pinch salt
Bourbon-maple berries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
3 tbsp bourbon-maple syrup
1 tbsp bourbon
Zest of ½ orange
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Small pinch salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cold water
Cheesecake filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2½ tbsp honey
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract, optional
Zest of ½ orange
Pinch salt
Nut layer
½ cup almonds or mixed nuts with dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1 tbsp bourbon-maple syrup
Pinch salt
Finish
Bourbon-maple syrup, thin drizzle
Fresh orange zest
Hot honey, optional very light drizzle

Methods
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Butter four 6-oz ramekins.
2. Make the berries: combine frozen blueberries, blackberries, bourbon-maple syrup, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat 7–10 minutes, leaving some berries intact. Mix cornstarch with cold water; stir into the berries and cook 1–2 minutes until thick and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Make the nut crunch: toast the chopped nuts in a dry skillet 2–3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp bourbon-maple syrup and a pinch of salt; stir about 1 minute until glazed and sticky. Transfer to a plate to cool.
4. Make the tortilla cups: brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with melted butter, sprinkle the inside with a little sugar and a tiny pinch of salt, and press into the ramekins, allowing natural folds. Bake empty shells 6–8 minutes, until the exposed edges just begin to color. Reduce oven to 350°F.
5. Make the cheesecake filling: beat cream cheese, honey, egg, optional vanilla, orange zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth without whipping in excess air.
6. Assemble each ramekin with about 1 tbsp nut crunch, about 2 tbsp cheesecake filling, about 1½ tbsp berry filling, then another spoonful of cheesecake. Add a smaller spoonful of berries on top and make one or two loose swirls. Scatter with a little more nut crunch.
7. Bake at 350°F for 17–21 minutes, until set around the perimeter with a slight jiggle in the center and the tortilla edges are crisp and browned.
8. Rest 10–15 minutes. Finish with a thin drizzle of bourbon-maple syrup and fresh orange zest. Add an optional very light streak of hot honey.
Equipment
4 6-oz ramekins; small saucepan; skillet; mixing bowl; oven

Notes
Keep the berry mixture thick rather than saucy so the tortilla shell stays crisp. Cinnamon is intentionally omitted; orange, bourbon, maple, and blackberry provide the dominant flavor profile. Use hot honey only as a restrained finishing accent.
