Adapted from - My Baking Addition
The Crust/Base
1 cup gingersnap cookie (or graham cracker) crumbs
1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter; melted
pinch of salt
Cheesecake:
2 bars of cream cheese (8 oz each), room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie "Frosting" (**recommend cooking this first**):
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
Method
To Make Gingersnap Crust:
Prepare 12 baking cups with paper liners, or grease with cooking
spray. In a separate bowl, whisk together the three crust ingredients until
well blended. Scoop 1 packed tablespoon of crust into each baking cup, and
press down to pack firm. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove and
set aside.
To Make Cinnamon Cheesecakes:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Begin to boil a large kettle or pot of
water for the water bath.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment,
combine the cream cheese and sugar, then mix on medium-speed until smooth. Add
eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure
to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla and
cinnamon, and mix until smooth. Do not overmix. Pour batter into each
crust-prepared baking cup until 3/4 full.
Once your kettle or pot of water is boiling, carefully place a large
baking dish on the lower rack of your oven and pull the rack out a few inches
towards you, and then pour the water into it. (Or use your best judgment on how
to do this without burning yourself. I just heat the water in a kettle, which
is very easy to pour into the pan.) This will create a water bath that will
give off lots of steam while the cheesecake bakes.
Then place the cheesecake pan in the oven, and bake for about 25
minutes, or until the edges appear to be set and the center still has a slight
jiggle to it. Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly for 5 minutes.
Then remove the pan and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Top
with pumpkin pie frosting.
To Make Pumpkin Pie Frosting:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all
ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan and bake for
30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes
out clean. Remove and let cool, then refrigerate.
When ready to "frost" the cheesecakes, remove the pumpkin
pie and spoon the filling into a piping bag. Use as you would regular frosting.