Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Twist

For the homemade pumpkin puree:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Cut a hole in the center of the pumpkin to remove the stem (discard the stem). Slice the pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and fiber. Place the pumpkin halves on the baking sheet cut side down and bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until it is fork tender. Remove from oven.

Let the pumpkin cool and scoop out the flesh. Add flesh into a blender or food processor and process until creamy smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a standard size muffin tin with 12 muffin foil liners and lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl add cream cheese and sugar and beat until creamy. Add vanilla extract, eggs and salt and beat until combined. Mix in pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each muffin liner and top with cheesecake batter. Spoon batter evenly among the muffin cups and smooth the top.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22-24 minutes. Remove from oven. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight, before serving.