If you’re just going to have a dessert nibble, I think it should be a nibble so decadent and rich that it’ll send you directly to sugar nirvana. This ought to do it. I used Ghirardelli dark melting wafers, but bittersweet chocolate chips could also work, thinned with a little melted shortening.
2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 42 cookies)
6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 lb. cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
⅛ tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 (10-oz.) package dark chocolate melting wafers
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over the sides of the pan.
2. Mix the crushed gingersnaps with the melted butter. Pat the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
3. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until incorporated. Beat in the lemon juice.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and bake for about 30 minutes, or until set. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove and let cool. Cover and freeze for up to 2 hours.
5. Remove the cheesecake from the pan using the aluminum foil as handles, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
6. Place the chocolate in a bowl and microwave according to the package directions. Spoon a small amount of the melted chocolate over each cheesecake bite, allowing it to drip over the sides of the pan. Immediately sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.