Gingerbread White Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake

Rich, creamy white chocolate mocha cheesecake with a gingerbread crust and gingerbread meringue.

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper by placing the paper on the base, then snapping the pan together
Add the heavy cream and ¼ c. coffee grounds to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a simmer, then remove it from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, chop up the white chocolate and place it into a small mixing bowl.
Once the mixture has sat for 10 minutes, bring it back to a simmer. Place a fine mesh sieve over the white chocolate bowl, then pour the cream through the bowl, pressing out as much cream from the coffee grounds as you can. (Some of the grounds may go through the sieve into the chocolate - that’s perfectly fine and won’t affect the cheesecake texture!)
Stir the cream and chocolate together until melted and smooth, then set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, melt the butter. Mix in the sugar, flour, coffee grounds, and gingerbread spice until you have a cohesive dough.
Press the crust into the bottom of the springform pan, and bake for 10 minutes. In the meantime, start making the cheesecake filling.

Add the cream cheese, brown sugar and cornstarch to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or to a large bowl with a hand mixer.) Beat the ingredients together on medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.
Add the three eggs into the cream cheese and beat the mixture on low speed until just incorporated.
Add in the melted white chocolate mixture and mix again on low speed until just combined.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the baked crust. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles in the batter.
Fill a 10×15" baking dish, or any larger pan that can reasonably fit the 9" springform inside of it, a third of the way with hot water. If desired, wrap tin foil around the bottom of your springform pan to avoid the possibility of water seeping into the springform.
Place the springform pan into the larger pan, then place the whole thing into the oven. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until the cheesecake only slightly wobbles and reaches an internal temperature of at least 170°F / 76°C. If the cheesecake starts to brown on top, gently place a piece of tinfoil over the top of the pan.
Once the cheesecake is fully cooked, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar with the cheesecake in it for 1 hr. before transferring it to the fridge to chill for at least 8 hours.

(Save this step until you're ready to serve the cheesecake!)
Add the egg whites** and brown sugar to a medium sized saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 160°F / 71°C.
Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form. Then, add in the salt and gingerbread spice and beat until stiff peaks form.
Place all of the meringue on top of the cheesecake. If desired, use a culinary torch to torch the meringue.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!