Halloween is over and the first of November has come and gone, it is officially Thanksgiving season!

Some things on your menu are probably standards that are there year after year. The one place in my menu that I do make changes year to year are the desserts.

Fall makes you think of certain flavors such as pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, chocolate … well, I always think of chocolate regardless of the season. Dark or milk chocolate can be hard to blend with other seasonal flavors so this is when I turn to white chocolate.

I know, dark and milk chocolate lovers say it isn’t really chocolate, but it is. Because white chocolate doesn’t contain chocolate liquor, there was a time when the FDA would not allow it to be called chocolate. In 2005 they came to their senses and stated that since it contains cocoa butter it can be called chocolate.

Good white chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin and vanilla. Confectionary coating, such as almond bark, does not contain cocoa butter. These products have their place just not in this recipe.

My favorite brand of white chocolate is Callebaut. You can use other brands, just check and make sure they have cocoa butter in them.

This cheesecake is a smooth blend of white chocolate and ginger and perfect for your Thanksgiving dessert table.

White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake

1 tablespoon butter

18-20 gingersnaps

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 pound white chocolate, finely chopped

2 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup of finely diced crystallized ginger

1 quart of boiling water

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Take the tablespoon of butter and butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan. Use a double layer of aluminum foil and wrap around the bottom of the pan. This will prevent water from seeping inside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the gingersnaps and 2 tablespoons of sugar, pulse until finely ground. Or you can place the cookies and sugar in a large Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add the 6 tablespoons of melted butter and the teaspoon of ginger. Mix well until all the crumbs are moist. Pour the crumb mixture into your buttered pan and using your fingers, press the mixture evenly on the bottom and a little ways up the sides of the pan. Place in the refrigerator while you are making cheesecake batter.

Place the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler over low heat. Stir often to help it melt evenly. Remove the top pan of the double boiler and wipe the bottom and sides to get all the water off. If a drop of water gets in the melted chocolate it will “seize” which means it will stiffen.

Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer beat until it is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each and stop to scrape down the mixture. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Add the melted chocolate and finely chopped ginger and blend well, do not beat.

Pour the batter into the chilled crust and smooth out the top. Place the springform pan in the center of a larger pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour the boiling water into the bottom pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 90 minutes until the top is light golden and jiggles very slightly when the cake is moved. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, remove the foil and let the cheesecake cool at room temperature. When completely cool, cover the top of the cheesecake with plastic wrap, wax paper or parchment paper. Wrap the entire cheesecake in foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. To serve, run a thin bladed knife between the cheesecake and pan and then loosen the pan and gently remove the sides of the pan. Serve in thin slices with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of crystallized ginger on top. The easiest way to slice a cheesecake is to use a long thin bladed knife that you have dipped in hot water and wiped dry.

Christina Hall writes a weekly column for The Democrat. She can be reached at christina.hall@natchezdemocrat.com.