Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Okay, so don't hate me.
This cheesecake has a ton of steps and more than a few calories. I think I may have gained 2 pounds the week we ate it. (not a joke)
And, I made it for Valentine's Day and haven't gotten around to typing it up until now.

Y'all know I love cheesecake. Definitely more than the normal person.  I've made quite a few that I thought were top of the line.  But this one.......this one really is at the top.

Oreo crust, rich homemade caramel flavoring the cheesecake and a layer of extra sauce dripping out of the sides, smooth and creamy ganache, and mildly sweetened whipped cream topping it off.  
It's phenomenal.
The only thing that could make it better (for some people) would be some toasted pecans, making that classic turtle flavor.

I love love love this caramel sauce recipe.  I've tried several, with varying degrees of success (read: some outright failures, resulting in tears a few times) over the years, and this one was not only simple, but simply divine.  I did burn the first batch, but that was only because I walked away from the stove for too long.  So keep an eye on it.  But if you follow the tutorial (linked to in the recipe, it's fantastic), you should end up with a jar full of pure deliciousness that you'll almost hate to put in a cheesecake because you just want it eat it by the spoonful.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I am also thrilled with the stabilized whipped cream.  I can tell you that it stayed perfectly piped on the cheesecake leftovers for the entire week while Grant and I nibbled away at it each night - no drips, oozing, or melting.  But it still tastes like regular whipped cream.  I've wondered how to pull that off for years - probably since my first Cheesecake Factory visit.  Now I can do it myself!!!  Major score.

The only thing I should note about the whipped cream is that this recipe makes WAY too much for this cheesecake.  And I was very generous with extra dollops on top of each piece as I served it.  So next time I'll just reduce it in half (hopefully that won't affect the way the gelatin works at all) and hope for the best.


Salted Caramel Cheesecake
from rebekahsfamilyfoodandfun.blogspot.com

Caramel Sauce: 
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 Tbsp. salted butter
3/4 to 1 tsp. kosher salt (to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. water

Crust:
1 Family Size package chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos), finely processed into crumbs (about 45 cookies)
7 Tbsp. salted butter, melted and cooled

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Filling: 
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup caramel sauce 

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz. heavy cream

Stabilized Whipped Cream:
1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 

Step 1. Make Caramel Sauce
**See Baking a Moment for an awesome tutorial

• In a small pot, gently heat the cream, butter, and salt until the butter has melted and the salt has completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
• In a larger pot, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water.  Heat over a medium high flame, swirling the pot occasionally to distribute the heat evenly.  
• Continue to boil the sugar mixture until the bubbles begin to get smaller and it becomes amber colored.
• Reduce the heat to low and pour in the warm cream mixture, whisking constantly to avoid lumps or crystals.
• Immediately transfer the hot mixture to a heat-safe container and cool completely.  

Step 2. Make Oreo Crust

• Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Combine crushed cookies and melted butter until all the crumbs are moistened.  Press into bottom and up the sides of springform pan.  Place in freezer while you prepare filling.  

Step 3. Make Salted Caramel Cheesecake Filling

• Heat oven to 300°F. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs, one a time, just until blended.  Add heavy cream and 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce; stir until blended.  Pour filling over crust.
• Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly.  Turn oven off; open door 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen cheesecake.  Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. 
• Remove from refrigerator and pour the salted caramel sauce on top.  Use as much as you want - but be sure to reserve some for drizzling when serving. Put back in the refrigerator while you make the ganache. 

Step 4. Make Chocolate Ganache

• Chop the chocolate finely and place in a medium bowl.
• Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until bubbles form around the edges.  Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Let cool about 5-10 minutes, until it's still pour-able but no longer hot.
• Pour ganache on top of caramel layer and refrigerate while you make the whipped cream. 

Step 5. Make Stabilized Whipped Cream

• Place 1/4 cup of cold water in a small sauce pan, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin. Let the gelatin soften and absorb all of the water (about 5 minutes)
• Place pan over low heat and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Let it cool off the heat while you complete the next step.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Slowly pour in warm dissolved gelatin and mix until soft peaks reform.  You may not get stiff peaks, but it will be perfect for piping on top of cheesecake, pies, and other desserts.
• Place whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip, remove cake from fridge, and pipe whipped cream out on edge of cheesecake.  Drizzle top of cake with caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sources: adapted slightly from Tidy Mom; caramel sauce with tutorial from Baking a Moment

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

I know it's just the beginning of August - and there are lots of people who are still soaking in the love of summer for another month - but around here, we're already two weeks into our home school schedule.

We're attempting a new routine - one that I started last year but was completely disrupted by our move; six weeks on, one week off year round - with an extra ten weeks to take off whenever we want.  I'm sure a chunk of those will regularly be taken in the summer, plus we'll have extra time off in December and whenever grandparents come to visit. We'll see how it goes.

A couple of weeks ago, the leaders of our church hosted a dinner for the families who were new to the congregation in the past several months.  We were asked to bring a dessert (you know they had to twist my arm on that one) and I decided to make this variation on these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Squares.  That's my second most popular blog post of all time - and well deservedly so - but I always like to try new things.

The recipe that inspired me was made in a 8x8" square pan.  Now, I know for some people, that's a reasonable amount of dessert to have around, but when you have a family of 7 and might like a dessert to last more than one meal, that's just not gonna cut it. Not to mention that we were taking it to a potluck.

So double it I did.  

Okay, I have a confession to make.  Any time a recipe calls for an amount of cream cheese that doesn't use up the whole block, I adjust the recipe to use it all  - unless I already have a purpose for the remainder. I just can't stand leaving 4 ounces of cream cheese in the fridge, knowing that I'll never have a recipe that uses so little or I'll forget all about it and end up throwing it away in 3 months.  (cause that's about how often I clean out my fridge.  I know. Ick.  But it's my least favorite chore.)

Sooooo.....I not only doubled the recipe but increased the cheesecake layer so I avoid having the icky cream cheese in the fridge.  The result was that my cheesecake layer was a little taller than the original and took a bit longer to bake - which in turn meant that the cookie layer on top got slightly brown.  I was worried about that at first, but you know what?  It still tasted fabulously delicious.

The proof was that people kept asking "Who made these bars??" with glowing eyes and blissfully happy smiles on their faces at the fellowship meal - and my family couldn't get enough of them.  I'm afraid my kids might have taken more than their share.  And the small pan that I saved at home and took to my parents the next night were equally as well received - my dad and brother LOVED them.

Oh, and another nice thing about making a huge pan - although I didn't have the chance to freeze any, I know they'd freeze perfectly and you could have little cheesecake bites just waiting for you any time the chocolate urge hits.
Or you have surprise company.
Or an accomplishment to celebrate.
Or you just like cheesecake with cookie dough.  Like me.  :)

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Adapted from Baby Gizmo

Crust:

3 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 27 cookies)

1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, melted (I used salted)

Cookie Dough:

10 Tbsp. salted butter, partially melted

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

6 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 13 x 9" pan with foil or parchment paper allowing a little overhang.

Mix the melted butter and cookie crumbs until thoroughly combined.  Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.  I use a metal measuring cup to press the mixture in well.  Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes.  Remove pan to a cooling rack.

While the crust is baking, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough.  In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.  Mix in the flour just until incorporated.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Mix in the eggs and vanilla on low speed just until combined. Add the melted chocolate and mix gently.  Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust.

Flatten clumps of cookie dough in your palms and distribute onto the top of the cheesecake batter.  Get it as evenly spread out as possible.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cookie dough feels dry and firm and the entire pan looks set.  If it's really jiggly, give it a few more minutes.  If the cookie dough starts to brown too much, you can cover the top of the pan with foil.

Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours before cutting.  Remove from pan using the foil overhang and cut into desired size squares.  Keep refrigerated until serving.

Bars can be frozen also - just allow to thaw before serving.  

Mocha Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

My little sister Anna was only 10 when I moved away from home, and I'm pretty sure I've been away for all of her birthdays since then.  I insisted on being the one to make her a cake for her 24th birthday.  After deliberating for awhile, she decided that she wanted a cheesecake with mocha and peanut butter.

Well, that sounded interesting.

I searched around and didn't really find much that included both of those flavors - it's a bit of an unusual combination, I suppose.  I ended up altering the Layered Mocha Cheesecake that I've already made and adding some homemade chocolate peanut butter and lots of chopped peanut butter cups in the middle.  I was going to drizzle the extra chocolate peanut butter on top.....and thought it needed a tiny bit of extra sugar. Foolishly, I added granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar, and despite heating it repeatedly, I never got the graininess to disappear.  Oh well, that meant I got to add ganache on top instead.
You can bet I wasn't crying about that.

The cheesecake was a huge hit - the mocha flavor isn't super strong and it is really complemented by the peanut butter and chocolate.  Anna loved it, and that was the most important thing.

Oh, and using Nutter Butter cookies for the crust? Awesome.  Man, I could just eat an entire package of Nutter Butters in one sitting if left unsupervised.  But you could certainly use graham crackers or even Oreos for the crust if you wanted.

Mocha Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Crust:
16 Nutter Butter cookies
4 T. butter

Chocolate Peanut Butter: (or you could use purchased chocolate peanut butter)
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling:
14-16 miniature peanut butter cups cut into quarters
3/4 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled
2-1/2 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1 Tbsp. boiling water
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 packages cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
4 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Chopped mini Reeses cups for garnish

Preheat oven to 325°.


Place Nutter Butter cookies in a blender or food processor and grind into crumbs. 

Combine cookie crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a  9-in. springform pan.

To make chocolate peanut butter, In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Stir well.  Spread 1/2 cup over the prepared crust.  Reserve remaining chocolate peanut butter to drizzle over the top of cheesecake (if not using ganache) or for another use.

Sprinkle 14-16 chopped miniature Reese's cups over the chocolate peanut butter.

To make the filling, in a small bowl, combine the coffee granules, water and cinnamon; set aside.
In another small bowl, melt the 3/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave and stir until smooth; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter in half. Stir melted chocolate into one portion; pour over crust. Stir coffee mixture into the remaining batter; spoon over chocolate layer.

Place pan on a baking sheet (to catch spills). Bake for 45-55 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

To make the topping, chop the chocolate finely and place in a small bowl.  Heat the cream to a simmer (not a boil) and pour over the chocolate.  Allow to sit for a minute, then stir until smooth.  Pour over the chilled cheesecake.  Garnish with more chopped peanut butter cups if desired. Refrigerate until set.  

Sources: Chocolate peanut butter adapted from Judy's Kitchen, Layered Mocha Cheesecake adapted from Taste of Home, This Cheesecake altogether - Rebekah's Original

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

You know the old saying, "Better late than never"?  

So totally applies here. Nearly three months has passed since we indulged in this incredible cheesecake.    

This was the dessert I made for Christmas Eve......and I made a second one as a Christmas gift for my brother and his girlfriend.  

However, I think that peppermint is a perfectly acceptable flavor all year round, and I refuse to wait till next Christmas season to share this recipe.  

It certainly takes several steps and requires at least a couple of days to make, since you have to make the peppermint bark a day before making the cheesecake.  (Well, I suppose you could toss the bark in the freezer to firm up faster, so you could rush the process, but it doesn't hurt to plan ahead. )

But it is definitely worth the wait.  

Here's the breakdown:

Creamy white chocolate cheesecake on an Oreo crust, studded with chunks of white and dark chocolate peppermint bark, topped with a luscious white chocolate mousse, and garnished with those scrumptious little Andes peppermint baking bits (or peppermint candies if you prefer).  

Yep.  Pretty hard to resist.  And a perfectly festive finale to a Christmas Eve dinner, or a Christmas dinner, or a Tuesday night dinner.  Just sayin'.

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake 

(adapted slightly from Baked by Rachel)

Peppermint Bark: 

4 oz milk or dark chocolate

4 oz white chocolate

1 tsp. oil, divided

1/4 tsp peppermint extract, divided

Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, powder removed

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. 

Prepare candy canes by unwrapping and tossing in a ziplock bag.  Smash with a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or other heavy object.  Don't pulverize the candy, but don't leave any huge chunks either.  Place in a fine-mesh strainer and shake gently (over the sink or garbage) to remove the dust.  

In a medium sized bowl, place milk or dark chocolate and 1/2 tsp. oil.  Melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals at 50% power.  Stir well after each 30 seconds.  When fully melted, add 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract. Stir well.  Spread out evenly on prepared pan.  Sprinkle with crushed candies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chocolate has set.  

Repeat process with white chocolate.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Crust:

2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or 22 regular Oreos with filling - not double stuffed)

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

Filling:

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 oz. white chocolate, melted (I used a Ghirradeli bar)

1-1/2 Tbsp. flour

1-1/2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. peppermint extract

3 eggs

Peppermint Bark Recipe, broken into chunks 

Mousse:

1/4 cup heavy cream, chilled

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 oz. white chocolate, melted

1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Peppermint pieces, Andes peppermint baking bits, or shaved chocolate for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a blender or food processor, blend cookies until they're fine crumbs. Stir together with melted butter.  Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Reduce oven temp. to 325°.  

Cut up peppermint bark into small pieces.  Set aside

Melt 4 oz. white chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.  Stir until smooth.  

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and mix well.  Scrape bowl well prior to each new addition and as needed.  Add melted chocolate, flour, heavy cream, salt, and peppermint extract.  Mix well.  On medium/low speed, add one egg at a time.  Mix until smooth, but don't overbeat. 

Stir in peppermint bark pieces by hand. 

Pour filling into crust and bake at 325°F. for 1 hour.  Turn off the oven.  Keeping the door shut, leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional 45 minutes.  Remove and allow to sit for at least 1 hour before chilling.

Chill 4 hours or overnight before adding the mousse.  

To make the mousse, begin by making whipped cream. Pour the heavy cream in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  

In another medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, melted white chocolate, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped cream until fully incorporated. 

Carefully remove the side of springform pan.  Spread mousse mixture evenly over cheesecake. Chill for at least a couple of hours before serving.  

Serve slices with Andes peppermint baking bits or crushed peppermint candies and chocolate shavings if desired.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cheesecake

Wow, it's sure taken me awhile to get this up here.  Life has just been.....busy.  What can I say?

In fact, as I'm typing right now, there's a writhing, squirming 6-month old on my lap that would like to direct my attention elsewhere.  She's doing a pretty good job, actually. 

One day later....see, I told you she did a good job.  Another day of blogging neglect.  Another day of baby winning. 

So this was my birthday dessert!

Because my favorite flavor combination is chocolate and peanut butter, I dreamed up this creation. 

It starts with a dense fudgy brownie, followed with a delectable peanut butter frosting, then vanilla cheesecake studded with Reese's peanut butter cups, topped with a rich semi-sweet chocolate ganache and garnished with more peanut butter frosting. 

To say that it was rich is a bit of an understatement.

Not that I was deterred in my consumption of it in any way.  

I actually can't think of a dessert I've ever sampled that I thought was "too rich" to finish.  It's a gift, I know.  

So I really loved every single bite of this dessert.  And I'm seriously looking forward some more decadent indulgence whenever we take the chunk we saved out of the freezer.  Yes, we did show a little restraint.   

So obviously there are several steps to this dessert.  I made the brownies and cheesecake the day before, refrigerating the cheesecake wrapped in foil until I needed it.  The brownie was fine left covered at room temperature.  

The day we ate it, I made the frosting and ganache and assembled everything.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Cheesecake:  Brownie from  Baker's Chocolate, Peanut butter frosting from Ina Garten 

Brownie Layer: 

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I used Baker's), chopped

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line the bottom of a 9" spring form pan with parchment paper and gently grease it. (I place the bottom circle of the pan on the paper, trace around it, and then cut it out).

Heat the chocolate and butter together in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop until butter is melted. Stir together until chocolate is completely melted as well.  

Add sugar and stir.  Mixture will be grainy.  That's okay!

Add in eggs and vanilla and stir well.  Add flour and stir just until combined.  

Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out  nearly clean.  Please don't over bake!  Dry brownies aren't good.  

Allow to cool completely.  Remove from pan. 

Cheesecake Layer: 

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla

15 miniature Reeses peanut butter cups (or generic equivalant), cut into sixths

Prepare the 9" spring form pan as you did for the brownies.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.  Add the vanilla and stir.  

Pour the cheesecake into the prepared pan and then sprinkle the peanut butter cup pieces over the top.  Gently press some of them into the batter.  

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is just set.  

Allow to cool completely. Remove from pan and wrap in foil to refrigerate or freeze if making ahead.  

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work.  Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Ganache:

4 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Chop the chocolate finely.  Place in a bowl.

Heat the cream just until simmering (not quite to a boil yet) and pour over the chocolate. 

Allow to sit for a few minutes, then stir until the chocolate is melted.  

Cool to room temperature.  

To assemble:

Place the brownie on your serving dish/cake stand.  If you place a dab of frosting in the center of the stand before putting the brownie down, it will help it not slide around.  I forgot to do that and regretted it later. 

Top with a 1/2 inch layer of peanut butter frosting.  

Place the cheesecake on top.  If you notice there are edges of the brownie sticking out further than the cheesecake (mine did), feel free to carefully cut them off to make everything even.  (Hint: Dipping the trimmed brownie chunks in the leftover peanut butter frosting is a great idea.  Just sayin'.)

Pour the ganache over the top of the cheesecake, allowing some of it to drip over the edges if you desire.  

Put it in the fridge for a few minutes for the chocolate to harden a little.  

Put the rest of your peanut butter frosting in a decorating bag and pipe swirls on top of the cheesecake and around the edges if you desire.  

You could even garnish with additional peanut butter cups if you wanted to live on the wild side.  I decided to keep it simple.  Ha.  :)  

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesday

                 Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Chocolate Layer Cake with Cheesecake Filling

A dear friend of mine had a birthday this month, and I wanted to make her a cake. 

Not just an ordinary cake, but something special.

A knock-your-socks off kind of cake. 

 With the knowledge that she loves chocolate, almonds, and cheesecake, this sounded like a winner. 

And it was.

I wanted to make the cake part from scratch but time was running short and a jazzed-up

mix was the best I could do.....but it was really delicious. 

Takes a few steps, but they're totally worth it.

I've never put frosting on a cheesecake before, but after tasting the combination here, I fell in love with the idea.

And I can see myself taking this concept and making other flavors as well. 

Recipe: (adapted from Food Network)

Chocolate Cake:

1 Devils food cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. almond extract

Cheesecake Layer:

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. almond extract

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

6 cups powdered sugar

6 Tbsp. cream or milk

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Sliced almonds, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with wax paper circles and butter them well.


In large bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream and extracts and mix to combine. Divide batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans. Bake 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely.
After removing the cake from oven, reduce temperature to 300°F.

While cake is baking, prepare the cheesecake batter.

Line a 9-inch round baking pan with aluminum foil, letting edges of foil extend over sides of pan. Lightly grease the foil.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar, beating until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream and extract. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes (at 300°) then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in oven with door closed for another hour. Let the cheesecake cool completely in its pan on a wire rack then cover and chill for 4 hours. Using edges of foil as handles, remove cheesecake from pan and peel away foil.

To make frosting:

In a large bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add chocolate, beating until combined. Beat in almond extract, vanilla extract and powdered sugar, adding a Tablespoon of cream after every cup of sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.


To assemble cake:
Spread a layer of frosting on top of one chocolate cake. Next, layer cheesecake and top with chocolate icing. Place second chocolate cake and ice with frosting on top and on the sides. Sprinkle almonds on sides or top.
Pipe on additional frosting for decoration if desired.

And if you haven't yet, please vote in the poll in my sidebar!  I'd love to get your response!

Linked to Trick or Treat Tuesdays

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

I've been pretty busy the past few weeks - Grant's parents visited for three weeks and we've had a lot of activities going on, not the least of which is cooking and eating! We've tried several new recipes (as I am never hesitant to try out new things on guests) and this was the biggest dessert experiment.  It is truly a lovely cheesecake, fluffy and light tasting, with just the right amount of chocolate to complement the strawberries.  I have to admit that both Grant and I prefer more dense cheesecakes, ones without sour cream and the extra egg, to be more specific, but we certainly didn't complain about this one and neither did anyone else.
I loved having some extra of the strawberry puree to drizzle on top - it added that extra zing of fresh strawberry flavor.  Adding some homemade sweetened whipped cream wouldn't be a bad idea either (is it ever?) but we skipped that this time.

Recipe: (adapted from Annie's Eats)

Crust: 
1 package graham crackers, crushed
2 t. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 t. cinnamon

Filling:
24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1-1/3 c. sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
12 oz. sour cream
1 c. strawberry puree*


Chocolate topping:
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4-1/2 oz. heavy cream
1/2 of 1 large egg, beaten


*Strawberry puree
1 lb strawberries
2-3 T. sugar
juice of half a lemon
Hull and slice the berries.  Toss with sugar and let sit in a strainer over a bowl for a couple of hours.  If you have more than 2 oz. juice, heat on the stove in a small saucepan until reduced.  If not, puree the berries in a blender or food processor with juice and the lemon juice until smooth.

To make the crust:  Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and cinnamon and press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool while you make the filling.

Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla and salt.  Mix in the sour cream until well incorporated.  Blend in the strawberry puree.

Place a baking pan filled with hot water on the bottom rack of the oven.  Pour the batter into the crust.  Place in the center of the oven. Bake for 55 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven but maintain the oven temperature.  To make the topping, place the chocolate in a small bowl.  Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan.  Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes.  Whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the egg.  Spread the topping mixture over the still hot cheesecake, being careful not to pour it all in one place.  Smooth the top with a spatula if necessary.  Bake 12-15 minutes, until the topping is set around the edges.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack.  Cover with a large bowl inverted over the top to help cool slowly.  When it comes to room temperature,  transfer to the refrigerator.  Chill at least 8 hours before unmolding form the springform pan - and be sure the topping is completely set before covering with plastic wrap.  Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced strawberries and blueberries, if desired.  Slice with a thin knife run under hot water and wiped dry between slices.
Drizzle with leftover strawberry puree if desired.

"R" is for Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

We're finally back to our Alphabet Service Projects.  If you've been following along, you may notice that we skipped "Q".  Well, I taught the letter "Q", and we actually do know a little girl from church who's name begins with Q, but I struggled to come up with a recipe that started with "Q" (other than Quiche, but that sounds like a C or a K, which makes it just too confusing for a 3-year old).  Plus I was feeling lazy.  Shame on me.  Maybe we'll come back to it.


Back to the letter R.  We decided to have some friends over for dinner who's last name begins with R, and I made Baked Rotini, Romaine salad with Ranch, Buttered Corn, French Bread Rolls, and these fabulous Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.  Let me just say, the dinner was great, but this dessert was phenomenal.


The slightly tangy raspberries complement the creamy cheesecake and dense chocolaty brownies perfectly.  They're rich, but not so much that you don't want another one.  Like right away.  For my raspberry chocolate loving husband, these were bound to be a new favorite, and they met and exceeded all his expectations.

Update June 2013: Blackberries are equally good in this recipe - I made that version for Father's Day 2013 and Grant couldn't have been happier.  I bet even blueberries would be delicious!


Recipe: (adapted from Cooking for Seven)


1 stick +5 T. (7 oz)  butter, softened
2 cups sugar, divided (I used very scant cups)
5 eggs, room temperature, divided use
7 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup flour, sifted (I used white whole wheat)

1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla extract, divided use
2 (8 oz pkgs) cream cheese, room temperature
5 oz raspberries, fresh or frozen


Directions:

For the brownie batter:

1) Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter a 13” x 9” glass baking dish.

2) Beat the softened butter with 1 cup of sugar until slightly fluffy. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3) Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Let cool slightly. Stir into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the sifted flour, salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract and carefully fold it in.

For the cheesecake batter:

4) Put the cream cheese in the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the 2 remaining eggs, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat until it’s a smooth, creamy mixture.

Putting it all together:

5) Spread 2/3 of the chocolate mix on the bottom of your baking tray. Pour the cream cheese on top and spread it out evenly. Now drop little pieces of chocolate mix on top of the cream cheese. Lightly work it in with a fork—like you’re marbling a cake. Push the raspberries into the cream cheese.

6) Bake at 350°F (175C) for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake feels set when gently touched in the center. Let the brownies cool off completely, then refrigerate several hours,  preferably overnight, before cutting them in squares.

This post is linked to the Ultimate Recipe Swap: Chocolate. and Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

Oh Yum yum yum.  This is a great cheesecake bar, let me tell you.  And the caramel sauce.....just divine. 

I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of this luscious dessert.  It's got it all....buttery crust, creamy cheesecake, chewy sweet crumb topping, and, like I said before, the caramel sauce just takes it over the top.  (If you have any leftovers, it's delicious on ice cream!)

I tried to make it a wee bit lighter in fat by reducing the butter by a few Tablespoons here and there....I'm sure it didn't affect the taste at all, and every little effort to be healthier counts, right?  Right?

I think it would be incredible with a graham cracker crust as well, maybe one spiked with cinnamons and some finely chopped pecans.  That would reduce the fat even further, because graham cracker crusts don't use as much butter as this shortbread did.  So maybe I'll try that out sometime.


Recipe:  from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Base:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick + 5 T. butter, softened  (Original recipe calls for 2 sticks)

Cream Cheese Layer:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples:
2 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
6 T butter, softened (Original recipe calls for 1 stick or 1/2 cup)

1 cup caramel sauce (homemade recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, two tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9X13-inch baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Then add eggs, one at a time and then the vanilla. Mix well. Pour over the warm crust.

Spoon the apple mixture evenly over the cheesecake layer. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is set.

Cool the bars to room temperature. Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

Caramel Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cups half-and-half or cream
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.

Gina's Pumpkin Cheesecake

This.....this is the stuff dreams are made of.  Really good dreams. 

For not including chocolate, it's one of the best cheesecakes out there.  Shoot, it might even beat some of the chocolates.  And that's saying something. 

It's just the right balance of creaminess and substance......sweetness with the spice of the gingersnap crust, and topped with fresh cinnamon whipped cream and Sugar-Coated Pecans, it's sure to please even the harshest of critics, the non-pumpkin eater. 

Note: The recipe called for using a water bath, which can prevent cracks in your cheesecake.  The last time I tried one, water leaked into my cheesecake and made the crust a bit soggy, which made me very unhappy. This time, I opted not to take that chance and as a result, mine did have cracks, rather substantial ones at that.....and that made me unhappy too.  But probably not as unhappy as a soggy crust would have.  So you decide. 

If you want to try a water bath, basically you boil some water in a tea kettle while you're making your filling.
Wrap the sides and bottom of your springform pan tightly with heavy-duty foil (before filling pan).  Place the filled pan in a small roasting pan.  Pour hot water from the tea kettle into the roasting pan, filing halfway up the sides of the springform pam, about 1-1/2 inches. 

Recipe (from Food Network)

Crust:
1-1/2 c. gingersnap cookie crumbs (crush in blender or food processor)
6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1-3/4 c. sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
5 large eggs
1-1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. salt
1 T. vanilla extract
2 T. all-purpose flour
Cinnamon whipped cream for serving (recipe follows)
Sugar-Coated Pecans for serving, if desired
Caramel sauce for serving, if desired

Preheat oven to 350°. 
Combine gingersnap cookie crumbs with melted butter and stir until evenly mixed.  Press the mixture into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool while preparing the filling.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the pumpkin and beat until incorporated.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and vanilla and beat until blended.  Add the flour and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the crust.  Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, which could take from 60-80 minutes. Start checking around the hour mark.  Mine was done then. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Once cooled, use a paring knife to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan.  Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving.  Serve with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream (for serving)
1 c. heavy cream, chilled
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. ground cinnamon

Pour the heavy cream into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until thick and frothy.  Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat until medium peaks form. 

Yield: 1-1/2 to 2 cups