Holiday Sweets: Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Nothing like finishing a meal with a little something sweet - this recipe is fun for the holidays because of the pumpkin and pecan flavors. But you can make this anytime of the year. It is a nice portion size to enjoy because it is quite sweet. Canned pumpkin is the way to go. I use individual cupcake papers doubled up in lieu of a muffin pan and it works just as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages/350-400 grams of cream cheese (can be lactose free)

• 3/4 cup/100 grams white sugar

• 200 grams of pureed pumpkin (canned is best)

• 2 eggs

• one tablespoon vanilla extract

• pecans for decoration (optional)

For the crust:

• 140 grams of cookies (biscoff, graham crackers or oatmeal digestives)

• 60 grams of butter, melted

• 1 Tablespoon of sugar

• 20 Paper or foil baking cups

Directions

First up, the crust! Preheat the oven to 325F/170C. Crush the cookies in a processor. Then add the sugar and melted butter and mix again so that it has a sand consistency. Place 1-2 tablespoons of the mix in each of the baking cups and press down to make sure it is compact. Bake all of the cups in a tray for about 8 minutes. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.

For the filling, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons into each of the individual cups. Bake for 25-35 minutes. You may notice some of the cakes start to crack, and then they are ready to come out of the oven. ( I usually place a pecan to cover it up.)You do not want them to brown too much on top, or the cheesecake will be hard once it cools. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature then place in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. Enjoy.