The glorious world of Cheesecake

dulcedelechebakery:

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust:

• 24 chocolate wafer cookies (from one 9-ounce package)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Filling:

• 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa)
• 4 large eggs

Topping:

• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sugar

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Blend cookies in processor until finely ground; blend in sugar. Add melted butter and process until well blended. Press crumbs evenly onto bottom (not sides) of prepared pan. Bake just until set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water; cool chocolate until lukewarm but still pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in processor until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust; smooth top. Bake until center is just set and just appears dry, about 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Chill overnight.

For topping:
Stir cream, 6 ounces chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour.

Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter.  Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.

Serving options: I made a raspberry sauce which is super simple, though I don’t have a recipe for you. I just dump some frozen raspberries (however many you’ll think you need) and a bit of sugar in a saucepan and simmer until reduced to a nice sauce. It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes, easy!

Chocolate curls and/or whipped cream would also be another decadent option.

(via dulcedelechebakery-deactivated2)

dulcedelechebakery:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the cookie crust:

• 1 ¼ cups chocolate chip cookie crumbs (about 16 Chip’s Ahoy Chunky in my case)
• 2 TBSP sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

For the cheese cake filling:

• 32 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 TBSP all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting the truffles
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• approximately 20 cookie dough truffles, plus 5-8 to place on top

Preparation:

Start by making the Cookie Dough Truffle recipe below
Combine the cookie crumbs, 2 TBSP sugar and melted butter. Press this into the bottom of a 10 inch spring form pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes at 350F and set aside. When cooled enough to handle, wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil to seal for the water bath later.

Mix the cheese and sugars with paddle attachment on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Add in the flour on low speed. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom after each egg. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until completely incorporated.

Place truffles into a large bowl sprinkle with flour and light coat each one with flour (this helps them not all sink to the bottom). Remove and excess flour and fold into cheesecake, reserving a couple to place on the top.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the last few truffles on top of the cheesecake.

Bake in a water batch at 350F for approximately 1 ½ hours. A knife inserted should come out clean when the cake is done.

Chill the cake overnight and then remove from the pan.

(via vingthor)