Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Whip Cream~ This is the kind of pumpkin cheesecake recipe that will melt in your mouth. 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.

How do you decide what recipe is worthy when there’s a pumpkin shortage? Don’t start by sitting down and listing all your pumpkin recipes, unless you are prepared to be overwhelmed and frustrated by your inability to settle in on “the one”.

You go for it. Grab your bowl, measuring spoons and cups and dive right in, even if you have no ingredients for the crust. Did you notice? Yeah, I had nothing, not even graham crackers.

As it turns out, we didn’t miss having a crust at all in this pumpkin cheesecake recipe. The cheesecake is bursting with flavors, especially fall flavors. If you decide on making a crust, try using a gingersnap crust for added flavor.

Since the recipe only calls for 1 cup of pumpkin puree I still have enough for another pumpkin recipe. I’m hoping that from what I have been reading that the pumpkin shortage will soon be over and the sign on my local grocer’s shelve will be replaced with a rows of Libby’s canned pumpkin.

A few notes:

If you decide not to make mini cheesecakes as I have, use an 8inch springform pan and increase the bake time by 15-20 minutes. Start checking for doneness at 12-15 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center of the cake gives a slight jiggle when the pan is tapped.

You can skip the chocolate layer if you wish, but I think it adds a nice depth of flavor.

This pumpkin cheesecake can be made three days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Bourbon Whip Cream

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

Directions:

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. 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. 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. 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. Whip cream until medium peaks form. Fold in bourbon and finish by drizzling caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with nutmeg seasoning.

Heavily adapted from Better Homes and Garden