Place the Nilla wafers in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and with a meat tenderizer (or your hands) crush the Nilla wafers until they form crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and pour the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla bean paste. Mix until the Nilla wafers are moistened and the texture resembles wet sand. Set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.

Puree the strawberries until smooth in a blender and transfer to a small bowl.

To a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (a hand mixer and large bowl work here as well), add the cold cream cheese and vanilla bean paste. Mix on medium/high until the mostly smooth, about 45 seconds or so. Add the strawberry puree and mix until incorporated. Stop the mixer and add the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk on low speed until the confectioners’ sugar is mostly mixed with the cream cheese mixture. Increase the speed to high and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes or so.

Add the heavy cream in 3 parts, allowing the heavy cream to thicken each time before each addition. Whip on high until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Transfer the cheesecake filling to a large piping bag fitted with a star or round tip and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Don’t own a piping bag? Don’t sweat it. You can either pour the filling inside a Ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner of the bag, or spoon that situation. We’re easy here.

Grab ten, 4 oz. mini dessert bowls and your Nilla wafer crumbs. Reserve about ¼ cup of the Nilla wafer crumbs and set aside. Line the bottom of each mini dessert bowl with a couple tablespoons of the Nilla wafer crumbs and flatten with either a shot glass or with moistened fingers. Spoon or pipe strawberry cheesecake filling into each dessert bowl and top with Nilla wafer crumbs. Garnish with strawberries if desired.

Makes ten, 4 ounce desserts.