With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there’s no better time to impress your family and friends with your cooking chops. These easy-to-make mini pumpkin cheesecakes are a tasty, festive treat you can pull off with minimal effort. This recipe serves three.
Agnijita Kumar
/ Daily Bruin
6 ounces of gingersnaps (about 25), crushed
3 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup of sugar
¾ cup of canned pumpkin puree
2 large egg yolks
¾ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of coarse salt
½ teaspoon of ground ginger
A pinch of ground cloves
Store-bought buttercream icing
Three mini ramekins
Can opener
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Spatula
Food processor or blender
Agnijita Kumar
/ Daily Bruin
To make the crust, first preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Use a food processor or blender to crush the gingersnap cookies.
Once the gingersnaps are thoroughly crushed, add the butter and sugar to the food processor or blender and leave it running until the ingredients have formed a thick paste.
Press your gingersnap batter along the sides and bottom of each ramekin. Freeze the ramekins until the batter has retained its form on the sides of the dish.
Agnijita Kumar
/ Daily Bruin
Bake the crust until it begins to darken. Use a spatula or other flat utensil to keep the crust attached to the sides of the ramekin.
Allow the crust to cool before adding the filling to it.
Agnijita Kumar
/ Daily Bruin
To make the filling, mix the cream cheese in a food processor or blender until it has a whipped consistency.
Add the sugar and pumpkin and mix it again.
Next, add the eggs, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, and mix evenly.
Agnijita Kumar
/ Daily Bruin
Pour the filling into the cooled crust and refrigerate your cakes until the filling is firm (the best way to do so is to refrigerate it overnight).
Spread on some buttercream icing and enjoy!