Lauri's Kitchen

White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake

Ingredients for crust:

- 13 ounces gingersnap cookies (about 50 cookies)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 6 1/2 tablespoons (just a bit more than 3/4 stick) melted butter

Instructions:

Butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the outside of the pan with 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.  Place the gingersnaps, sugar, and ginger in a food processor and add the melted butter; process with on/off pulses just until moist clumps are formed.  Remove from the bowl and press evenly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan until firmly packed.  Set in the refrigerator until filling.

Ingredients:

- Filling
- 1 pound white chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 pounds (4-8 ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup minced crystallized ginger

Instructions:

Position the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 300º.  Place the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler set over hot water until melted.  Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally

Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and yolk, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla, ginger, and salt.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat 1 minute on medium-high speed.  Gradually beat in the white chocolate and then the crystallized ginger.

Pour the batter into the prepared crust and set in a large roasting pan.  Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the pan.  Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, just until the center top is puffed and begins to crack.

Set the cake on a rack to cool completely to room temperature.  Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, remove sides.  Pitting the knife under the cake, lift up slightly and slide off the bottom, pulling off the parchment, onto a serving plate.  Store, covered in the refrigerator. Great with a thick border of whipped cream.