Pumpkin Cheese Tarts With Gingersnap Crust

FILLING
1 tb Grated fresh ginger
1 lb Cream cheese; softened
1/2 c Light brown sugar; firmly
-packed
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1 pn Nutmeg
1 pn Allspice
1 pn Ground cloves
1/4 ts Salt
3/4 c Pureed pumpkin
2 lg Eggs

TOO HOT TAMALES SHOW #TH6215

To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a mixing bowl,
combine the gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter and toss together
until the mixture clumps together. Add an additional tablespoon of butter
if necessary. Pat the mixture into the base and slightly up the sides of
eight 4 1/2 inch tartlet pans. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until crisp.

To make the filling: Press the grated ginger against the mesh of a fine
sieve into a small bowl, pressing hard to extract all the juice. Set the
ginger juice aside and discard the pulp. In the bowl of an electric mixer,
combine cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground
cloves, and salt. Beat until creamy and well combined, then add the ginger
juice and the pumpkin puree and beat again. Add the eggs, one at a time,
mixing well after you add the first one, but do not overbeat the mixture.
Pour the filling into the tart pans and return them to the oven. Bake for
25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is just firm to the touch. Cool to
room temperature, then chill for up to 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Yield: 8 servings