Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

A delectable addition to standard holiday fare. Recipe from Chefs Catalog. Makes either one nine-inch cheesecake or twelve mini-cheesecakes

ingredients

1
Preheat oven to 325°.
2
Lightly butter the wells of the miniature cheesecake pans.
3
Crust:
4
Combine ingredients for crust, mix well, divide among the mini cheesecake pans and press into the bottom. Bake crusts about ten minutes, until set. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling, and lower the oven temperature to 300°.
5
Filling:
6
In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, and set aside.
7
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a flat paddle and set on low speed, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat well. Add the pumpkin mixture and beat well until full mixed, about 1 minute. Pour the batter over the crusts, dividing it evenly among the pans.
8
Bake until filling is set, 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire rack, and then refrigerate at least three hours before unmolding.
9
Before serving, make the cinnamon whipped cream. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream, vanilla and cinnamon until soft peaks form. Spoon onto cheesecakes, and sprinkle with nutmeg.