Ginger Mascarpone Icebox Cake

12 oz gingersnap crumbs ( about 2 1/4 cups)
2 1/2 oz (5 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup sugar + more for the pan
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup minced candied (crystallized) ginger
1 lb mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream

Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease it lightly. Dust the pan with a little sugar and knock out any excess. Combine the gingersnap crumbs and butter, rubbing them together with your fingertips to combine thoroughly. Sprinkle half of the crumbs over the bottom of the pan and pat down evenly; reserve the rest.

With an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and candied ginger until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the mascarpone and cream and whip until the mixture is thoroughly combined and just holds peaks. Don’t overwhip or the mixture may separate. Carefully spoon half of the mascarpone cream over the gingersnap crust, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle half of the remaining crumbs over the mascarpone cream in the pan. Top with remaining mascarpone cream and finish with the remaining crumbs. Gently tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. To serve, warm a sharp knife under hot water and dry it off. Cut one slice, clean the knife and warm it again before cutting the next slice.

NOTES
From Cooking New American.
Untried.

Tiramisu

2 c double-strength brewed coffee
6 Tbsp dark rum, divided
1 1/2 c chilled heavy cream, divided
6 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 lb mascarpone cheese
4 (6 oz) pkg ladyfingers, about 48 cookies
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, grated
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Combine coffee and 1/4 c rum in a pie plate or wide baking dish and set aside to cool.

Make mascarpone cream. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 c heavy cream, remaining 2 Tbsp of rum, sugar, salt and mascarpone cheese. Mix well and set aside.

Pour remaining 1 1/4 c cream into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it holds stiff peaks, about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until mixture is uniform. Set aside.

Assemble tiramisu. Working one at a time, roll half the ladyfingers very quickly in coffee mixture (take too long and ladyfingers will be soggy and heavy) and arrange in a snug single layer in a 9"x13" glass or ceramic baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as necessary to fill the dish. Spread half the mascarpone cream evenly over ladyfingers, using a rubber spatula to work mixture into corners of dish and to smooth surface. Sprinkle half of grated chocolate evenly over mascarpone, then repeat dipping and arranging remaining ladyfingers over mascarpone and chocolate layer. Spread remaining mascarpone evenly over second layer of ladyfingers, smooth top with spatula, and sprinkle with remaining chocolate.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate to set, 6-24 hours. At serving time, remove plastic wrap, place cocoa powder in a fine mesh strainer, and sprinkle evenly over top of tiramisu. Wipe edges of dish clean and serve.

NOTES
From Hannaford.
Untried.