Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese (NOT reduced fat or fat free), softened
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 48 Nilla wafers (whole, unbroken)
- 2 broken Nilla wafers
- Flaky sea salt (optional)
Chef notes
Who says cheesecake needs to be complicated? Just three always-in-your-pantry ingredients (maple syrup, Nilla Wafers and cream cheese) come together in an incredibly simple yet sophisticated way. And talk about portion control! One bite is truly decadent and totally satisfying.
Preparation
1.Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in the cream cheese and pinch of salt with ¼ cup of the maple syrup until smooth.
2.Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag with decorative tip or a zippered plastic bag with a small corner snipped.
3.Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper and arrange 16 wafer cookies right side up. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup with 3 tablespoons water and a small pinch of salt. Lightly brush the tops of the cookies on the baking sheet with some of the syrup mixture.
4.Pipe a slightly rounded teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the cookies. Working with one at a time, dip the bottoms of 16 more cookies into the syrup mixture and press onto the cream cheese layer. Brush the tops with more syrup and repeat with another layer of cream cheese. Repeat with the remaining 16 cookies, dipping and brushing them with the syrup. Decoratively pipe the remaining cream cheese on top and sprinkle with the crushed cookie crumbs and flaked sea salt.
5.Cover carefully and refrigerate until the cookies are softened, at least 4 hours or overnight. Transfer to a platter and serve!
