Reviewed: Nov. 30, 2009

4.5 stars. The crust gets soggy even though I used only 4 T butter as some reviewers suggested. I think I'll make my standard graham cracker crust next time. This cake gets better as the days go by, even though I prepared it on Tuesday for Thanksgiving, I would suggest making it at least three days ahead for more intense cheese flavor. I have baked maybe half a dozen cheesecakes in my life and I've always had cracking problems, even tjough I used the cool down gradually/wooden spoon handle method. When I was 20, I baked a cake in a water bath and it leaked into the pan and I've always been frightened of using a water bath again. Well, this time I tried a water bath and used a tip from a reviewer--use the 18" wide aluminium foil (don't skimp and get the cheap kind--get the heavy duty Reynold's) and the cheese cake was perfect. Looked beautiful, no cracking. I cooked it on 325 F for 90 min, then 60 min with the door cracked open and the oven off. Grease the sides of the pan well so it won't stick to the sides when it expands and contracts and crack the edges. There's a great video on this site that explains cheesecakes in a H2o bath.

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Reviewer:

sailshonan

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2009

This was by far the most sumptious cheesecake I have ever made! We are a gluten free family so I used Midal's GF gingersnap cookies and almond flour for the crust. As for the cheesecake part I forgot to buy heavy cream and allspice, so I used half & half and extra cinnamon. I read Peggy Faulk Ellender's tips on how she bakes cheesecakes from this site and she is right. Not one single crack and my cheesecake was a good 3" thick! Unbelieveable. I also used an extra pie plate with water in it on a lower rack for my 'water bath'. As for taste this cheesecake is not overly rich, it's easy to eat a full piece and enjoy it without it being too much. I will definately make this again.

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Reviewer:

twistedsisterl

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Scio, Oregon, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 28, 2009

The only changes I made to this recipe was use pecans in place of hazelnuts and added some pumpkin pie spice. I did not use a waterbath and had a few cracks, which didn't bother me. The result was a fairly light, not overly "cheesy" flavorful dessert. It was exactly what I was hoping for and my family loved it!

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Reviewer:

MeggieC

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Rochester, New York, USA

Living In: Amherst, New Hampshire, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2009

This is the best cheesecake I have ever had. The only changes I made was to replace the maple syrup with 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping and I omitted the hazelnuts from the crust (ginger snaps, brown sugar and butter only). My husband HATES cheesecakes and even cream cheese but LOVES this recipe!!

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Reviewer:

joykerns511

Reviewed: Nov. 25, 2009

I used this recipe for this Thanksgiving. I found it easy to understand and made a decent cheesecake. I did feel like something was missing. I suggest adding a sour cream topping or serving it with whipped cream. The hazlenuts in the crust are especially delicious and add a nice crunch along with the ginger snap crust. I used the brand 'Annas Ginger Thins' which are found at any normal grocery store in the cookie idle. They are nice an thin cookies which are easy to smash up into a crumble. I did not used maple syrup but used regular pancake syrup. Next time I try making this recipe I may use the real stuff and see how it compares.

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Reviewer:

ceh426

Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2009

OMG! I made this today with a few mod's..Used Pecans, extra cinnamon, ginger and pumpkin spice. Bake for 60 min in a 350 oven, then left it in the oven for another 60 min (oven turned off). Turned out to be the best Cheese cake I ever made. Oh, I lined the pan w/foil to keep the butter in. Thank you so much and have a wonderfull Thanksgiving and thank you for sharing a great recipe!

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Reviewer:

Mindy

Reviewed: Nov. 23, 2009

YUMMY!!! I made this and it was a hit. I did have to cook mine 15 min longer and I didn't use the nuts in the crust. I would make this again. Thank you for the recipe.

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Reviewer:

CANDY MAKER

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Akron, Ohio, USA

Living In: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2009

Excellent, never had one that was so delicious. Everyone at the dinner party raved about it.

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Reviewer:

Deb

Reviewed: Nov. 21, 2009

Good recipe. I made it just as written and I didn't experience any of the troubles others reported, such as the crust being too high. If your cheesecake sinks, you're doing something wrong. Mine came out perfectly flat on top. I used the water bath, and no cracks. If your water bath is leaking, it's not because you didn't wrap the foil tight enough. It's because you used small foil. Get the large roll (18" wide) and tear off a big hunk, you'll have no problem, and it's cheaper than buying a turkey bag. Do heat the bath water up first, and be sure to check the water level during baking, top up as needed with more hot water. I had a little cheesecake mix left over so I tried making a couple cupcakes as some suggested, putting a gingersnap on the bottom of the cup and covering with the "batter". Didn't work out at all. Ugly, wrinkled and didn't taste very good.

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