1. Combine water, rice, and salt in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven). Bring to a boil, stir once, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed.
2. Remove rice from the heat, place it in a bowl, and set aside.
3. Add eggnog & milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot. Bring to a very low boil over medium heat, stirring often so the milk doesn’t burn. Lower the heat to medium/medium-low.
4. Add in the cooked rice, and cook over medium/medium-low heat, stirring frequently. If a “skin” forms, just stir it back into the pudding. Simmer until the milk cooks down, and the rice is creamy, about 30 minutes. NOTE: It is especially important to tend to the pudding towards the end of the cooking time. Do not walk away from the stove, or your pudding will burn.
5. Transfer rice pudding to a large bowl, and let cool.
6. For best consistency, chill – covered – overnight (the pudding will thicken as it sits and cools).
7. Serve warm or cold.

1. My Individual Peanut Butter Cheesecakes and Individual Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecakes seemed to be a big hit.
2. I received a package full of goodies from Back to Nature to sample, including a box of Fudge Mint Cookies (thank you, Genevieve!).
3. I received a bunch of Chobani Greek yogurt – an ingredient I always include as a replacement for sour cream in my cheesecake recipes – to enjoy (thanks, Emily!).

I immediately thought of using the Fudge Mint Cookies as a crust for a new individual cheesecake recipe.

Whoever initially brainstormed the idea of combining rich chocolate with fresh peppermint must have been a culinary genius. Just think about how many renowned favorites feature this divine flavor combination: Peppermint Patties, Andes chocolate mints, peppermint hot chocolate, Thin Mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, etc. Classic.

Having never before created a homemade mint-chocolate treat, I was a bit unsure of how much peppermint extract to add to the cheesecake filling mixture. The amount listed in the ingredient list (1 tsp) suited my taste buds perfectly, but you may adjust the measurement accordingly.

If you follow Healthy Food For Living regularly, you are well aware that I tend to use less sugar than is typical in desserts. I especially employ this method when making cheesecakes, as I love the tang of the cream cheese and Greek yogurt and prefer not to mask it with copious amounts of sugar. That being said, I know that most people prefer their desserts to be very sweet, so of course you may add more sugar if you’d like.

The consistency of the cheesecake filling is tough to describe, as I was simultaneously reminded of dense fudge and airy mousse as I sunk my teeth into my first bite. Neither the chocolate nor the peppermint flavor dominates, but rather they beautifully compliment each other. The crisp mint chocolate cookie “crust” provides the perfect textural contrast to the soft cheesecake filling, and also serves to heighten the rich yet refreshing mint-chocolate flavor combination.

These Individual Mint Chocolate Cheesecakes are an easy-to-make, delicious, and not overly-indulgent dessert that are perfect for the holiday season. A light dusting of powdered sugar would be a nice finishing touch, as would an accompanying mug of peppermint hot chocolate.

Ingredients

• 18 chocolate mint cookies (such as Back to Nature)
• 16 oz neufchatel (1/3-less-fat) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup good-quality chocolate chips, (I used semi-sweet), melted and slightly cooled (you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring after each 30 second intervals for about 1 1/2 minutes)
• 2 Tbsp evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar (or up to 1/4 cup)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp pure peppermint extract (start with 1/2 tsp, taste batter, and add more if you’d like… I used the full 1 tsp)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt (such as Chobani)
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper or foil liners. Place 1 cookie in the bottom of each of 18 lined cups.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, (or in large bowl with a handheld mixer), beat the neufchatel and melted chocolate at medium speed until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add in evaporated cane juice and beat until combined. Beat in peppermint extract. Taste batter and add more sugar and/or peppermint extract if desired.
3. Beat in one egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in yogurt and salt.
4. Spoon batter evenly among the 18 lined cups, filling each almost to the top (I like to use an ice cream scoop to keep each cheesecake a uniform size). With the back of a spoon, smooth out the top of each filled cup.
5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until filling is set, 22-24 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, before serving.

*Note: as is common in cheesecakes not baked in a water bath, some of mine cracked during baking. The cracks became less apparent as the cheesecakes cooled and deflated, which is also perfectly normal.

Estimated Nutrition per Serving

• Calories:360 calories
• Total Fat: 24g
• Saturated Fat: About 13g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: Around 80mg
• Sodium: 190mg
• Total Carbohydrates: About 31g
• Dietary Fiber: Around 1g
• Sugars: 24g
• Protein: About 5g

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly coat a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with canola oil cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving ends hanging over the edge of the pan. Parchment paper should stick to the oil-coated pan. Lightly coat parchment with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, briskly whisk together the applesauce, oil, and sugar until well-mixed and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
4. Whisk in the cocoa through vanilla. Whisk in eggs until mixture is smooth.
5. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or spoon.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out mostly clean. It’s okay if a few bits of brownie are clinging to the toothpick.
8. Let rest on a wire rack until completely cooled. Refrigerate for at least two hours for easiest cutting.

Do you prefer cakey or fudgy brownies?

Estimated Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 280 calories
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 11g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 85mg
• Sodium: 110mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 30g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 20g
• Protein: 3g

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup milk with the arrowroot. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cup milk, half-and-half, evaporated cane juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Cook over medium heat, gently whisking occasionally, until the mixture just begins to boil, about 10 minutes. When the mixture reaches the soft boiling point (bubbles are just starting to break the surface), remove from heat, and whisk in the milk & arrowroot mixture. Whisk until the mixture noticeably thickens, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the vanilla extract, maple extract, and spices. Transfer ice cream base to a medium bowl. Chill completely in the refrigerator, about 2-3 hours.
3. Freeze according to ice cream manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an air-tight freezable container and freeze until “ripened” (hardened).