Palmabella's Passions

I made Martha's Gingerbread Cheesecake for my book club.

First make Gingerbread Cookies. This is the Fanny Farmer recipe:

1 cup butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. molasses
2 T. vinegar
5 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in egg and liquids and beat well. Add flour and spices. Wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. Roll to 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutters and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6 min. Let cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

The Gingerbread Cheesecake is a Martha Stewart recipe.
Smash cookies in a food processor to make 2 cups of crumbs. (about 1/4 of above recipe). in a bowl, combine 2 c. cookie crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar, and 1/2 stick melted unsalted butter. Wrap outside of a 9 in springform pan with 2 layers of foil. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up half of sides of pan. Bake at 375 for 10 min. /let crust cool, and reduce oven temp to 325.

Cheesecake filling:

2 pounds cream cheese
1 1/2 c. sugar
1t. vanilla
4 large eggs
1/4 c. molasses
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. lemon zest
6 gingerbread men for garnish

Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in 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, 65 to 75 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

Brad got the last piece!