Orange Ginger Chocolate Cheesecake Recipes

INDIVIDUAL ORANGE AND CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter. Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.
• In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg. Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture. Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.
• Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

ORANGE-GINGER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press on bottom and just far enough up side to seal bottom of springform pan, 9x3 inches.
• Place cream cheese, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream and the orange peel in food processor. Cover and process about 3 minutes or until smooth. Add eggs. Cover and process until well blended. Spread over crust.
• Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until center is set. Cool on wire rack 15 minutes. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen; remove side of pan. Refrigerate uncovered about 3 hours or until chilled; cover and continue refrigerating at least 4 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
• Mix 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 tablespoons sugar; spread over top of cheesecake. Top with fruit. Store covered in refrigerator.

ORANGE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Combine the first three ingredients; press onto the bottom and 1-1/2 in up the sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; cool completely. , In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet , Bake at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until center is nearly set. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. , Combine the sour cream, sugar and extract; spread over filling. Bake at 450° for 5-7 minutes or until set. Chill, uncovered, 1 hour. Arrange oranges on cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Refrigerate leftovers.

ORANGE-GINGERBREAD CHEESECAKE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with enough parchment paper to have overhang on all sides. Lightly grease parchment.
• Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt for the gingerbread in a large bowl until combined.
• Cream brown sugar and butter in a separate bowl with an electric mixed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Mix in molasses.
• Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 separate additions, mixing only until just combined; dough will be fairly thick. Press 2/3 of the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, using floured hands to prevent sticking.
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, and salt for the filling in a large bowl until completely smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and orange zest. Pour filling evenly over gingerbread crust and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining gingerbread dough over the filling and gently press down.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set and the center of the cheesecake only slightly jiggles, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Once cooled, remove from pan using parchment "handles" and slice into bars.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 6- or 7-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray with flour.
• Put the cookies, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely crushed, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. (Any large, stubborn bits of cookie can be crushed with the back of a spoon.) You should have about 1 heaping cup of crumbs.
• Put the cookie crumbs in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until combined and all the crumbs are moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs down in an even layer and up the sides about 1/2 inch (or a little higher if using a 6-inch pan).
• Bake until set, about 12 minutes. Let the crust cool on a wire rack while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling: Combine the chocolate chips and milk in a large mug or other heatproof bowl. Microwave on high for 60 seconds. Remove from the microwave and use a small rubber spatula to stir in small circles until the mixture comes together and the chocolate chips are melted and smooth. Set aside.
• Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you may also use a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer or whisk). Beat on medium-low speed until combined and smooth, about 1 minute.
• Increase the speed to medium. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each until smooth and homogenous, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
• Reduce the speed to medium low and add the flour, orange liqueur, vanilla and orange zest.
• With the mixer running, drizzle in the melted chocolate. Mix until smooth, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
• Pour the filling into the pan and smooth the top. Bake until the sides of the cheesecake are set and the middle jiggles when shaken, about 40 minutes.
• Turn off the oven and open the door a few inches. Let the cheesecake remain in the warm oven with the door ajar for 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature until no longer warm, about 30 minutes. Transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator and let rest until completely chilled, about 2 hours, or until ready to serve.
• To unmold, run an offset spatula or butter knife around the edge of the pan. Carefully unlock the springform pan and remove the outer ring. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, chocolate sauce and some candied orange peel.
• The cheesecake should be stored in the refrigerator, covered, up to 3 days. The cheesecake may also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost the frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator prior to serving.
• Using a vegetable peeler, cut the orange peel into vertical, wide strips (save the inside of the orange for eating later!). Try to carefully shave off any of the bitter white pith with a paring knife. Cut the orange peel into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• Put the orange peel in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes then drain and rinse. Repeat this process a second time. This step removes any bitterness from the peel.
• Bring 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup water to a simmer in the same small saucepan. Allow the sugar to dissolve, about 5 minutes. Add the blanched orange peels and simmer gently over low heat until the peels are softened and pith is translucent, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Remove the peels from the syrup and dredge in the sugar (cool and store the leftover orange simple syrup for another use!). Shake off any excess sugar and place the peels on a wire baking rack set in a baking sheet. Allow to sit and dry out, uncovered, for a day or so.

CHOCOLATE/GINGER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Melt the butter and mix with the crushed biscuits. Pour into the baking tin and flatten.
• Cook in the oven at 190 for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
• Mix together the mascarpone and fromage frais until smooth.
• Add the eggs and sugar and whisk together.
• Melt the chocolate in a bain marie and then gently fold into the mascarpone mix.
• Pour over the biscuit base and cook in the oven at 190c for 1hr 15 minutes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE-GINGER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• FOR CRUST:
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Wrap outside of pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Finely grind cookies, sugar and ginger in processor. Add butter; blend until moist clumps form. Press onto bottom and up sides of pan. Chill while preparing filling.
• FOR FILLING:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300°F. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over hot water until chocolate melts. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla and ground ginger. Gradually beat in melted white chocolate. Stir in crystallized ginger.
• Transfer filling to prepared crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake puffs and edges crack slightly, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer cake to rack. Run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Cool completely. Remove foil from pan sides. Chill cake overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)
• Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Top with chocolate curls.