It's pumpkin season - time to visit the pumpkin patch. While you are there picking out the perfect jack-o-lantern, don't forget to bring home a few to eat! Pumpkins are members of the squash family and are a good source of antioxidants, carotenes, vitamin C and E.  It's nice a cooked vegetable as well as in baked goodies.  Cooked pumpkin freezes well so you can have some on hand all winter. Watkins pumpkin pie spice is the perfect blend of natural spices for all your pumpkin dishes.

Try this cheesecake it's a nice fancy dessert for Thanksgiving dinner or any festive meal!


Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups/375 mL gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 32 cookies)
1/4 cup/60 mL unsalted butter, melted
2 packages (8 oz/227 g each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup/180 mL sugar, divided
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup/250 mL canned or cooked pumpkin
1-1/2 tsp/7.5 mL Watkins Pumpkin Pie Spice
 
Cooking instructions: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Combine crumbs and butter. Press firmly over bottom and up sides of pie plate or spring form pan. Bake for 5 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F/170°C.

In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup/120 mL sugar and vanilla until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Reserve 1 cup/250 mL of batter. Add remaining sugar, pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie Spice to remaining batter; mix well. Alternately layer pumpkin and cream cheese batters over crust. Cut through the batters with knife several times swirling it for a marbled effect. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until cheesecake springs back lightly when slightly touched. Gently loosen cheesecake from rim of pan. Let cool to room temperature, then chill.

Makes 12 servings.