Saturday 10/10/09 - Chocolate bottom pumpkin cheese cake

I stole this crust from a winter peppermint cheesecake. It was just so delicious and easy that whenever I think cheesecake now its always my go-to! The rest of the cheesecake was thrown together from various internet browsing especially this one. However as always I didn't have many of the ingredients so I just sort of had to wing it. Either way I took the cupcake version of these to a party of about 20 girls and they were a hit. (The ones pictured were made in mini-springform pans and didn't even make it to the end of the night!) I served these with a bit of carmel sauce that was left over from an apple caramel tart I made a few weeks back.


Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Bottom
1 package chocolate wafer cookies (Nabisco famous wafers) - crushed into crumbs
1 stick butter - melted

3 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (puree not pie!)
3 eggs
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
3 packages cream cheese - room temp

1) Mix wafer crumbs with butter and press into bottom of cupcake papers or springform pan - let rest 1 hour
2) In a Kitchen Aid mixer add remainder of ingredients and mix until combined
3) Pour pumpkin mix on top of crumb crust
4) Place in oven 350 F for 40 min (until toothpick comes up clean)