Egg Nog Cheesecake

You need:
– half a stick of butter
– 1 package of Trader Joe’s eggnog cookies
– 24 oz. cream cheese (3 packages)
– 4 eggs
– 2 T flour
– 1/2 c. sugar
– 1/2 c. egg nog
– 1 t vanilla extract
– pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Make crust. I used egg nog cookies instead of graham crackers. Combine entire package with 1/4 c. melted butter (1/2 stick). No need to add any sugar, the cookies are sweet enough.

If you don’t have a food processor, a blender works well. (Needs to be quite powerful for cream cheese mixture.)

3. Pack crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased springform pan, pulling the edges up the sides. Chill while you mix the filling.

 4. Mix cream cheese, sugar and flour in a food processor. (I keep my sugar in a jar with dried vanilla pods for more flavor and a heavenly scent.)

 5. Add eggs, egg nog, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined.

6. Pour into prepared crust.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center jiggles when the pan is wiggled.

Another great piece of advice from the joy of baking- slice around the edge of the pan as soon as you take it out of the oven. It prevents the surface from cracking as it cools. I forgot to do this and my cheesecake has a huge crack in it; too big for me to photograph the final! Luckily, an ugly duckling cheesecake still tastes delicious.