Decadent Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe and picture from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)


*Note: This cheesecake needs to be chilled overnight so plan ahead! The good news is this cheesecake can be made all the way through the topping, covered and refrigerated for up to 3days before serving. It is preferable to let the cheesecake stand at room temperature 1-2 hours before serving.



*Serves 8-10



Crust:

9-ounce package of chocolate cookies (such as chocolate wafers, graham crackers or teddy grahams)

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted



Filling:

10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use the best quality you can afford – I love the Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chips and I’m not ashamed to admit I buy them in bulk, often, at Sam’s Club)

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 large eggs



Topping:

3/4 cup whipping cream

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon sugar



Chocolate curls for garnish (I use this method)



For crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch-high sides (or use a 10-inch springform pan with 2-inch sides). Process the chocolate cookies in a food processor (or the old-fashioned way with a bag and a rolling pin) until they are finely ground. Transfer them to a small bowl and mix in the sugar. Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom only of the prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Keep the oven heated at 350 degrees.



For filling:

Melt the 10 ounces of chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler until melted and smooth. Cool the chocolate until lukewarm but ensure that it is still warm enough to be pourable. In a large bowl (or with a stand mixer), blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust; smooth the top. Bake until the center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and chill overnight.



For topping:

One hour before serving (or up to 3 days ahead of time), stir cream, 6 ounces chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over the center of the cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until the topping is set, about 1 hour.



When ready to serve, release the springform pan sides. Transfer the cheesecake to a platter. Top with chocolate curls. It is preferable to let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.

Easy Chocolate Truffles

*I saw this recipe on my sisters Recipe blog and had to add it to my repertoire.

2 Hershey milk chocolate bar and Cadbury Dark bar.
1 small tub of cool whip

Break into pieces two of the largest Hershey Milk chocolate bars. When they are melted mix in 1 small tub of cool whip. Take the cool whip out of the fridge when you start the melting process. When you mix the cool whip into the chocolate, sometimes it mixes really smooth but sometimes it cools the chocolate too fast and it gets a little lumpy. If it gets lumpy then a microwave the mixture for 10 sec at a time till I can stir it smooth.
Then put it in the refrigerator for 15min to 1hr. till it is firm enough to roll a heaping tsp amount into a ball.
then roll the ball into any of the following..

Powdered Sugar
Crushed Candy Cane
Crushed Nilla Wafers.

From Carie's Recipe Blog, recipe by Sarah Clark

Chocolate Ganache Tart

(I haven't made this yet but hop to make it very soon).



Ingredients
3 tablespoons slivered blanched almonds
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 cups (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated orange or lemon zest, (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make dough: In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add sugar, flour, zest (if desired), and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, pulsing until coarse crumbs form with no large butter lumps (dough should clump together when squeezed with fingers).

2.Immediately transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup, evenly press dough in bottom and up sides of pan.

3.Bake in center of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

4.Make ganache: Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream, through a sieve, over chocolate. Stir until smooth and creamy in texture. Mix in vanilla.

5.Pour chocolate mixture into center of cooled tart shell (if chocolate is lumpy, pass through a sieve). Let stand until set, about 2 hours, or chill for 1 hour.

Serves 10

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Tomato Hand Pies

(Recipe I have yet to make but will very soon).


Ingredients

Makes 1 dozen; Serves 6.

•All-purpose flour, for surface
•Pate Brisee
•2 1/2 pounds medium tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick crosswise
•1 medium onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
•1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
•2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, plus small sprigs for serving (optional)
•1/3 cup chopped pitted oil-cured black olives
•4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
•1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash



Directions
1.On a lightly floured surface, roll out pate brisee to 1/8 inch thick. Using a paring knife, cut out twelve 4 1/2-inch squares, and fit into cups of a standard muffin tin, leaving an overhang. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide tomato and onion slices between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast, switching positions of sheets halfway through, until tomatoes begin to shrivel and onion slices are golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a bowl.

3.Divide half the chopped oregano, olives, and feta among the dough-lined tins. Top with tomato-onion mixture. Sprinkle remaining oregano, olives, and feta on top. Fold corners of dough toward centers. Brush with egg wash.

4.Reduce heat to 375. Bake pies until top crusts are golden brown and middles are bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes.

5.Let cool completely in tin on a wire rack. Tuck oregano sprigs into hand pies if desired.


Recipe from Martha Stewart
Photo From Make Grow Gather