Holiday Party Appetizers: Eggnog Mini Tart

I started making this recipe YEARS ago as a young teen in the local 4-H program. The Eggnog Mini Tarts was originally an eggnog pie. A few years ago I as throwing a party that was all finger foods and no actual meal. I remembered my pie from years ago and decided it would make a great sweet treat for the festivities. But, I also knew it didn't go along with the theme I had planned. So, from Eggnog Pie came Holiday Eggnog Mini Tarts.

HOLIDAY EGGNOG MINI TARTS

67 Vanilla Wafers

¼ cup or ½ stick butter or margarine

2 tablespoon sugar

2 cups premixed eggnog

2 packages (4-servings size) JELL-O Instant Vanilla Pudding and Pie Filling

¾ teaspoon rum extract

1 ½ cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Place 35 of the wafers in a Ziploc bag. With a rolling pin, crush the wafers and then place them in a bowl. Melt 3tablespoons of the butter. Add to the crushed wafers along with the sugar; mix well.

Line a mini muffin tin and spoon in enough mixture to cover the sides and bottom of each tin with a thin layer of the wafer mixture. Press firmly into sides and bottom. Set aside.

Place chocolate and remaining 1 tablespoon butter in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle small amount of chocolate mixture into each tin.

Pour eggnog into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix and rum extract. Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon enough of the pudding mixture into tins to fill cups ALMOST halfway. Crush 16 of the remaining wafers and spoon a small amount into each tin. (Just enough to provide a thin but, noticeable layer) Cover with remaining pudding mixture. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until firm. Crush the remaining wafers and use as a garnish.

Transfer the Eggnog Tarts to a pretty serving tray. You may serve them with liners on or you may remove the liners.

The recipe for Holiday Eggnog Mini Tarts is a very versatile one in which you have some leeway with substitutions. Garnishes are only limited to your taste buds and imaginations. Enjoy.

Substitutions:

Replace eggnog with cold milk and add ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.

Replace rum extract with enough bottled rum to taste.

Replace white chocolate with milk or dark chocolate.

Garnishes:

You can substitute the vanilla wafers with crushed graham crackers, oreo cookies or nutter butters (these give it a VERY good and unique taste). Almost any cookie that strikes your taste buds could be used as a "crust".

Chocolate curls

Chopped or small FRESH fruits (canned not recommended)

Any available holiday sprinkles.