Mini Hazelnut crust cheesecakes

So here we go. I'm done ranting about DC morons. I decided to do what makes me happy today. And that is cook, and eat. Only delicious wholesome food. I want cheesecake. So referencing my earlier rant, I will not reach for a box of instant jello cheesecake. Cheesecake is sacred, as you all know. But I wanted to make special. I wanted a little Mary nuance. So here goes.

Preheat the oven to 325 and line a muffin tin with twelve liners. 

Start with some fresh ingredients:

Crust:

Hazelnuts: 1 cup, peeled, and chopped 

2  tbl Swerve

2 tbl melted grass-fed sweet butter

1 tablespoon cocoa

First, please remember that peeling hazelnuts is not easy, nor a perfect science. Sit down, put your feet up cause it's gonna take awhile. They don't all peel, and don't worry about it. We're not after perfection we're after deliciousness. I use a coffee grinder to grind the nuts, by the way. Combine and mash together the above ingredients and mash down flat in the bottom of 12 muffin tin liners. Don't eat it okay? Yes it tastes just like nutella. But don't eat it. You need this with the cheesecake.

Filling:

2 packs 8 oz bars cream cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup swerve

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the Cream Cheese, vanilla and Swerve in a mixing bowl till beautifully smooth. Then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing gently. Don't beat the mixture. When fully blended, pour evenly into muffin cups and bake 25-30 minutes. As with regular cheesecake, let them cool in the oven. When they are, remove and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator. Peel the paper off before serving. It doesn't enhance the flavor or the experience. If you freeze the leftovers you'll have an out of body experience.  Each serving has about 275 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 1 gram of sugar. This is not a low fat food. But enjoy. The chocohazelnut crust is awesome.

Low Carb Grain-free Sugar-free Gluten-free Cheesecake