Pumpkin Cheesecake

Mix, pour, bake—that's all you have to do for this tasty-as-ever pumpkin cheesecake. A great alternative to pumpkin pie, especially for those cheesecake fans out there. Serve topped with whipped cream.It’s full of fall flavors and spices like nutmeg and candied ginger, add in a chocolate pumpkin layer and you have a dessert that begs to be your pumpkin kick off recipe.

Yields 12 2×3 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1-1/4  cups  ginger snaps
• 1/4  cup  sugar
• 1/3  cup  butter, melted

Cheesecake:

• 1  8-ounce package  cream cheese, softened
• 1  cups  sugar
• 2   eggs
• 3/4 cup  canned pumpkin
• 1/2  teaspoon  pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4  nutmeg
• 1/2   teaspoon of candied ginger
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 4 ounces  semisweet chocolate, cut up,
• 1  tablespoons  butter

Bourbon Whip Cream:

• 3/4  cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoon of bourbon
• 1/4    cup caramel sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg for sprinkling

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease pan. Combine In a, combine ginger snap crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl. Stir in the 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan; set aside.
2. Add cream cheese and sugar into a bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, candied ginger, vanilla, and salt to the bowl and beat until combined. Remove 1 cup of the mixture.
3. In a heat proof bowl combine the 6 ounces chocolate and the 1 tablespoons butter and place in an inch of simmering water. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture into the 1 cup pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Gently pour remaining pumpkin mixture over baked chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before releasing.
5. Whip cream until medium peaks form. Fold in bourbon and finish by drizzling caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with nutmeg seasoning.