No-Bake Butter Pecan Mini Cheesecakes

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Buttered Pecans

Cheesecakes

10 speculoos (spiced shortcrust biscuit) cookies or pecan shortbread cookies
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup buttered pecans (ingredients listed to left) or store-bought candied pecans, + additional for garnish
1 cup heavy whipping cream, + additional for garnish
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup (about 8 ounces) Wisconsin mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
1/4 cup prepared caramel sauce, + additional for garnish
1 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Buttered Pecans

Melt butter; add corn syrup and rum or vanilla extract; mix. Toss pecans in corn syrup mixture to evenly coat. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Toss pecans in sugar mixture. Spread pecans on parchment-lined nonstick baking sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring pecans every 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on baking sheet.

Cheesecakes

Place cookies, butter and 3/4 cup pecans in bowl of food processor. Pulse to combine until small crumbs form. Divide among 6 small jars or dessert bowls. Set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer using with whisk attachment, whip cream until stiff peaks form, slowly adding sugar during last 30 seconds of whipping.
In another bowl, mix together mascarpone, 1/4 cup caramel sauce, rum extract and vanilla extract. Fold mixture into whipped cream and combine until evenly mixed and no white streaks of whipped cream remain. Divide evenly over cookie crumbs in serving dishes.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Before serving, top with additional whipped cream, caramel sauce and chopped pecans.

Recipe and photo used with permission from: Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin