Ginger Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

The absolute best cheesecake ever!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 40 mins
• Serves: 16

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 1⁄2 cups  finely crushed  gingersnaps
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 3  tablespoons  melted butter (, no substitutes)

• Filling

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 1⁄4 cup flour
• 3  eggs (beaten together with the next four ingredients)
• 1  tablespoon vanilla
• 1  teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1  teaspoon mace (or nutmeg-but mace is better! Yum!)
• 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1⁄2 bag chocolate chips (I use ghirardelli, both milk and semi-sweet, together)

• Topping

• 16  ounces sour cream (minus the 1/2cup from the filling)
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon mace
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Crust: Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
2. Combine and press into bottom and up sides of ungreased 9” springform pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, set aside.
4. Increase oven temperature to 450F degrees.
5. Filling: Soften cream cheese by cutting into cubes and letting sit out for 1/2 hour before beginning.
6. The softer your cream cheese the better your cheesecake will turn out.
7. In a LARGE mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy.
8. This is the best time to make sure there are no lumps.
9. After this, you must keep beating time to a bare minimum.
10. Add the flour, beat at low speed until smooth, and then add the egg mixture all at once, beating on low speed till just combined.
11. Using a spoon, fold in the sour cream and chocolate chips.
12. Pour into your prepared crust, place on a cookie sheet or shallow pan (to prevent any chance of mess) and bake at 450 for 10 minutes.
13. Reduce the oven temp to 300, without opening door, and continue to bake for 30 minutes or more, until center appears nearly set when shaken.
14. If whole cake jiggles, add 5 minutes.
15. Topping: Stir together, and spread evenly over top of cheesecake.
16. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes longer.
17. Turn off the oven at the 15 minute mark, but leave cake in for 15 more minutes.
18. Then, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 1/2 hour, with an inverted plate over the top, to maintain the moisture.
19. After 1/2 hour, remove the plate, and cool for another ½ hour.
20. Loosen the cake from the pan with a very thin knife, and remove the sides of the pan, and cool on counter for another hour.
21. Cover, and chill for 4 hours.
22. Bring to room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
23. Cover the top of cake with a doily, or make your own groovy paper snowflake and lay it over the cake.
24. Sift cocoa powder through the doily, and lift carefully.