Warm Upside-Down Cheesecakes with Blueberry Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cups cream cheese -- softened

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg

1 cup blueberries -- picked over

1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon

-- water fresh lemon juice to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set rack to middle position.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over moderately high heat, stir in the crumbs, and divide the mixture among four paper lined 1/2 cup muffin tins, patting the mixture to form a crust. Bake

the crusts for 5 minutes and let them cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

In a bowl with an electric mixture beat together the cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, vanilla, almond extract and a pinch of salt until the mixture is combined well, beat in the egg, beating until the batter is combined well, and divide the batter among the tins. (The batter will fill the tins.) Bake cakes for 20 minutes, or until they are set, and let them cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

While cheesecakes are baking, in a small heavy saucepan combine blueberries with the remaining sugar, and water, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer it, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture add it to the blueberries with the lemon juice, and simmer the mixture, stirring for 2 minutes.

Discard the paper liners, invert the cheesecakes onto plates, and spoon the sauce around them.