Ginger Sweet Potato Cheesecake

12 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
15 gingersnap cookies
3/4 cup fiber one cereal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 egg whites
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with cooking spray.

Add the potatoes in a large saucepan over high heat with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Bring the potatoes to a boil; cook them until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and mash the potatoes and allow them to cool.

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add the apricots and let them rehydrate for 10 minutes; drain.

Place the cookies and cereal into the bowl of a food processor and process until they are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the butter; mix well. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and 1″ up the sides of the prepared spring form pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Place the mashed sweet potatoes, cream cheese, and Neufchatel cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the ingredients on high speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, egg whites, sugar, ginger, flour, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt and beat well. Sprinkle the rehydrated and drained apricots over the bottom of the prepared crust. Pour the potato mixture over the apricots. Bake until the cheesecake is almost set, which will be about 42 to 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stand in the unopened oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill it for at least 3 hours before serving.