What You Need:
Make It:
- Heat oven to 325ºF.
- Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottoms of 24 paper-lined mini muffin cups, adding about 1 tsp. crumb mixture into each cup.
- Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 1 Tbsp. bourbon in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Use a sharp knife to gently split vanilla bean pod lengthwise in half. Scrape seeds into cream cheese mixture; mix well. Add egg; beat on low speed just until blended.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture into prepared muffin cups, adding about 1 Tbsp. batter to each cup.
- Bake 12 to 14 min. or until centers of cheesecakes are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 sec. Stir in remaining bourbon. Drizzle about 1 tsp. caramel sauce over each cheesecake. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Substitute:
Prepare using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese.
Variation:
Omit the bourbon.
Substitute:
Substitute 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract for the vanilla bean seeds.