Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes

 last up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Crust

▢16-18 small gingersnap cookies, crushed (about 1 cup)▢2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted▢½ tablespoon granulated sugar▢¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cheesecake

▢1 ½ blocks (12 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature▢½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar▢½ cup (127 g) eggnog▢1 tablespoon all-purpose flour▢½ teaspoon vanilla extract▢¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg▢¼ teaspoon kosher salt▢1 large egg, room temperature▢whipped topping, optional, for garnish

Instructions

Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 2, 12-cup mini cheesecake pans* with nonstick cooking spray. (This makes a total of 18 mini cheesecakes.)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine crushed gingersnaps, butter, sugar, and nutmeg.

Divide the crust evenly between the prepared cheesecake pan, 1 tablespoon per cheesecake. Firmly press each crust into the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 5 minutes.

Cheesecake

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

In a large bowl using a hand mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until fully incorporated.

Add eggnog, flour, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Mix on medium speed to combine.

Add the egg and mix on low until just combined.

Fill each of the cheesecake cups about ¾ full (about 2 tablespoons of cheesecake mixture each). Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the center is mostly set. (A little jiggle is okay.)

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the mini cheesecakes to cool for 1 hour. Once cool, transfer the pan to the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

Remove the cheesecakes from the pans and serve. Garnish with optional whipped cream.

Notes

*A mini cheesecake pan looks similar to a muffin tin, with a slight difference. It has a removable disc in the bottom and the cheesecakes can easily be popped out when ready to serve. And, the size is perfect for an individualized treat or dessert.

Yes, you could use a muffin tin, or even a mini muffin tin to make these mini cheesecakes. If you do, I would recommend lining the cups with cupcake liners. However, we did not test this recipe in a muffin tin, so you would have toadjust the amounts needed per cup as well as the baking time.