Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the inserts into the bottom of each of the (12) cavities of a mini cheesecake pan, and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Place the gingersnap crumbs and a pinch of salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and stir until the mixture is well combined. Drop 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the mixture into the each of the (12) cavities, and press down firmly with the back of a teaspoon. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.
1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, pinch of salt
Prepare the cheesecake filling:
Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar, egg, Greek yogurt or sour cream, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla, and beat until smooth and well combined. Fill each cavity with the filling as evenly as possible, and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until set but slightly wobbly in the center. Begin checking for doneness after 10 minutes, as oven temperatures vary considerably.
8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then using your finger, push up through the hole in the bottom of each cheesecake and remove each one. Use a knife to loosen the sides if necessary -- I didn't have to. Remove the metal insert if they're easy to remove at this point, and cool completely in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
Assemble the cheesecakes:
Place the cheesecakes on a serving tray. Top each with a dollop of lemon curd, and pipe the whipped cream decoratively over the top of the curd. Garnish with the reserved gingersnap crumbs and enjoy!
1 cup lemon curd, homemade whipped cream
Notes
Lemon cheesecakes and lemon curd can be made in advance and stored in an air tight container and assembled just before serving.
The whipped cream may be made in advance, simply whisk it beforehand. You can also make my stabilized whipped cream if you'd like to pipe it onto the cheesecakes in advance!
Sub the gingersnap cookies with graham crackers or your favorite cookies.
Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.