Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

A delectable addition to standard holiday fare. Recipe from Chefs Catalog. Makes either one nine-inch cheesecake or twelve mini-cheesecakes

Crust:

½ cup gingersnap crumbs

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoon sugar

Filling:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

14 ounces of cream cheese (do not use light cream cheese)

⅓ cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream

1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325°.

Lightly butter the wells of the miniature cheesecake pans.

Crust:

Combine ingredients for crust, mix well, divide among the mini cheesecake pans and press into the bottom. Bake crusts about ten minutes, until set. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling, and lower the oven temperature to 300°.

Filling:

In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a flat paddle and set on low speed, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well. Add the pumpkin mixture and beat well until full mixed, about 1 minute. Pour the batter over the crusts, dividing it evenly among the pans.

Bake until filling is set, 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack, and then refrigerate at least three hours before unmolding.

Before serving, make the cinnamon whipped cream. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon until soft peaks form. Spoon onto cheesecakes, and sprinkle with nutmeg.