Ingredients
For the
crust:
1 1/2 cups
gingersnap cookie crumbs
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1/4 cup
unsalted butter, melted
1/8
teaspoon kosher salt
For the
cheesecake filling:
2 8-ounce
packages cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cups
sugar
1 1/2
tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons
pumpkin pie spice
2 large
eggs
1 cup solid
pack pumpkin
2
tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoons
vanilla extract
For the
praline topping:
1 cups
granulated sugar
1/2 cup
half and half
1
tablespoon salted butter
pinch of
baking soda
1/2
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup
chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat
oven to 325 degrees.
In a small
bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, cinnamon, butter and salt until
moistened. Divide the mixture evenly among the wells of a mini cheesecake pan
and press down firmly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven
and allow to cool to room temperature.
Using an
electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat
in flour and spices. Add eggs 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin, bourbon and
vanilla. Divide the mixture evenly among the wells of the cheesecake pan
filling to just below the top of the pan.
Bake the
cheesecakes for 20 minutes until the edges are firm but the center is still
jiggly. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room
temperature. When cool transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight.
When the
cheesecakes are cool, remove them from the pan and place on a wire rack.
In a large
saucepan over medium high heat, combine the sugar, half and half, butter,
baking soda and vanilla. Stir the mixture until boiling and the sugar has
disolved completely. Turn the heat to medium low and continue stiring until the
mixture reaches 238 – 241 degrees on a candy thermometer or soft ball stage.
(The mixture will begin to take on a light caramel color.) Stir in the pecans
and remove from the heat. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken and
becomes creamy. Using a spoon drop heaping tablespoons of praline mixture onto
the top of each cheesecake and allow to cool. Mixture will harden when cool.
(If the praline mixture seizes because it cooled too quickly, add more half and
half one tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes creamy again.)
Chill the cheesecakes until ready to serve. Can
be made up to 24 hours in advance.
