Cheesecake with Avocado Mousse

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
• ½ cup unsweetened toasted coconut
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp salt

For the Filling:

• 4 eight-ounce packages of cream cheese
• 1 ½ cups white sugar plus ¼ cup cornstarch, mixed
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the Mousse:

• 2 ripe Mission avocados
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup honey
• ⅓ dark cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt

Optional Toppings:

• Candied ginger
• Ginger snap pieces
• Toasted coconut

Directions

For the Crust:

1. In a food processor, grind gingersnaps until crumbled. Add in remaining ingredients and pulse until evenly mixed and sandy. Press crust into the bottom of a springform pan* and up the sides of the pan. Use the back of a measuring cup to press crust into place. Crust should be about ¼ inch thick. Refrigerate crust while mixing the filling.

For the Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. In a stand mixer, whip cream cheese until light and fluffy, add the sour cream, and mix until combined. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch. Slowly add the sugar and cornstarch mixture to the stand mixer, beating until fluffy. Add one egg at a time until fully incorporated. Add salt and vanilla.
3. In a 9X13 pan, add 1-2” of water. Wrap the springform pan with aluminum foil to guard against water leakage. Pour in filling and set in “water bath.” Water should be ⅔ of the way up the side of the pan. Bake without opening the oven for 1 ½ hours. Check cake; it should be slightly puffed and slightly wobbly in the middle. Add 10-15 min. intervals if needed.
4. Cool the cake by turning off the oven and cracking it open. This lets the cheesecake cool slowly. Move to counter after an hour and cool completely before refrigerating. Once completely cooled, run a knife around the edges of the pan and remove from the springform.

For the Mousse:

1. While the cheesecake is cooling, prepare the mousse. In a double boiler (or microwave) melt chocolate chips until smooth but not extremely hot. In a food processor, blend all ingredients until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Top cheesecake with avocado mousse and optional toppings. Cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.