Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next Thursday already?! Time is just flying by! Since starting my full time job as a registered nurse, there hasn’t been a whole lot of cooking going on and even less time experimenting in the kitchen. ? I love my job, but I wish there were more hours in the day to do other things that I love too.
I have been looking ahead to Thanksgiving and planning what I want to make. And I’m getting really excited about the holiday, especially because of something new we are starting this year. We are fortunately to live near our families and to have all of our family members with us. And we get to spend every Thanksgiving with one or both of our families, which is wonderful! But we have been wanting to create some of our own traditions without giving up spending the holiday with extended family. So this year we are trying something new.
The Sunday before Thanksgiving we are calling “Thanksgiving for 4”. This will be our family’s special day to spend the whole day together celebrating Thanksgiving. My husband and I are going to cook a special dinner. He and I are looking forward to spending some time together in the kitchen because we love to cook with each other and it has been a long time since we got to do that. Also, we are going to spend the day doing all the things the four of us love to do together, as well as spending some time focusing on Thanksgiving and being thankful. I think it is going to be a great day and we are all really excited about it!
So, in honor of Thanksgiving, I will be (re)sharing some of my favorite gluten free recipes that I have created over the last couple of years. The first one I want to share is my recipe for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes. These little cheesecakes are one of my all-time favorites. So easy to make and so tasty! (The link to the original post about them is here.) This dessert is a great gluten free addition to your holiday meal. Enjoy!
GLUTEN FREE MINI MAPLE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKES
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 pinch kosher salt
4 tbsp organic unsalted butter, melted
2 8 oz.containers of organic Neuchâtel cheese
15 oz. can organic pumpkin
3/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
To make the crust:
In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and butter until all the crumbs are moistened. Line muffin tins with muffin paper and spray them with cooking spray. Then scoop the crumbs into the liners, 1 tbsp. into each muffin liner. Then with the back of the tablespoon, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the liners. Bake the crusts at 325ºF for 8 minutes.
To make the filling:
Place the cream cheese in a large bowl and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing. Then add the pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla and spice. Blend all together until the ingredients are completely combined. Add the slightly beaten eggs and mix in just until they are incorporated. Do not overmix!
Pour the batter into a liquid measuring cup to make the pouring easier. Then pour the batter into the prepared crust in the muffin tins. Pour the batter up to almost the very top of the muffin liners. Then place in a preheated 325°F oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cheesecakes are set and jiggle slightly when the pan is gently shaken.
Cool completely before serving.
Makes 22 mini cheesecakes.
