Chocolate Wafers

Chocolate Wafers
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 129.

These are thin and crisp wafer cookies that can be crumbled for cookie crusts for cheesecakes, etc. Or they can just be eaten as a cookie! I first made these because I could not find chocolate wafer cookies at the grocery store. I first used them crushed for the New York Chocolate Cheesecake and they are delicious as a crust. The recipe can be doubled. As is, it should make about 36 cookies.

2 oz. (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 oz. (1/2 stick) sweet butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. light cream or milk
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 400. Line cookies sheets with aluminum foil.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate over barely simmering water. Set aside.

Cream the butter.

Add the vanilla and sugar and beat well.

Add the melted chocolate.

Mix well.

Add the milk (or light cream).

Add the egg.

On low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients.

Place the dough on wax paper.

Cover with another piece of wax paper and flatten the dough to 1" thickness. Wrap in the paper and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes (no longer or the dough will crack).

Roll the dough out on a floured pastry cloth or board about 1/2 inch thick.

Use a cookie cutter (about 2 3/4 inches wide or whatever size you like) to cut the cookies. Leftover dough can be rerolled.

Place the cookies on the cookie sheets covered with aluminum foil.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until the cookies feel firm to the touch. They are supposed to be crisp and will become crisper as they cool. You can bake 2 sheets at a time (reversing the sheets half-way through) or if you bake one sheet at a time, use the upper rack.

Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store airtight.

New York City Chocolate Cheesecake

New York City Chocolate Cheesecake
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 104.

This is a very rich dessert but oh, so good! I took Maida's advice and added whipped cream and cherries to offset the richness. You can also use strawberries or other fruit. The cookie crust is made from chocolate wafer cookies and I made these myself. If you don't have time to make the wafers, you can always buy cookies at the store or even use chocolate graham crackers. 

This is a great treat to serve at a party or get-together. I ate a big slice of this last night while I was watching the Emmy Awards. I can tell you right now that this is a dessert I will be making again!

Note: A reader informs me that their cake sank as it was cooling. I didn't have this problem but she suggested letting it cool for several hours inside the oven.)

Crust

8 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (store-bought or make your own)
3 oz. (3/4 stick sweet butter, melted

Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom and preheat oven to 375. Butter the sides only of a 9x3 inch springform pan.

Place the wafer cookies in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

Process until the cookies become fine crumbs and transfer them to a mixing bowl.

Pour the melted butter into the crumbs.

Use a fork to stir the butter with the crumbs.

Pour about two-thirds of the crumbs into the pan and tilting it at a 45-degree angle, form a layer of crumbs around the edge of the pan with your fingertips.

Use the remainder of the crumbs for the bottom of the pan. Press gently but firmly.

Filling

12 oz. semisweet chocolate (2 cups morsels or 12 squares, coarsely chopped)
24 oz. (3 8-oz. packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs (large or extra-large)
1 cup sour cream

Place chocolate in a double boiler and melt over low heat (barely simmering water). Set aside to cool slightly.

Cream the cream cheese until it is very smooth.

Add the vanilla.

Add the salt.

Add the sugar and mix well.

Add the chocolate.

Mix well, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary, until the mixture is smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well.

Add the sour cream.

Pour the mixture into the crumb crust. Smooth the top with a spatula or turn the bowl briskly back and forth.

Ready for the oven - bake for one hour.

After baking, allow to cool completely on a rack. Then cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the cheesecake from the pan right before serving (or earlier). Before unclasping the pan, run a sharp knife around the sides. Release the pan. If you want to remove it from the bottom pan, use a thin, wide spatula and carefully slide it under the crust and rotate it all the way around. The cake is firm and easy to transfer. Refrigerate it until you are ready to serve.

Frozen Chocolate Mousse

Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 228.

Here is a dessert sure to make any chocoholic swoon. Silky and decadent, this frozen mousse is like a rich chocolate ice cream. It is really easy to make - all the folding required will give you a workout but it is worth it! The crust can be made with crushed wafer cookies or you could even buy a ready-made crust. If doing your own, the instructions say to apply the crumbs around the sides of the pan (use a springform pan) but I did not do this - I just made a bottom layer. You will have to run a sharp knife around the pan before releasing the catch on the pan.

The mousse is soft (even after freezing) and it will need to be put back in the freezer as soon as possible after serving. Maida Heatter recommends covering the mousse with either whipped cream, strawberries or chocolate leaves. I did not do either, it looks lovely without a topping.

Crust

8 oz. chocolate wafer cookies
3 oz. (3/4 stick) butter, melted

Chocolate Wafer cookies can be purchased or you can make your own (try this recipe) To make the crust: Butter the sides only of a 9 x 3 springform pan. Do not butter the bottom. Crush the cookies to a fine powder and combine with the melted butter. Pat about 2/3 of the cookie mixture around the sides of the pan. Place the remaining crumbs on the bottom of the pan and pat down firmly. Bake for 7 or 8 minutes, remove from the oven and cool.

Chocolate Mousse

1 TBS. dry instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/4 cups sugar
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs, separated
3 cups whipping cream
Pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

In a 2-qt pan, dissolve the coffee in the boiling water.

Add 1/2 cup (reserve 3/4 cup) of the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Add the chocolate (over low heat) and stir until smooth.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and stir until blended.

Whip the cream until it holds a shape but it not dry. (Chilling your bowl and beaters helps)
Set the whipping cream mixture aside for later.

In a separate bowl (or clean the one you just used), beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat until the egg whites hold a soft shape. Add the reserved sugar a little at a time on low speed.

Increase the speed and beat until the meringue is firm, but not stiff or dry. The meringue will be firm and glossy.

Pour a little of the chocolate into the egg whites and fold together. Do this in several additions. Leave some of the chocolate in the bowl.

Now fold the batter into the remaining chocolate.

Add the whipping cream mixture to the chocolate and fold in.

Pour the batter over the crust and smooth the top. Sit it in the freezer for an hour and then cover airtight with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight or up to 2 weeks.