Pumpkin Cheesecake - you decide the size.

This cheesecake (or any cheesecake) can be made individual just by changing the pan you bake them in and reducing the cooking time slightly.  You choose how to make this cake, and my friend tried it with whole cookies in the cupcake pans and they turned out beautifully.  Happy Baking!

  --9 Inch Crust--                                                                3/4 Cup white sugar

  1 1/2 Cup Ginger Snaps, Crushed                                         1 Tsp vanilla extract

  1/2 Cup Pecans, Finely  Chopped                                         3 Large Eggs

  1/3 Cup Butter, melted                                                        1 Tbl Cake Flour

  --OR Individual Crusts--                                                 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

  1 Box Ginger Snap Cookies                                                 3/4 Tsp ground cinnamon

  --Cheesecake--                                                                1/4 Tsp ground nutmeg

  16 Ounce Cream Cheese, Room Temp                                   

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

9-inch Crust:  In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter.  Press into the bottom, and  about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch spring form pan.  Bake crust 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Set aside to cool.

Individual Crusts:  Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers or rounds of parchment paper.  Put a whole cookie in the bottom of each cup. 

Cake:  In a medium bowl, blend together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.  Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Mix in the cake flour.  Set aside 1 cup of the batter.  Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.  Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls  onto the top.  Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set.  Remove from oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan.    Allow to cool before removing pan rim.  Chill for at least 3-4 hours or until firm