Ginger Cheesecake
Makes 8 to 10 servings
A friend recently gave me a wonderful contemporary etiquette/cookbook, “The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits” (Abrams Books, 2014), and it’s not only informative but hilarious. Chapters include: “Leftovers: Why are we Left Over? Weren’t we just as good as everyone else last night?” And “Mood Disorders in the Kitchen: We will get through this together.” The authors say this is “a spicy cheesecake for spicy friends.”
Crust:
Filling:
1 ½ cups crushed gingersnaps 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted ¼ cup granulated sugar
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten ½ cup heavy whipping cream ½ cup chopped candied ginger 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine gingersnaps, butter and sugar. Mix well. Press mixture evenly on bottom and partly up side of a 9-inch springform pan. Let chill in freezer while making filling. Using a standing mixer, beat cream cheese and sugars until light and smooth. Add eggs and completely blend in. Mix in cream, all the gingers and the vanilla. Pour filling into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven 1 hour and 40 minutes. It’s done when the top looks firm in the center and is beginning to brown. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven another hour with the door ajar. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. The cake is even tastier if it’s allowed to chill overnight.