Eggnog cheesecake bars

I live with someone who is obsessed with eggnog. He buys a new carton nearly every time he goes to the grocery store and we currently have two different brands in the fridge. He pours himself a small glass and then shaves over some fresh nutmeg. Now that is a labor of eggnog love!

So when I saw Martha Stewart’s eggnog cheesecake recipe in her holiday issue, I knew that I had to make it. We both are lovers of cheesecake, and I knew this recipe would be wonderful with the brandy and fresh nutmeg mixed in.

This was a wildly successful recipe that I’m so happy to add to my holiday baking list. I cut the squares into bite-sized pieces so I could serve them at a party. One party-goer said she wanted to stand under the mistletoe with it.

Ingredients:

cooking spray

12 graham crackers, finely ground (1.5 c.)

3/4 c. plus 3 T sugar

4 T unsalted butter, melted

1 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

3/4 c. good eggnog (we used the Fresh Market brand)

1 T plus 1 1/2 tsp. flour

1 T plus 1 tsp brandy

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together graham crackers, 3 T sugar, melted butter. Press into bottom of the pan. Bake until crust is just brown around edges, 12-15 min. Let cool.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese on med. until fluffy, 2 min. Add remaining 3/4 c. sugar, eggs, yolk, eggnog, flour, brandy, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Beat until smooth. Pour filling over crust.

Set the dish in a roasting pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake until set, 40-45 min. Remove baking dish to a wire rack to cool 30 min. Refrigerate at least three hours or overnight.

Cut into bars and grate fresh nutmeg over the tops to serve. These keep for five days in the fridge…but I promise they won’t last long. A fool-proof recipe!

Please enjoy, I know that I am! Xoxo