Halloween is long gone, but that doesn't mean we have to end our love affair with all things pumpkin!
This cheesecake has the right amount of pumpkin flavor for you to get your fix!
This creamy batter poured over the perfect graham cracker pecan crust is sure to please your guests this coming holiday season (or any time of the year)! And to make it even better, they're the perfect portion when baked in a cupcake pan.
*Recipe makes about 16 cups
Ingredients:
For the Crust
10 sheets of graham crackers
1/2 C unsalted melted butter
1/2 C chopped pecans
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp white sugar
For the Cake 2.5 C white granulated sugar 2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature 1 15oz can pumpkin purée 6 large eggs, room temperature 1 tsp of each: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground clove and ground ginger Pinch of salt Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray silicon cupcake pan with non stick baking spray (alternatively you can use butter). If using a metal cupcake pan fill with cupcake liners ans spray with non-stick baking spray.
2. Place whole graham cracker sheets in a large Ziploc bag and begin crushing with a rolling pin. A food processor can also be used for this step.
3. Once graham crackers are fairly crushed, add chopped pecans into bag and crush some more.
4. Add graham cracker/pecan mixture to a mixing bowl along with melted butter, brown and white sugar. Mix well to combine.
5. Scoop 1 tablespoon of crust mixture into each cupcake cavity and press down with the end of a rolling pin or a shot glass and pack down firmly. Place in oven on the center rack and bake for 10 minutes.
6. While crust is baking, add cream cheese in a clean mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until creamy. Add pumpkin purée, and lightly beaten eggs and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and add vanilla extract, spices and a pinch of salt, and mix again. At this point your crust should be done. Take crust out of the oven, lower temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and let cool completely.
7. Once crust is cooled fill each cavity with cheesecake mixture. *Cheesecake does not rise, so each cavity can be filled to the top.
8. Place filled cupcake pans inside a large baking pan and fill pan half way with boiling water. Carefully place in 325 degree heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes turn the oven off and open the door for a few seconds to let some heat out. After a few seconds close the door and let the cheesecake sit in the warm oven for 1 additional hour. Remove cupcake pans from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 1 more hour before refrigerating over night.
8. To remove cheesecakes from pan, gently tug at the sides of pan to loosen the cake, fold the sides down and push cake out from the bottom up. Cheesecake should pop out with ease.
....And that’s it.
Enjoy!
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