Pumpkin Cheesecake

What you are seeing in the pictures above, is my expeiment on pumpkin cheesecake. A freind asked for it for her birthday, so I thought I’d take a run at it. I researched several different recipes, and then I put what I liked about them in and went for it. This has all the flavors of pumpkin pie, with the slight tang of cheesecake made with a little bit of sour cream. If you like both of those deserts, this is for you!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ground graham crackers – buy them ground up or run whole crackers through the food processor
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 7 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 can pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling, just the pumpkin
• (3) 8 oz. packages of cream cheese – softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 whole eggs
• 8 oz. Sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Bourbon whipped cream (optional but why not??):

• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbs bourbon
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

I have this cool little pan that has 12 cups with a false bottom in them. I found it at Williams Sonoma a while back and I’ve never seen it since. No worries, you can make this as a full size cheesecake, or in muffin tins with cupcake liners. I have a picture of both at the top of this post so you can see the differnce. Either way is delicious! This recipe makes about 24 muffin size cheesecakes.

To make the curst – start by combining the crushed graham crackers, sugar and spices in a mixing bowl. Stir in the melted butter until the consistency of slightly wet sand. Add the liners to your cupcake pan(s). If you only have one muffin pan no big deal. These cook petty fast so you can just put the filing in the fridge until you get the first round completed and cooled. Press 2 tablespoons ito the bottom of your cups and press in with a measureing cup or a small juice glass sprayed with non-stick spray. Set those aside while you make the filling and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Start creaming the cream cheese and the brown sugar together in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer). Once those are incorporated, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg. Let that combine throughly. Add the eggs one at a time. Finally add the vanilla and the sour cream and mix until fully combined.

Fill the pan you are using 2/3 of the way full with the filling. Cupcake size takes about 18-20 minutes. Once they start to dry a little bit at the edge, but are still jiggly in the middle they are done. You really should not see any color on them. Allow them to cool completely in the pan. Cover them with wrap and put the whole pan in the fridge. This will make them easier to get out in one piece.

Note: A full size cheesecake in a springform pan will take 50-60 minutes and will need to be in a ban marie (pan of shallow water).

Toppings – These really are good plain, but why do that?? I like caramel and nuts. Also whipped cream of any kind works. To make the bourbon whipped cream, mix all of the ingredients together until throughly combined. Top with as much as you like!