Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

My oldest daughter Callie, is on the competition dance team at her high school. Every year the team gets together at someones home and celebrates Thanksgiving.  This team of 11 sweet girls is very much like a family so it's only fitting that they celebrate together and share what they are thankful for.  Each girl brings a dish and the hosting family makes the turkey, stuffing and gravy.  My sweet friend Regina hosted this year and did a fabulous job.  Callie brought mini pumpkin cheesecakes with cinnamon whipped cream topping.  I sent some in to work today with my husband, because we all know what will happen if there are cute little cheesecakes sitting in the fridge.  Every doggone time I open the fridge the little suckers seductively call my name.  So...they had to go bye, bye! A few people have asked for the recipe today so I thought it would be just as fast to share it here.  It's a combination of a few different recipes that I've altered.  Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Yields 18  (I doubled this recipe because, well...why not?!)

Ingredients

18 paper cupcake liners
18 oreo cookies  (you can use gingersnaps too! YUM! or make your own graham cracker crust which is probably my favorite but the oreos are a pleasant surprise)
12 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves

(OR just eyeball a teaspoon or so of "pumpkin pie spice" instead of those spices)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned, puréed pumpkin
1/3 cup light corn syrup

1. Line 18 muffin wells with papers. Place one oreo cookie, into the bottom of each. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 325˚F.

3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, corn starch and pumpkin pie spice with an electric mixer. Add eggs and mix well. Add pumpkin and corn syrup; beat 1 minute.

4. Pour filling into liners, dividing evenly. I use the large scoop from Pampered Chef, perfect size! Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until just set.  If you have a convection oven only cook them about 18 minutes.  As when making most cheesecakes, I put an ovenproof bowl of water in the oven with the cakes while they are baking.  This adds humidity to the baking and will keep the cheesecakes more moist and sometimes prevents cracking.

5. Chill for 1 hour. Garnish as desired. (I used stabilized cinnamon whipped cream).

ENJOY!!!

Stabilized Whipped Cream

This makes a LOT but it's so yummy in coffee too!  You can easily half it and use a pint of cream.

1 Quart of Heavy Whipping Cream

2 T Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 T Vanilla Extract

2/3 Cup Powdered Sugar

On low, beat all ingredients until mixed. Scrape bowl. Mix on high until nice and stiff but don't over beat.         

Use immediately if possible but will stay stiff for a while.  Can be used as a frosting as well.  I added about 1/4 t of cinnamon to the batch for the cheesecakes and then garnished with a sprinkling of nutmeg.