Recipe#8341

Title: Banana 01

From: jimg002@aol.com (JimG002) 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: Banana Cheesecake 
 Date: 23 Mar 1998 06:28:35 -0700 
 Message-ID: <1998032017302501.MAA28903@ladder01.news.aol.com> 

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
 1/2 cup butter or margarine -- melted
 8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
 1/2 cup sugar
 2 teaspoons ground ginger
 4 medium bananas
 1 teaspoon lemon juice
 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
 3 tablespoons cold water
 1/2 pint whipping cream
 banana slices for garnish
 Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press evenly over base and
 up side of 8" round springform pan, to within 1" of rim. Cover and
 refrigerate while preparing filling. Beat cream cheese, sugar and
 ginger together until smoothly blended. Mash the bananas with the
 lemon juice. Stir into the cream cheese mixture, mixing together
 well. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in top of double boiler.
 Soften for 5 minutes until spongy. Place over simmering water,
 stirring occasionally, until gelatin has dissolved. Beat into banana
 mixture.
 Whip half the cream until soft peaks form; fold into banana mixture.
 Pour the banana mixture into crust. Cover with plastic wrap and
 refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until set. Loosen edges of
 cheesecake and remove sides from pan.  Transfer to serving plate.
 Whip remaining cream until soft peaks form. Spread over top of
 cheesecake. Mark a crisscross pattern in whipped cream with tines
 of fork if desired. Garnish with banana slices that have been dipped
 in lemon juice.
 VARIATION: Sprinkle finely chopped nuts or grated semi sweet
 chocolate over whipped cream on top of cheesecake. Try same recipe
 using 1 lb fresh strawberries in place of bananas. Reserve 8 medium
 sized strawberries, cut in half, for garnish.
 Ungarnished cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Do
 not store the cake after the banana slices are added as they will
 soften and turn brown.