Eggnog Cheesecake Squares

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.