Chai Spiced Cheesecake With Ginger Crust Food

CHAI-SPICED CHEESECAKE WITH GINGER CRUST

Steps:

• For crust:
• Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Sift flour, ginger, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended. Beat in egg yolk, then flour mixture. Stir in crystallized ginger. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out on floured surface to 9-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan; pierce all over with fork. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add mascarpone; beat until smooth. Beat in whole eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in yolks. Add next 6 ingredients; beat until blended. Transfer filling to cooled crust in pan; smooth top. Bake cake 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F. Continue baking until cake is set around edges but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken (top of cake may crack), about 30 minutes longer. Remove cake from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
• For topping:
• Whisk all ingredients in small bowl; spread evenly over top of cake. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake sides. Chill uncovered overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

CHAI SPICE "CHEESECAKE"

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Stir together graham crackers and brown sugar in a small bowl, then drizzle with oil and stir. Add just enough milk to make crumbs stick together. Press very firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Keep oven at 350 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, blend cheesecake-batter ingredients in a blender until completely smooth and no bits of cashew remain, giving blender a rest every minute or so and scraping down sides with a rubber spatula. Batter should be completely smooth and not grainy: This takes about 1 minute with a high-powered blender (such as Vitamix) or about 5 minutes with a standard blender.
• Spray inside springform pan (above baked crust) with cooking spray. Pour in batter and jiggle to spread evenly over crust. Bake until top is lightly puffed and edges are golden, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature on a rack, about 1 hour. Chill, covered, at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight.
• Slice cake with a thin, sharp knife dipped in water. Dollop each slice with whipped topping, dust with cinnamon, and sprinkle with candied ginger.

CHAI CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Wrap outside bottom and side of 10-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil to prevent leaking. Spray inside bottom and side of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients. Press in bottom of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cool crust 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in microwavable measuring cup, microwave 1 cup whipping cream on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes or just until it begins to boil. Place tea bags in hot cream; let stand 15 minutes.
• In large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Remove tea bags from cream and squeeze extra liquid from tea bags; discard bags. Stir cream and orange peel into cream cheese mixture until well blended. Pour filling over crust.
• Bake at 300°F 55 to 65 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• To serve, run small metal spatula around edge of pan; carefully remove foil and side of pan. In chilled medium bowl, beat 1 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Spread over cheesecake. Garnish with orange peel twists. Cover; refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

CHAI-SPICED CHEESECAKE WITH GINGER CRUST

Steps:

• FOR CRUST: Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3" high sides with nonstick spray.
• Sift flour, ginger, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended.
• Beat in egg yolk, then flour mixture.
• Stir in crystallized ginger.
• Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.
• Roll out on floured surface to 9-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan.
• Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan; pierce all over with fork. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights.
• Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans.
• Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.
• FOR FILLING: Preheat oven to 350°F Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Add mascarpone; beat until smooth.
• Beat in whole eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in yolks.
• Add next 6 ingredients; beat until blended. Transfer filling to cooled crust in pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake 1 hour.
• Reduce oven temperature to 200°F Continue baking until cake is set around edges, but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken (top of cake may crack, about 30 minutes longer.
• Remove cake from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350°F
• FOR TOPPING: Whisk all ingredients in small bowl; spread evenly over top of cake.
• Bake until set, about 10 minutes.
• Run small knife around cake sides. Chill uncovered overnight.
• Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

VANILLA CHAI CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place yogurt in a strainer lined with a coffee filter and set over a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes to allow liquid to drain. Discard liquid and set yogurt aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine gingersnap cookies, amaretti cookies, and butter in a bowl; mix well. Press crust into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 12 minutes.
• Remove crust from oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Let crust cool completely.
• While crust cools, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt together in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in yogurt. Pour filling into the cooled crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is set on sides but slightly shimmers in center, about 50 minutes.
• Let cool completely and remove from pan. Serve with caramel sauce.

CHAI SPICED CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For crust:.
• Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Sift flour, ginger, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended. Beat in egg yolk, then flour mixture. Stir in crystallized ginger. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out on floured surface to 9-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan. Press onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan; pierce all over with fork. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Cool crust completely on rack.
• For filling:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add mascarpone; beat until smooth. Beat in whole eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in yolks. Add next 6 ingredients; beat until blended. Transfer filling to cooled crust in pan; smooth top. Bake cake 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F Continue baking until cake is set around edges but center moves slightly when pan is gently shaken (top of cake may crack), about 30 minutes longer. Remove cake from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350°F
• For topping:.
• Whisk all ingredients in small bowl; spread evenly over top of cake. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Run small knife around cake sides. Chill uncovered overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Cut into wedges and serve.