Lime Coconut Cheesecake

Yes, I know, Danielle you won't like this.  But for the rest of you non-coconut haters this cheesecake is incredible!  So the opinion poll was that the chocolate one was probably better but since you can't really compare chocolate and fruit fairly, this one gets first place in its own category.  

I may have been singing praises to the whipped topping, who knew that adding coconut extract would make me so in love with it?

And aren't my birthday candles really really cool?  I loved them :)

From: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/08/lime-coconut-cheesecake/

Crust:
2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C sweetened flaked coconut
2 Tbs sugar
6 Tbs butter, melted

Cheesecake: 
3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 C sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
2 Tbs lime zest
1/2 C fresh lime juice (about 4-5 medium limes)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2-2 tsp coconut extract

1/3 C sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (click here for directions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan with a double layer of foil.  Set aside.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 C coconut, and melted butter and mix well.  Press evenly into the bottom of the pan and about 1″ up the sides.  Place pan in oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside until ready to use.

In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice and beat to combine.  Pour batter into prepared crust.  Place spring-form pan into a larger pan, such as a roasting pan and place in center rack in the oven.  Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan until it reaches about half way up the spring form pan.  Bake cheesecake for 75-85 minutes or until center is set and the edges just barely begin to brown.  Leave cheesecake in oven, but turn heat off and crack oven door.  Let sit for 30 minutes and then remove and cool completely on a rack.  When cool to room temp, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When ready to serve, place cheesecake on serving dish.  Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form and then add powdered sugars and extracts.  Beat until medium peaks form.  Spread whipping cream evenly over cheesecake and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  Garnish with sliced limes if desired.  Slice and serve.

Death By Chocolate Cheesecake

This cheesecake is possibly the best cheesecake I have ever made.  It got rave reviews!  I was worried because on Mel's blog she said that it was probably too much chocolate for many people, but in my study group (hehe) of 9 ish (I can't remember exactly) people only one person thought it was too much chocolate, the rest went back for seconds.

I used semisweet chocolate chips for the filling, and I just used Nestle chocolate chips (because that is what I had) and they were fabulous.

Also, for the ganache, I had some frozen in the freezer (just heavy cream and semisweet chocolate chips), so I just thawed it and added some sugar.  A note, if you are going to make ganache in advance and then use it in recipes, if you need to sweeten it, use powdered sugar so its not grainy.  If you are making it at the time of sugar addition it doesn't matter if you use granulated or powered.

The recipe says to let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before serving.  I saw this and was confused but followed the instructions anyways.  Do It!  The letting it sit at room temperature makes it even more amazing.

Remember to have your ingredients at room temperature!

From: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/10/decadent-chocolate-cheesecake.html

INGREDIENTS
Crust:
9-ounce package of chocolate cookies (such as chocolate wafers, graham crackers or teddy grahams).  I used a 10 oz box of teddy grahams and it worked great
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)

DIRECTIONS:
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 servinghttp://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/how-tomake-chocolate-curls/

Brownie Cheesecake

This was a cheesecake I made for Easter Sunday.  It was good.  I liked it better than the Cookie Dough Cheesecake, but not as much as the death by chocolate cheesecake I am going to post soon.  However, this one has the definite advantage of being loved by all, not just people who like crazy amounts of chocolate.

I used the brownies in her recipes and they were boring.  This is problematic for two reasons (1) there are many left over brownies so you want them to be good so you can eat them and (2) it makes the cheesecake a little more boring.

I would use either a box mix or maybe Our Best Bites brownie base for the peppermint brownies.  I think those ones are probably interesting enough.

Remember when you make cheesecake you don't want any of your ingredients to be cold.  It will mix so much better and have a better texture if everything is room temperature.  So pull the cream cheese out of the fridge several hours before.  Also, right when you start the crust part put the eggs in a bowl of room temperature water so they warm up too.

Finally, I didn't use this ganache.  I had ganache in my freezer, so I just used that.  This one looks delectable though :)

Mel's Kitchen Cafe: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/01/brownie-mosaic-cheesecake.html

INGREDIENTS:
Brownies:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Crumb Crust: 
1 1/2 cups or 5 ounces (3 cups or 10 ounces to double) finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers or chocolate Teddy Grahams
5 tablespoons (10 tablespoons to double) butter, melted
1/3 cup (2/3 cup to double) granulated sugar
1/8 (1/4 teaspoon to double) teaspoon salt

Cheesecake:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups chilled brownie cubes (from recipe above)

Ganache:
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (can use 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS:
For the brownies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with the ends of foil extending over the two short sides of the pan. Lightly grease foil. In a large microwaveable bowl, microwave the chocolate and butter on high for one minute. Stir. Repeat the process at 50% power until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the sugar. Blend in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour and salt, stirring to mix well. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake the brownies for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Do not overbake! Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, use the foil handles to remove the brownies. Refrigerate the brownies until chilled (1-2 hours) and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes. Refrigerate the cubes until ready to fold into the cheesecake. You’ll have more brownie cubes than needed in the cheesecake recipe so use your best judgment about what to do with those leftover brownie babies.

For the crust, stir together the crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 10-inch springform pan. Fill right away with cheesecake or chill up to 2 hours.

For the cheesecake filling, preheat the oven to 350°F.

With an electric mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down the bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Place the filled springform pan on a larger baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the cake is set 3 inches from the edge but still slightly jiggly in the center (watch the time carefully, you may need more or less baking time based on your exact oven temperature).

Cool the cheesecake completely in the springform pan on a wire rack. When completely cool, top with the ganache glaze.

For the ganache glaze, scald (heat just below boiling) the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). Place the finely chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream/butter mixture over the chocolate and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir the mixture together until completely smooth and silky (it might look grainy at first but it will come together if the cream is sufficiently warm and the chocolate is chopped finely). Add the vanilla and sugar and whisk until smooth. Spread over the cheesecake. Chill until ready to serve.

To serve, unmold the cheesecake from the springform pan, cut the cheesecake into slices and serve.