Pumpkin Cheesecake

I was searching last week a recipe, I don't even know what it was that I was looking for for, but it took me to this food blog, pinchmysalt.com, that had on its front page a wonderful photograph of bite size pumpkin cheesecakes. For two days I went back to that page just to look at the photograph, so when Friday came I decided to make these wonderful looking treats. (I remember now, I was looking at Red Velvet cake recipes) I made one batch and it was way too sweet for my liking so I decided to make another batch, less sweet. Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust

1 c crushed graham crackers

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Filling

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 canned pumpkin

1 egg plus 1 egg white

1/4 c packed brown sugar

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Topping

1 c heavy cream

1/4 c powder (confectioner) sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F

2. Butter small muffin tins, set aside.

3. In a bowl mix all the ingredient for the crust and scoop 1 tbsp of the crust into the bottom of the small muffin tins. Press the crust with you fingers so as to have a smooth even surface.

4. In a large bowl, cream together well the cream cheese and the canned pumpkin. Once it is well incorporated, add the eggs and the brown sugar, mix well. Add the maple syrup and the spices.

Mix well.

5. With an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into each muffin tin 2/3 of the way.

6. place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. Remove from oven place in a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Afterward let the cheesecake set for 1 hour to overnight in the refrigerator.

7. Slowly remove the cheesecake from the tin.

8.For the topping, use a electric mixer to whip together the heavy cream , powder sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until you have soft stable peaks. Scoop a generous heap of topping on each mini cheesecakes.

9. Serve while still chilled and enjoy.