Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves 12

14 oz ginger snaps, crushed fine
6 oz butter, melted
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eight-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs, separated
1 cup cream
½ cup milk
1 ½ cup grated American Heritage Chocolate
¾ cup crystal (candied) ginger, chopped fine

Procedure:
Crust
Preheat oven to 325F. Place gingersnaps in food processor and process until fine crumb forms. Move ginger crumbs to small bowl and add melted butter. Press mixture into bottom of a 10-inch spring-form pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool ten minutes.

Filling
In large bowl, mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, salt and cream cheese. Add vanilla and mix 1 minute. Separate egg yolks from whites. Place egg whites into small glass or metal bowl. Add egg yolks to cream cheese mixture, one at a time, mixing well after each yolk.

Add cream and milk and mix for 1 minute. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold egg whites into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in grated chocolate and chopped ginger. Pour mixture into spring-form pan.

Bake at 325F for 50 minutes. Let cool in oven with door shut for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for 1 hour. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours; it is best if left overnight to cool and blend flavors.

(Author: Deanna Pucciarelli, Chef and Associate Researcher, Nutrition Department, UC Davis).