Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.
• On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break into large pieces, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground.
• Combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 cups cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour filling into cooled crust.
• Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven, and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes. Carefully remove springform pan from roasting pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
• Before serving, run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle (with heads facing inward and arms touching, alternating light and dark).

Steps:

• Bring the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Wrap the bottom and exterior sides of a 9-inch springform pan with a layer of aluminum foil; make sure to wrap to the top of the sides since the pan will be submerged halfway in a water bath while baking.
• Prepare the crust: Stir the gingersnap crumbs, brown sugar, ground ginger and a pinch of salt together in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust until golden brown and fragrant, 9 to 11 minutes. Set aside while you prepare the filling. Set a kettle or medium pot of water to boil.
• Prepare the filling: Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium-high, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally until very smooth and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and spices and mix until well combined and completely smooth, about 2 more minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the eggs a little bit at a time, mixing each bit completely into the mixture before adding the next. Add the sour cream, molasses, rum, fresh ginger, lemon zest and mix until just combined.
• Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix the last few strokes by hand. Make sure the mixture is totally, completely smooth, then pour it into the prepared crust. The mixture will fill the pan almost all of the way to the top. Firmly tap the pan on a countertop to release any air bubbles.
• Set a roasting pan on the center rack of the oven and place the cheesecake in the pan. Fill the pan with boiling water about halfway. Bake the cheesecake for one hour, without opening the door. After one hour check for doneness by gently tapping the side of the pan. The cheesecake should look set at the edges but still a bit wiggly, and will be light golden brown on top. If it is not finished baking, check it every 5 to 10 minutes or so until done.
• When the cheesecake is finished baking, turn off the oven, prop the oven door open a crack (a wooden spoon works great for this), and let the cheesecake cool in the oven until it is close to room temperature, about an hour.
• Remove the cheesecake from the oven, remove the foil from the outside of the pan, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. After it has completely cooled, loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap. To slice: run a hot thin knife around the edge of the pan before removing the ring.
• While the cheesecake cools make the cranberries: Add the cranberries, orange juice, ¼ cup/60 milliliters water, rum, and sugar to a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the cranberries burst and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Steps:

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 8-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust., Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 325° until center is just set and top appears dull, 45-55 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer., For topping, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Pour over cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight., Remove sides of pan. If desired, sprinkle with pecans and drizzle with additional melted chocolate.