Take your packages of cream cheese out of the fridge and make sure they are soft, but not melted.

Crush or food process the ginger snaps so that you have a full two cups of crumbs. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can add them to a sturdy zipper baggie and beat them with the flat side of a rolling pin. They don’t need to be powdered; just have the crumbs be a uniform cracker-crumb consistency.)

Add to a mixing bowl.

Melt the butter completely. Pour butter over the cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork or wooden spoon. If you’ve used unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt here. If you REALLY love the flavor of ginger, add a ½ t of powdered ginger now, but if you have good quality snaps, you may not need it. Sometimes I add ½ t of powdered cloves here, too, or pumpkin-pie spice.

Press the cookie-butter mixture into your glass pie pan with your fingers, making sure the crumbs go up the side. Ensure you can’t see the pan through the crust, and overall that it’s even. Set aside.

Zest the two limes and set aside. Slice two round “wheels” off the limes and juice the rest. Set aside zest and juice separately.

In a mixing bowl, whip the cream into stiff peaks. Set aside.

In another larger bowl, add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar gradually, then the lime juice. Beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream and lime zest.

With a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared cookie crust and pile it high, smoothing the cream cheese mixture until it’s evenly spread across the center of the crust’s surface. 

Optional: Garnish by laying the two lime wheels flat in the center of the cheesecake. 

Cover with cellophane or foil, trying not to touch the cream filling with the cover. Chill for three hours or overnight.