Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Bourbon Chocolate Cookie Crust

I'm not much of a bourbon drinker, but I do love adding bourbon to desserts! It adds a smoky depth to sweets and is particularly good with fall flavors. Which is why our decadent new cookie, Chocolate Bourbon, is the perfect base for my Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake. While the kids are out trick-or-treating next week, you can enjoy your own adult-flavored treat!

Our Chocolate Bourbon cookie was inspired by the flavors in the Derby Pie I make for my family. It's hard to go wrong with chocolate and pecans, and we wanted to add the richness of bourbon to give it a truly southern taste. It's a decadent cookie that would be delicious served with coffee, milk or even a bourbon cocktail after dinner! We are so excited to introduce this flavor to our customers.

I love cheesecake and always enjoy when the recipes are mixed up a little as a departure from the traditional New York-style cheesecake with the graham cracker crust. This cheesecake is a delicious way to celebrate the cool fall weather. It’s made with a Chocolate Bourbon Cookie Crust, then topped with Bourbon Whipped Cream and Cinnamon Glazed Pecans for an added sweet crunch.

We decided it would be fun to make mini cheesecakes instead of the traditional large cheesecake. This recipe make four small cheesecakes, using 4 inch springform pans.  But if you'd like to make a large cheesecake, simply double the recipe!

The cookies are available on our website and at many of our retailers, including Whole Foods. We are adding retailers every day who are picking these up...and the cookies have only been available since the first week of October! If you don't see them on the shelves, let us know where you'd like them to be available.

Just make sure you get an extra bag so you can make this delicious cheesecake! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Makes 4 mini-cheesecakes

Crust:
2 cups Grey Ghost Bakery Chocolate Bourbon cookie crumbs
1/8 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray bottom and sides of 4 4-inch mini-springform pans with nonstick spray.
3. Stir cookie crumbs and butter together in a small bowl.
4. Press cookies into the bottom of the pans.
5. Bake in preheated oven until crust is firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Leave oven on. 

Cheescake:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bourbon Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
1 cup Cinnamon Glazed Pecans, chopped

1. Place cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl, and beat until smooth.
2. Mix in flour, pumpkin pie spice and butter until combined.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time just until combined.
4. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
5. Pour filling over crust in pans.  
6. Carefully place the springform pans in a larger roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come up halfway up sides of the springform pans. Place pan in the oven, and bake until filling is set but still jiggly in center, about 35-45 minutes.
7. Remove pan from the water bath, and let cool slightly on counter. Place in refrigerator overnight to chill uncovered.
8. Serve with the bourbon whipped cream and chopped pecans to serve.

Bourbon Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon

1. Place the heavy cream and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Whip the cream until medium peaks form.
3. Add the bourbon and whip briefly to combine. Add more sugar if a sweeter cream is desired.