Yes, I know. I have recently made a mini goat cheese cheesecake recipe and this is indeed one more. I can't help myself. There is something about the complex and unexpected tang of goat cheese in a cheesecake that fascinates me. I promise this will be the last one. At least this month week.
I am not the only one in my house that has an obsession with goat cheese. The other morning my sister and I went out with our friend Michelle for a little breakfast date and I ordered the Baby a bagel and cream cheese. She looked at the cream cheese, took a bite and said, 'mmm, it tastes kind of like goat cheese'. Yes, my three-year-old loves goat cheese. I love that about her.
For me, pumpkin pie is a must have at a Thanksgiving table. That being said, I have to be completely honest - I don't actually love the stuff very much. It's okay. My grandma makes awesome pumpkin pie and I love the pumpkin flavor, but for some reason I am always looking for a little something different in my pumpkin dessert. I get all excited inside when I see a pumpkin trifle or some kind of pumpkin cake. It's the traditional pumpkin, with a little something extra.
With the goat cheese and gingersnap crust, these little cheesecakes are my ideal Thanksgiving dessert. Like little amped up pumpkin pies. Amped up pumpkin pies that I can eat four of in one sitting without missing a beat. It's kind of a problem.
Mini Pumpkin
Cheesecakes with Goat Cheese
Makes 18 mini cheesecakes
Ingredients:
For Crust:
30 gingersnaps, crushed into crumbs
¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons of sugar
6 Tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly
For Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat cream
cheese)
8 oz goat cheese, softened
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
*Whipped cream for serving (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°.
Line 18 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix ginger snap crumbs, ¼ cup+2
Tablespoons sugar and melted butter until crumbs and sugar are moistened.
Divide the crumb mixture evenly between the paper muffin liners (about 1
Tablespoon per liner). Press the crumbs
down with fingers or honey drizzler. Bake for 5 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cheese and sugar
together. Add pumpkin and beat until incorporated. Add pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and beat
for 30 seconds. Add eggs, 1 at a time and beat well after each one.
Divide cream cheese mixture evenly between muffin liners.
The cups will be pretty full.
Bake the cheesecakes for 15-17 minutes or until the edges
of the cheesecakes are set, and the center is still a little wiggly. Be careful
not to over bake them.
Remove from oven and let cool. Cover and refrigerate for
4 hours or overnight to allow the cheesecakes to completely set.
Top with whipped cream and serve. Enjoy!
Printable Recipe
Can this be made with 100% goat cheese? I have a severe allergy to cow dairy products. Goat cheese seems to have a similar consistency to cream cheese, and as you love goat cheese so much, I wondered if you'd ever gone over to 100%, (or why you chose not to.)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good question and one that I'm not entirely sure of the answer (simply because I have never done it myself). I tend to use a combination of half goat cheese/half cream cheese to avoid the dessert being overly tangy/savory (although I love the hint of tang that comes with using this ratio). A quick Google search shows that there are recipes out there that use 100% goat cheese, so I would think that it would work, but can't guarantee what the results are like. I would think with your allergy that it would be a great thing to try.
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