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We've come full circle! Here we are at the cusp of a new year. As we stand on top of the hill looking forward to all 2009 will bring, I can't help but take a quick glance back at 2008.#160;
Even though we've just experienced an extremely volatile year with the economy down to it's...br/
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Glazed Corned Beef
4 lb. corned beef
1 1/2 tsp. horseradish
1 c. water
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. prepared mustard
1/4 c. molasses
In crockpot, cover corned beef w/water. Cover; cook on Low
10 - 12...br/
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Cheesecake may just be the perfect food. It is certainly one of the oldest on record. It is believed that cheesecake was served to the Olympic athletes during the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. Any food with that kind of staying power just has to have something to it.
Perhaps it’s the ability of cheesecake to be modified in so many ways. Cheesecake is adaptable. It can be made in any number of different flavors and textures, from light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla to incredibly dense and savory, the cheesecake has been with us since the beginning of Western history and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be leaving us very soon, especially with flavors like the ones in the cake pictured above.
My guests for Christmas requested only three things. Turkey, ham and a chocolate cheesecake. That’s a simple request if I’ve ever heard one and I was happy to oblige. Initially I was going to make a simple chocolate cheesecake, but the gift of 8 oz. of German milk chocolate and the thought of my favorite coffee drink made me decide to go in a different direction. It turned out to be a fated decision, as this is by far the best tsting chocolate cheesecake I’ve had to date.
I had picked up Coffee Liqueur and Creme De Cacao with the intention of posting the recipe for my cafe mocha (coming soon) and the smell of the cheesecake batter reminded me of that drink, so a few quick additions to the custard were all it took to turn what I’m sure is a phenomenal recipe into something extraordinary.
Chocolate Cafe Mocha Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For Cheesecake:
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreo Cookies (about 20 cookies)
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 24-oz cream cheese (3 packages), softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 8 oz. milk chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp. Creme De Cacao
- 1 tbsp. Coffee Liqueur
For Ganache Topping:
- 8 oz. dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. Creme De Cacao
- 1 tbsp. Coffee Liqueur
Method:
Cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees if using a silver 9″ springform pan or to 300 degrees if using a dark nonstick 9″ springform pan. Mix crushed cookies and butter; press firmly onto bottom and sides of pan. Bake 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, Creme De Cacao and Coffee Liqueur with electric or stand mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add chocolate and mix well. Add eggs, one-at-a-time, mixing on low speed until just blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Run a sharp knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool to room temperature before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before topping.
Ganache icing:
Place chocolate chips in a small heat proof bowl. heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat until just boiling. Immediately pour cream over chocolate. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Mix well with a wire whisk or silicone spatula. Add Creme De Cacao and Coffee Liqueur, stir to combine well. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or until ganache is stiff but not set.
Assembly:
Remove ganache from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Stir to loosen slightly. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and level the top with a very sharp knife if necessary.
Gently spread ganache icing from center of cheesecake to edges. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Share and Enjoy!
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
I think I managed to overcook this cake a little. The sides puffed up a good inch higher than the center, which made the icing a necessity once the cake was leveled. It was a happy accident though. The ganache icing adds an entirely new dimension to the already rich flavor of this cheesecake that we all enjoyed very much.
You’ll want to be sure to serve this one just slightly chilled or at room temperature. Straight from the refrigerator the coffee liqueur is a bit overpowering, but it mellows and plays nice with everything else at room temp.
Be warned, this is a very dense cheesecake and it doesn’t slice “pretty” Just overlook that and go for it anyway. It’s more than worth it!
Links to other recipes like this:
© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2008. |
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Post tags: cakes, cheesecake, chocolate, dessert, Desserts, Holiday-Recipes, liqueur, sweet, sweets
They say you’re not supposed to try new recipes out at the holidays because it’s stressful and you don’t want to be faced with a houseful of disappointed guests. Because cooking a familiar meal for 13 isn’t stressful enough already? Whatev. “They” are crazy - the holidays are the perfect time to try out new things because you have a houseful of guinea pigs!
My dad usually hosts and handles most holiday dinners and for those dinners that he doesn’t handle, he still always makes the dressing and baked beans (we’re dressing people, not stuffing people). I ran across this gem of a recipe by Tyler Florence by accident - I mistakenly DVRed a rerun of the Dear Food Network Thanksgiving special rather than what was supposed to be a really good Jess/Tess/Bess episode of One Life to Live. Multiple personalities… it wouldn’t be the holidays without ‘em 
Everyone seemed to really like the dressing - I know I sure did! The ruling on the chestnuts was somewhere around 60-70% in favor of omitting the nuts next time. They have a strange texture that I wasn’t thrilled about - I think chestnuts were new to most of us around the table but my sister Angie really liked them in. Maybe I’ll do half of the baking dish without them next year.
I also used a hardier crust-on bread than the original recipe called for so I think there would be enough texture without the chestnuts. Either way, this dressing has secured its place at our future holiday tables… or at least those future holidays that I can guilt my dad into letting me host.
Roasted Chestnut and Sausage Dressing
1 lb Italian chestnuts
1 medium carrot, peeled and rough chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch fresh sage
1 1/2 pounds loose sweet Italian sausage (just remove the casings if you can’t buy it loose)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1lb loaf of ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 400. Score an X onto the bottom of each chestnut with a paring knife (the knife must go all the way through the shell) and roast 20-25 minutes on a baking sheet. Shell nuts after cooling and rough chop.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter a 9 by 11-inch baking dish.
In a food processor puree the carrot, onion, celery and sage until you have a fine pulp. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage in a little olive oil. Once you have a nice brown color and the fat has rendered - about 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetable pulp to the pan and saute until most of the moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the mixing bowl with the sausage and also add the bread crumbs and chopped chestnuts. Toss to mix well.
Whisk together chicken stock, cream, and eggs. Pour over the dressing mix and toss to mix and coat well. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown on the top (if it gets too brown before the 30 minutes is up, tent with foil).
Adapted from Food Network
Originally uploaded by Confections of a Foodie Bride.
Crock pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
1 (4 1/2 pound) corned beef brisket
2 medium onions, quartered
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Potatoes (optional)
Carrots...br/
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This week's Carnival of the Recipes is up at
New Year's Eve Recipes
REFRIGERATOR CROCK SALAD
1 med. cabbage
4 carrots
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
2 lg. onions
2 tsp. celery seed
2 tsp. salt
2 c....br/
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If something looks good on a blog, in a magazine, or on TV, I’ll drop everything (and I mean everything) to make a grocery store run for any missing ingredients and then rearrange the week’s menu to squeeze it in. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t.
I found these crostini in an old DVR’ed episode of Everyday Italian. They. Are. Fantastic. I’ll admit to being a goat cheese addict, but throw in sun-dried tomatoes and fresh thyme? I’m in - and adjusting my NYE menu to make room for a gigantic plate of these crostini.
If you have any leftover sun-dried tomato jam, get creative - this stuff tastes great on everything: burgers, turkey sandwiches, crackers, and omelets. I’m thinking of only making a half batch of Blackberry-Pinot Noir Meatballs for New Year’s so I can make a half batch of meatballs with the Sun-Dried Tomato Jam. Just typing that made me hungry!
Crostini with Sun-Dried Tomato Jam
Sun-Dried Tomato Jam
8oz jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped, oil reserved (I used a package of ’sun-ripened tomatoes’ - they aren’t totally dried)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Crostini:
1 baguette, cut into 3/4-inch slices (I used ciabatta)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
For the Sun-dried Tomato Jam: Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil (I just used additional olive oil), olive oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the sugar, vinegar, water, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue simmering until most of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam, about 5 to 10 more minutes I cranked up the heat because this was taking far longer than just 5-10 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Crostini: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the baguette slices on the baking sheet. Drizzle the bread slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until lightly toasted, about 12 minutes. Place the soft goat cheese in a small bowl. Stir in the thyme.
To assemble: Spread the crostini with Sun-Dried Tomato Jam and top with the goat cheese mixture. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.
Source: Everyday Italian
Yields: ~ 24 servings
Originally uploaded by Confections of a Foodie Bride.
