Tanka challenge 11/9/08

[gurdymonkey]

Flutes and strings
Vie with the sound of laughter
And good conversation.
My friends hold lovely parties,
But where did the morning go? (11/9/08)

Thanks to karisu_sama  and didjiman  for a lovely evening and to mochimonkey  for excellent homemade mochi. 

The ginger cheesecake got raves (and I only got crumbs!).

Instrumental jammage of a mostly trad-Irish nature occurred, requiring me to dig out the old D whistle and play entirely by ear because transposing notation after two glasses of wine just isn't gonna happen.

And now, for the cheesecake recipe. My tweaks to the original are indicated by strike-throughs and italics: 
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/cheesecake/crystallized-ginger-cheesecake.htm

For crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Substitute 1 1/2 cups Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Ginger Snap crumbs, eliminating the need for ginger out of a jar.

6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted


For filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla  (I discovered I was out of it and skipped it. It does not appear to have been missed.)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger (Have you ever tried chopping crystallized ginger? It's sticky. It does not want to chop, it wants to stick to the blades of your chopper or knife....)

1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (I probably used more than this, having grated a chunk and then tossed the gratings into the mix without exact measurement.)

For topping:

16 ounces sour cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla  (I skipped this and drizzled chocolate wine sauce over the top of the chilled cake. Cocoa powder or dark chocolate shavings would also be good substitutions.)

To prepare crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together crumbs, ground ginger and butter. Pat into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Surround the pan with foil (to catch any drips in the oven).

To prepare filling: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. On medium-low speed, beat in vanilla, then sugar, then crystallized ginger, then fresh ginger. Incorporate each ingredient and scrape down the bowl before adding the next.

Pour the filling into the springform pan, making sure the crystallized ginger is evenly distributed. Bake on the middle oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges, but the center is still slightly wobbly when the pan is gently shaken. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Leave the oven on. or however long it needs to begin lightly browning on top.

To prepare topping: Stir together sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Drop spoonfuls of topping around the edge of the cake; spread gently over the entire cake, smoothing evenly. Return to the oven; bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then run a thin spatula or flexible knife between the side of the cake and the pan. Chill until cold, then remove the sides of the pan and serve.

Yield: 12 servings.

Comments

[eleryth.livejournal.com]

Sounds scrumptious! I'll have to try to make that over the Christmas holidays.

[ladycelia.livejournal.com]

This sounds fabulous.
Tip for cutting crystalized ginger--use scissors. It still sticks, but it's easier to deal with.

[mochimonkey.livejournal.com]

ha ha - you got more than crumbs! I saw! You had a nibble and crumbs! :)

And double yay for the hurdy gurdy!

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Busted. ;-(

At least I didn't eat a whole slice. And I only had two mochi...

[kareina.livejournal.com]

I use an ulu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulu) for chopping crystallized ginger (and just about everything else). The bits that stick to the blade I ignore whilst chopping, new bits cause the old bits to work their way off, and by the time I'm done chopping only a little is sticking to the blade.

Bah!!!

[bedouinchick.livejournal.com]

The recipie sounds deelish and I want a copy. However, either Yaho or my PC is being nasty and has prevented me from the cut & paste three times. Would you be so kind as to email this to me? I'd appreciate it -- and so would my PC since I've threatened it with mechanical harm if there are any more ether burps.