It’s all in the crust.  I changed it to a pressed shortbread a’ la lemon bars and it worked perfectly.  I played with three versions – ginger shortbread, ginger cardamom shortbread (I don’t like this combo, but it DID place #2 so I thought I’d try it again) and ginger shortbread with a white chocolate layer between crust and custard. 

I also whipped up a lemon swirl cheesecake with a gingersnap crumb crust. 

My tasters narrowed it down to the cheesecake and the tart with the layer of white chocolate.  Now the tricky part – the final decision:

Them:             They’re both good.

Me:                  But which one do you like better

Them:              I don’t know, they are both good and completely different

Me:                  OK, but if you were going to order one of them for dessert…

Them:              I’d order crème brulee. I always order crème brulee.

Me:                  Crème brulee is not a choice.  If there are only two desserts on the
menu – the tart and the cheesecake, which one would you order?

Them:              I wouldn’t order a lemon dessert. But if someone gave me either I would be happy.

Me:                  If you had to ORDER one…

Them:              So, you’re saying  the dessert CAME with the meal and I had to order…then I’d ask the server which one they liked better.

Me:                  OK, let’s say the server said both of them were good.

Them:              I would ask the server if the cheesecake was New York style. I don’t like York Style cheesecake, it’s too dry.

Me:                  I don’t like New York style either.  So the server says, “no”.

Them:              I’d order the cheesecake.

Ugh!