Eggnog Cheesecake

This cheesecake, though small in size, is big in holiday flavor. The recipe has been a family favorite for generations, and for good reason…it's simply delicious. Great battles have ensued over the last piece of this pie, so you might want to make two just in case.

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 45 minutes, plus cooling time
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Crust
1 cup Graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling
12 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ounce rum (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Topping
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cream sherry (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ingredients for crust until Graham cracker crumbs are completely saturated with butter. Press into a 9-inch pie plate using a fork, until bottom and sides are covered.
2. Bake crust for 8 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, rum and nutmeg with an electric mixer until smooth and satiny. Pour into the pre-baked crust. Return to oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until center of the pie is soft set. It will jiggle slightly in the middle.
4. While pie is baking make the topping. Mix sour cream, sugar and sherry until combined.
5. Remove pie from oven and pour the sour cream mixture evenly over the top, spreading to the edges of the filling. Return pie to the oven and bake for 5 minutes longer.
6. Cool completely, cover lightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Before serving, sprinkle on some additional grated nutmeg.