Italian Ricotta Cheesecake with Ginger Crust

As is true with any art form, culinary experimentation expands our boundaries and takes us into new terrain. Take a contemporary version of traditional Sicilian cheesecake made with local honey and organic palm sugar. Nestle it into a crust made from an extra flavorful recipe for gingerbread cookies (mine were gluten free) that were re-purposed from holiday baking. The result? A dessert that I consider better than the sum of its parts, and a glorious finish to a dinner party that can be made a day (or even two) ahead of time.
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