Ginger Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnaps
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter (, no substitutes)
• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 eggs (beaten together with the next four ingredients)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon mace (or nutmeg-but mace is better! yum!)
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 bag chocolate chips (i use ghirardelli, both milk and semi-sweet, together)
• 16 ounces sour cream (minus the 1/2cup from the filling)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Recipe

• 1 crust: preheat oven to 325f degrees.
• 2 combine and press into bottom and up sides of ungreased 9” springform pan.
• 3 bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, set aside.
• 4 increase oven temperature to 450f degrees.
• 5 filling: soften cream cheese by cutting into cubes and letting sit out for 1/2 hour before beginning.
• 6 the softer your cream cheese the better your cheesecake will turn out.
• 7 in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
• 8 this is the best time to make sure there are no lumps.
• 9 after this, you must keep beating time to a bare minimum.
• 10 add the flour, beat at low speed until smooth, and then add the egg mixture all at once, beating on low speed till just combined.
• 11 using a spoon, fold in the sour cream and chocolate chips.
• 12 pour into your prepared crust, place on a cookie sheet or shallow pan (to prevent any chance of mess) and bake at 450 for 10 minutes.
• 13 reduce the oven temp to 300, without opening door, and continue to bake for 30 minutes or more, until center appears nearly set when shaken.
• 14 if whole cake jiggles, add 5 minutes.
• 15 topping: stir together, and spread evenly over top of cheesecake.
• 16 return to oven and bake for 15 minutes longer.
• 17 turn off the oven at the 15 minute mark, but leave cake in for 15 more minutes.
• 18 then, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 1/2 hour, with an inverted plate over the top, to maintain the moisture.
• 19 after 1/2 hour, remove the plate, and cool for another ½ hour.
• 20 loosen the cake from the pan with a very thin knife, and remove the sides of the pan, and cool on counter for another hour.
• 21 cover, and chill for 4 hours.
• 22 bring to room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
• 23 cover the top of cake with a doily, or make your own groovy paper snowflake and lay it over the cake.
• 24 sift cocoa powder through the doily, and lift carefully.