Mini-desserts are an easy easier way to battle the mega-calories that a "big honking cheesecake" in the fridge tempts us with.
Picky-picky husband LOVES all things maple, so I've been searching for a good maple cheesecake recipe for a long time. This one is a mixture of several recipes that I've tried.....combined with my own personal tweaks. Not only is it sweet, smooth-to-the-tongue and maple-y, but they do not sink (or crack) in the middle.....I call that perfection!!!

Recipe makes 10 mini cheesecakes
CRUMB CRUST
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 level tablespoon brown sugar1 tablespoon maple syrup (the real stuff not pancake syrup)
1 tablespoon melted butter1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put the crumbs + pecans + brown sugar into a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs. Stir in the rest of ingredients (by hand).   Put FOIL cupcake liners into a cupcake pan and put a slightly heaping tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each liner and tamp it down. *If you are using paper liners, give them a mini-spritz of cooking spray, but not too much.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1/3 cup REAL maple syrup (room temperature)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract
1 egg (room temperature)(well beaten)
2 level tablespoons flour

Beat the cream cheese + sugar for 2 minutes with electric mixer. After 2 minutes (and while the mixer is still runn...