Mini Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecakes

What do you do when you have half a can of leftover pumpkin purée? I decided to make these mini pumpkin cheesecakes. I like plain cheesecake and I like pumpkin pie, but I would not say either one is something that I love. This pumpkin flavored cheesecake however is a recipe that I will make again and again. It has the creaminess of a cheesecake with all that great pumpkin spice flavor plus the added subtle tastes of Bourbon and pecans.

So, in case you are still searching for a Thanksgiving dessert, these mini cheesecakes are an elegant option that can be made ahead of time. Just garnish with whip cream and ground pecans before serving. Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Recipe (adapted from Cooking Light) (makes 12 mini cheesecakes)

For the crust
1 cup Graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbs finely ground pecans
2 Tbs sugar
pinch of salt
2 Tbs melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare the cheesecake pan by coating with a nonstick cooking spray.  Mix together the first four ingredients. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until evenly moist. Press about two tablespoons of the mixture into the bottoms of a mini cheesecake pan. Bake for about 5-8 minutes or until slightly browned. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling
8 oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
7 oz pumpkin
2 eggs
2 Tbs Bourbon
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

Using an electric mixer combine the cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar and mix until completely combined. Add the pumpkin and eggs one at a time until combined. Add in the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the cups evenly and bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. Allow them to cool and then carefully remove each cake from the pan.

For the finish

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs confectioners sugar
1-2 Tbs ground pecans

Whip the cream and sugar to stiff peaks and use a large star tip to pipe the cream onto each cheesecake. Sprinkle some ground pecans over each cheesecake for garnish.

Tagged as: cake, holidays, recipes