Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

I cannot take credit for this recipe. I found it on the Canyon Ranch website: http://www.canyonranch.com/community_connection/recipes/
For those of you who haven't heard of Canyon Ranch, they have destination spas and living communities in the U.S. They recently opened the Canyon Ranch in Miami Beach. Miami is finally experiencing fall! The 60 degree weather inspired me to make this yummy treat. Its honestly extremely easy and quick to do.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup graham crackers, crushed

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Filling:

1 cup lowfat cream cheese

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used Splenda Brown Sugar)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of ground cloves

Topping:

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix graham crackers, brown sugar, butter, syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Spray a medium sized 12 cup muffin pan with canola oil spray. Place 1 3/4 tablespoons of crumb mixture in each muffin cup. Press crumbs firmly on bottom and 1/3 up sides of each cup to form a crust. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, using a hand held mixer, blend cream cheese, pumpkin, egg, egg white, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves together. Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons mixture into each of the 12 crust-lined cups.

4. Bake cheesecakes for 14 minutes. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool for 20 minutes. Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan by running a knife along the edge of the crust. Let cool completely on wire rack then chill until ready to serve.

5. Just prior to serving, in a small bowl combine ingredients. Whip with a wire whisk until soft peaks form. Serve cheesecakes topped with approximately 1 teaspoon whipped topping.

6. Top each cheesecake with 1 teaspoon of topping.

Serving Information

Makes 12 servings, each containing approximately:140 calories16 gm. carbohydrate 7 gm. fat 35 mg. cholesterol4 gm. protein180 mg. sodium1 gm. fiber