Velvet Chocolate Cheesecake

This is a time consuming cake / cheesecake so start well in advance.

You need to make the cheesecake base, ganache, cheesecake filling and a separate cake.  Then assemble it all - 

Crust Ingredients:

2 packets Oreo cookies, processed into crumbs including cream 

5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

 

Filling Ingredients:

1 box cream cheese, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

Ganache Ingredients:

150 gms heavy cream

300 gms chocolate, finely chopped 

Make the cake: 

follow the recipe given here

Make the cheesecake base: 

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 180˚C. 

Butter a 8-inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. 

Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix well to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides).

Make the ganache: 

Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. 

Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate mix until a smooth ganache has formed. 

Pour 1/2 of the ganache over the bottom of the crust. 

Freeze the base until the ganache layer is firm. 

Keep balance ganache in reserve

Make the cheesecake filling: 

Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until well blended. 

Add in the vanilla and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

Beat in the egg.

Fold in the flour. 

Pour the filling over the cold ganache in the crust. 

Bake until the top is lightly browned, puffed and cracked at the edges, and the center moves only very slightly when the pan is lightly shaken, about 1 hour. 

Transfer to a wire cooling rack. 

Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours

Assembling the cheesecake: 

Remove the cheesecake from the tin and transfer to a serving platter. 

From the remaining ganache, smear a thin layer on top of the cheesecake to help the cake adhere well

Place your cake layer on top of cheesecake

Decorate top of cake with balance ganache and some white chocolate

Peach Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base

1 1/2 cup digestive biscuits

1 cup almonds, toasted

1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine ingredients. Press mixture evenly over bottom and up sides of 8 or 9-inch springform pan.  Put in the refrigerator to chill.

Filling:

200 gms cream cheese

300 gms cream

200 ml pureed peaches

2 tbsp rum [optional]

1/2 cup sugar, powdered

1 tin peaches

5 tsp gelatin

Sprinkle gelatin over the peach juice from the tin and set aside to bloom for at least 15 min.

In a large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar.  Add in the pureed peaches

Place the gelatin pineapple mix over low heat, stirring until gelatin dissolves. 

Gradually beat hot gelatin mixture into cheese mix

In medium bowl, beat cream until fluffy. 

Fold into cheese mixture, until well blended. 

Cut up 2 slices of peaches into small bits, and fold into the mix.

Pour over the crust and Refrigerate at least 6 hours.

Serve with Sliced peaches on top

CHERRY JUBILEE CHEESECAKE

Cheesecakes, my weakness.  I keep promising myself to lose weight but can't give up eating these.  What the hell, will walk a little extra :)

I also have a passion for buying books and storing them.  Rummaging through a cupboard I found THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE sitting with my cookbooks.  I immediately knew that I had to make one of these.  Last year I had made the Banana Split Cheesecake and it was yumm.

Note - please collect all the ingredients in advance as they should be at room temp to ensure a good cheesecake.  

CHERRY JUBILEE CHEESECAKE

adapted from The Cheesecake Bible

EQUIPMENT
8" loose bottom tin
Hand Whisk
Spatulas
Weighing scale

CRUST
15 Graham Cracker Biscuits
4-5 tbsp butter

FILLING
1 tin condensed milk
1 pack cream cheese - I used philadelphia
Juice of 2 lemons
4 eggs
1 tbsp cherry liqueur

The Liqueur I found in the bar

TOPPING
1 cup fresh cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

1. Put biscuits in a ziplock bag and crush roughly.  Melt the butter and mix into the biscuits.  The mixture should clump together.
2. Press this mixture into the base of the loose bottom tin and keep in the freezer to set.
3. Make the topping by combining the cherries, water and sugar and bringing to a boil.  Cook this cherries are soft and water has thickened.  Keep aside to cool
4. For the filling beat the cream cheese till smooth and creamy.  Add in the condensed milk and lemon juice and mix well
5. Mix in eggs one at a time - do not overbeat.
6. Fold in the cherry liquor [optional] and some of the topping mix.
7. Pour this over the frozen base and bake at 160C for 30 min.  The Centre should jiggle when done.  Leave to come to room temp for at least 2 hours.  The cheesecake will continue to cook.  
8. Once cooled wrap in cling film and keep in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours for the flavours to mature.
9. When ready to serve top with some of the cherry jam.

Oreo Cookie Mini Cheese Cake

I seem to have spent quite some time on the internet chatting with new found friends at CAL.  The inspiration to go into the kitchen again comes from all that talk of food and the inspiration for making mini cheesecakes came from the wonderful Norpro Mini Cheesecake Pan I saw and have to buy

Very soon Monish is going to throw me out of office as I dont seem to work - Hate to confess I am waiting for him to do that :)

My kids love Oreo and cheesecakes - so it had be a combination of both.

This can be made in a regular 9" springform pan also.

Ingredients

CRUST
10 oreo cookies
5 tablespoon butter(melted)

CHEESECAKE
2 cups heavy cream - I use Rich's
200 gms cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 Oreo Cookies, crushed

Directions:

BASE
Separate the cookies, remove the vanilla filling, and crush to a rough powder

Add melted butter and blend until combined.  Press into pan. Set aside.

FILLING  
Beat heavy cream until medium peaks form. Set aside.

Add Oreo cookie vanilla filling, cream cheese, sugar, salt, &, lemon juice to a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth (approximately 3-5 mins). 

Add cream cheese mixture to heavy cream and mix until incorporated.

Gently fold in crushed Oreo cookies.

Pour over the base and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set or overnight for best results.

Remove from refrigerator and smooth top to level with edges. Serve garnished with halved Oreos.