First you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350.  Next line a muffin pan with paper liners, this recipe makes 18 mini cheesecakes so you’ll need to prepare 2 muffin pans or work in batches.

Next you’ll want to make your graham crackers into crumbs. You can pulse them in a food processor until they finely ground or you can place them in a zip top baggie and crush them with a rolling pin or mallet until they are fine crumbs.

Then melt your butter. I put mind in a small dish in the microwave, but you can also melt it in a small pan on the stove.

Now in a medium mixing bowl stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1/3 cup sugar.  Spoon about 2 tbsp of the crust mixture into each muffin pan and firmly press to create the crust. You can use a spoon, a small spatula or the bottom of a glass to press firmly so that the crust doesn’t fall apart.

Next in the bowl of an electric mixer beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, add in sugar and continue to mix until well blended.

Now add in the vanilla and eggs one at a time mixing after each addition. Add in sour cream and mix until well incorporated. Add in a few drops of food coloring and mix. Add more and mix until desired color is achieved.

Spoon the cream cheese filling mixture over the crusts filling each muffin wrapper about ¾ of the way full.

Gently tap the muffin pan on the table or counter several times to help any bubbles come to the surface. Jiggle the pan to help the top of the filling settle and smooth out. If necessary you can use a toothpick or point of a bamboo skewer to gently smooth the surface and pop any bubbles. Eliminating the bubbles creates a nice flat surface on the cheesecakes that is easier to decorate.

Place pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until they no longer look wet and the centers are still slightly jiggly.

Remove the cheesecakes from oven and allow to cool completely.

Once the cheesecakes are cooled it is time to make the ganache and decorate them.

To make the ganache combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds and allow to sit for 3 minutes.

Stir until smooth. If necessary heat in 10 second increments stirring between each until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before handling.

Place the chocolate mixture in a piping bag and decorate cheesecakes with jack o lantern faces. To make filling the piping bag easier place it in a glass and fold the edges around the rim of the glass (like a bag in a trash can) and then fill with the chocolate ganache.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.