Ingredients
- Cranberry Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups ginger snap crumbs (ground from ginger snap cookies)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp plus 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger root
- 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- Dash powdered cinnamon
- 2 cups cranberries, washed
- 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tsp cold water
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare crust, combine ginger snap crumbs, butter and 3 tbsp sugar in 9-inch springform pan. Using 2 forks, blend well and press mixture into bottom and partially up sides of pan. Set aside.
To prepare batter, use electric mixer set on medium speed and beat cream cheese and remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar until well blended, 3 to 4 minutes, or beat well by hand with wooden spoon. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well to blend after each addition. Beat in ginger root, lemon zest and juice.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 F on center shelf until knife inserted in center comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes. (If cake starts to get too dark on top, cover loosely with aluminum foil). Turn oven off and let cheesecake remain in oven with door closed about 1 hour. Chill cake well. Cake can be made 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated.
To serve, use slotted spoon and arrange Cranberry Topping on top of cake. Save any extra liquid from cranberries and use as sauce to drizzle over slices.
Cranberry Topping: Combine water, sugar and cinnamon in medium-size, heavy saucepan and set over medium high heat. Cook and stir to dissolve sugar. When mixture comes to boil, add half the cranberries and stir until they start to pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining berries and cornstarch mixture. Cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more or longer. Remove and cool. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Yield: About 2 cups.