CHAI LATTE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
• 1/3 cup salted butter, melted
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 chai spice black tea bags
• 32 oz (1 kg) cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wrap outside of a 9 inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil. Grease inside of pan.
3. To prepare crust, combine crumbs, melted butter, 2 tbsp sugar, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl until blended. Press mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of pan.
4. Bake until golden brown, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.
5. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep for 10 minutes. Strain tea through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on tea bags to extract as much tea as possible; discard tea bags. Cool tea completely.
6. To prepare filling, use medium speed of an electric mixer and beat together cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups sugar, flour and salt until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. Using low speed, beat in tea, sour cream and vanilla just until blended. Do not overbeat.
8. Pour mixture into crust. Place springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come two-thirds up sides of springform pan.
9. Bake at 325°F until centre of cheesecake is puffed and jiggles slightly when shaken, about 1 1/2 hours.
10. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven with door ajar for 1 hour.
11. Remove springform pan from roasting pan; remove foil. Place springform pan on a rack. Run a knife around sides of pan to loosen.
12. Cool cheesecake completely in pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
13. Remove sides of pan. Slice cheesecake with a hot wet knife. May be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator