White Chocolate and Ginger Cheesecake

Simply delicious! I originally came upon this idea when eating in 'Wagamama', then researched the recipe at home, here is my adapted recipe: (warning, this is a big cheesecake)

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 13 oz ginger biscuits
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• At least 1 teaspoon ground ginger (but I use about 2-3, my family love ginger)
• 6 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

For the filling:

• 1 pound white chocolate (the better the quality, the better the cheesecake)
• 32 oz ( 4 x 8 oz packs) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (this helps with the white chocolate flavour)
• At least 1 teaspoon ground ginger (but I use about 2)
•  2/3 cup finely chopped ginger (the ginger in syrup you can get from supermarkets)

Method:

1. Grease a high sided (just under 3 inches) 9 inch spring form tin.
2. Wrap the outside of the tin with 2 layers of aluminium foil (this is beacause it willl be cooked in a bain marie).
3. Grind the biscuits alpong with the ground ginger and sugar by hand or in a food processor (quite finely).
4. Add the butter to the biscuit mix and mix. Press into the bottom of the tin quite firmly and chill in the fridge whilst you prepare the filling.
5. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C (130 fan).
6. Melt the chocolate over a pan of boiling water or just in the microwave and leave to cool.
7. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl ntil fluffy with and electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.
8. Beat in the vanilla and ground ginger then the melted white chocolate. Stir in the ginger.
9. Pour the filling onto the base and then place the tin tinto a roasting tin and pour in hot water (deep enough to come halfway on the cheesecake).
10. Bake in the oven for around 1 1/2 hours, or until the edges crack slightly.
11. Transfer onto a rack to cool in the tin, use a knife to go around the edges to loosen then leave to cool.
12. Remove the foil and chill the cheesecake overnight in the fridge (still in the tin).
13. Remove from the tin and put the cheesecake onto a serving plate.
14. Top with crystalised ginger or white chocolate.