Cheesecake (Take 2)

Several months ago I attempted to make a cheesecake using the spring-form pan I was given as a wedding shower gift five years ago. It was first attempt at cheesecake...you know the kind that you actually bake. Not the kind that you simply mix together, pour into the crust, and chill in the fridge. The original recipe instructed me to cook it at one temperature for a certain amount of time and then cook it longer at a second temperature...in the end it came out undercooked. It still tasted fine, but it was a little soft in the center.

Yesterday I decided to give cheesecake another go. I had opened a can of pumpkin a few days earlier and had some left to use up so I searched my favorite recipe site (allrecipes.com) for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe that didn't look too complicated. I found the following recipe. It was quick to prepare and only had to cook at ONE temperature. It came out perfectly and tasted delicious!

Philadelphia Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Serves 16

38 ginger snaps, finely crushed
1/4 c. pecans, finely chopped
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
4 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla
4 eggs

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix crumbs, nuts, and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9 inch springform pan.
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin, spice, and vanilla; mix well. While mixing on low speed add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each until blended. Pour over crust.
4. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Loosen cake from rim of pan; cool completely before removing rim. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.