If you're here for the gift guide, it's just below, over
here. (And we have made over $2000 to donate so far, WHAT? Seriously. Let's try to make it $5000! I am ambitious and charitably greedy.) But I'm posting this recipe by special request, since it turns out never to have migrated over from the old columns! Please stay tuned, because I'm also going to be posting an eggnog bundt cake recipe. #likeagoodjew
Eggnog Cheesecake Squares
Makes 16
Active time: 20 minutes; total time: 1 hour
This is an adaptation of a recipe that was in Martha Stewart
Living. I stole the ginger-snap crust from another old recipe of
mine because ginger snaps are so much, well, snappier than graham crackers, if
you ask me. Also, we substituted Jack Daniels for brandy because it's what we
had.
1 1/2 cups finely smashed ginger snaps (this is a 10-ounce
bag minus ten cookies)
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 a stick of butter, melted
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup eggnog
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon brandy (or Jack Daniels)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
Heat the oven to 350. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with
cooking spray (or butter it). Stir together the ginger snap crumbs, 3
tablespoons of the sugar, and the melted butter. Press this mixture into the
bottom of the pan. Bake 12 minutes and let it cool while you finish with the
rest of the filling.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with the remaining sugar in
a mixer on medium speed until fluffy about 2 minutes. Add beat in the eggs one
at a time, then the yolk, eggnog, flour, liquor, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt;
beat until smooth, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to
make sure there's no lurking cream cheese. Pour the filling over the crust,
then set the pan in a roasting pan, and add enough boiling water to come
halfway up sides of baking pan.
Bake until just set, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan
from water bath and transfer it to a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature,
about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Use a
very sharp knife to cut it into 16 squares, then dust with more nutmeg before
serving.
