Introduction
Let’s make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes, the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert! These Pumpkin Cheesecakes have a gingery cookie base and a creamy fall-flavoured cheesecake, topped with whip cream, a caramel drizzle and pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients – makes 18 cheesecakes
For the Base
- 300 grams Gingersnap Cookies
- 60 grams Butter, melted
For the Filling
- 500 grams Cream Cheese, block at room temperature
- 330 grams (300 ml) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 350 grams Pumpkin Puree
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg, freshly grated
- 150 grams (150 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 10 grams (3¼ tsp) Gelatine Powder
- 3 ½ tbsp (50 ml) Cold Water
For the Frosting
- 200 grams (200 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2 tbsp Icing Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Instant Pudding (Jell-O)
- 4 tbsp (¼ cup) Salted Caramel
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
Method
- In a food processor or a plastic bag, crush the gingersnap cookies into fine crumbs. Toss the crushed cookies into a bowl and then add the melted butter, mix together till you get a wet sand like texture.
- Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Place one heaped tablespoon of the crushed cookie mixture into each cupcake liner. Using the back of a spoon or one end of the rolling pin tightly flatten the crushed cookies till it forms a dense firm base.
- In a small bowl whisk the gelatin powder and cold water together. Set it aside to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Now in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, whisk the cream cheese till it has turned smooth and airy.
- To that add the sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and nutmeg and beat until well combined and smooth.
- In another bowl whip the heavy cream till you get stiff peaks, it should take 3-4 minutes.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Now melt the gelatin in the microwave for 5 seconds. Temper the gelatin: Gradually add about 3-4 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture into the dissolved gelatin and stir until well combined. Pour the tempered gelatine back to the cheesecake and gently but quickly mix it in. You could also use the hand mixer or stand mixer on stir.
- Using a trigger release ice cream scoop, spoon the batter into the cupcake liners on top of the firm cookie base. Level the top of each mini cheese cake. Freeze for 24 hours.
- To decorate the mini cheesecakes, in a bowl whip together the heavy whipping cream, and icing sugar till you get soft peaks. Now to stabilize the whipped cream, add the instant pudding powder and continue whipping till you get stiff peaks. Spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your favourite nozzle (I used the Wilton 1M star tip nozzle).
- Gently peel off the cupcake liner from each frozen cheesecake, pipe on the stabilized whipped cream, drizzled with salted caramel and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
- Allow to soften in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before enjoying.
