Grasshopper Cheesecake Cups

Yummy note: The inspiration for making my grasshopper cheesecake cups was from looking in my cabinet and seeing that big ole green bottle of alcohol that seems to get touched, except when making the green grasshopper ice cream drink, and a couple of partially opened boxes of minty cookies. So I thought, let's add it to something for a dessert. My recipe is a modified version of this recipe I found here (original recipe was here, Creme de menthe cheesecake) where they do something similar but in a whole pie form. I modified a few things and enjoyed the outcome, so I thought I'd share. It is a rich, yet minty and chocolaty cheesecake cup that is pretty darn yummy.

Grasshopper Cheesecake Cups

Ingredients:

Crust Ingredients:

2-3 cups finely crushed grasshopper or Girl Scout Thin mints

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

4 eggs

3 tablespoons green or white creme de menthe liqueur*

* May Substitute 1 teaspoon peppermint extract plus 6 drops green food color if you want to omit alcohol.

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

Note: Makes about 14-18 cupcake cups.

Heat oven to 325°F. Crush cookies in food processor, until fine crumbs. Pour in butter and pulse until mixed thoroughly. Press onto bottom and partial sides of cupcake wrappers and place in cupcake tins.

Beat the sugar and softened cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy. Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Don't try and overbeat this mixture. Next, stir in liqueur by hand. Next, toss the cup of mini chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon flour until coated, and pour into the cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into mini crusts. Note: I used an ice cream scooper to fill my cupcake liners with the cheesecake mixture. This will help you try and keep the cheesecakes all uniform and close to the same size for consistent baking. Bake in preheated oven and begin to check the cheesecakes at about 30-40 minutes. Continue baking until done, which is around 60 minutes or until firm to touch. The cheesecake cups may be slightly cracked on top. Remove cups from pan, and cool for 1 hour. Put in container and refrigerate at least 2-3 hours. Garnish top of each cup with whipped cream and cookie, if desired. Store refrigerated.