Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Chocolate Ganache

Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Chocolate Ganache


Ingredients:

• 1 package Oreo cookies (fillings removed—you will need 30 halves)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can Pumpkin Pie Filling
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until fluffly. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin. Add egg, lime juice, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and mix until just combined.
2. Preheat Babycakes Cupcake Maker.
3. Line wells with paper liners and place one Oreo half at bottom of liner (will be slightly bigger than liner, but will fill in during baking process). Fill each well with cheesecake filling, approximately 2 tablespoons (make sure to leave at least 1/8 inch at top of liner for ganache). Bake approximately 10 minutes, or until tester inserted into middle of cheesecake comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool completely for one hour.

Makes 30 cheesecakes
Tip: Soften cream cheese in the microwave 15-20 seconds on high.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:

• 2 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
• ¼ cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Once cheesecakes have cooled, create the ganache by cooking cream and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir mixture constantly until chocolate melts and mixture slightly thickens. Remove from heat and spoon over cheesecakes.
2. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Tip: Finely chop chocolate squares to expedite melting process.
Tip: Use remaining whipping cream to create fresh whipped cream as a topping. Add sugar to cream to desired sweetness and beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed (moving to high as mixture thickens) until stiff peaks form. Add other ingredients, such as vanilla extract, spices, sweetened cocoa powder, or instant cappuccino mix, to create different flavors (we used cocoa powder and hazelnut cappuccino mix to create a Hazelnut Mocha Whipped Cream and garnished with a chocolate-covered espresso bean).