Mini Turtle Cheesecakes 

Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Bake Time: 20 minutes
• Chill Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes

Ingredients: For the Crust:

• 1 ½ cups finely ground pecans
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

 For the Cheesecake

• 2, 8-ounce cartons cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup maple syrup

For the topping:  

• ½ cup Bake Believe^® Chocolate Flavored Melting Wafers
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
• ¾ cup chopped pecans

Instructions: For the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
2. Combine ground pecans and butter. Divide equally between the 12 cavities. Firmly press mixture into the bottom; Bake for 10 minutes then set aside to cool slightly.

 For the cheesecake:

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and maple syrup; beat with an electric mixture for about 3 minutes, gradually increasing the speed from low to high. Add the eggs and beat until just combined.
2. Transfer batter on top of prepared crust in each cavity. Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

For the topping:

1. While the cheesecake is cooling, combine the chopped pecans and maple syrup in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture reaches 220F. Remove from heat and carefully stir in butter and cream. Let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. And refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until cooled. Transfer cooled topping to cheesecakes.
2. Melt chocolate melting wafers over a double boiler or in a microwave on low power, stirring every 15 to 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Drizzle on top of cheesecakes. Return to refrigerator until ready to serve.