2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies (about 40)
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup Eggnog (recipe follows), room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Cheese (recipe follows)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour. Wrap outside of pan with a double layer of heavy-duty foil.
In a medium bowl, toss together cookie crumbs and melted butter until moistened. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan.
Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gradually add sugar mixture to cream cheese, beating until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. (Do not overbeat.) With mixer on low speed, add Eggnog and vanilla, beating until combined. Pour onto prepared crust in springform pan. Place cheesecake in a roasting pan; fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan.
Bake until edges are set and center slightly jiggles, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven, and leave cheesecake in oven with door cracked for 2 hours. Remove cheesecake from oven and water bath. Run a knife coated with baking spray with flour around edge of cheesecake. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from pan. Pipe with Whipped Cream Cheese. Garnish with cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/eggnog-cheesecake/