Chocolate Marbelized Cheesecake

Chocolate Marbelized Cheesecake
(Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.), pg. 102. 

This is absolutely delicious and not that difficult at all. The consistency is custardlike, very velvety and super rich. I have to say that I got more compliments on the crust which I made differently from Maida's recipe. I have included it and highly recommend it. With the availability of graham cracker crumbs already ground and boxed, buying cookies to make it seems unnecessary unless you are going for a different flavor of cookie.

I am not exactly sure if my springform pan size is the one she recommended. She says 8.5" - my smallest pan measures 8" across the bottom and about 7 3/4" inside the pan. 

I served this with some marionberry jelly and it was excellent.  

Crust (Maida's)

4 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (or crushed graham cracker crumbs)
2 tablespoons sweet butter, melted

Butter the sides only of an 8 x 2.5 x 3 inch springform pan. 

Mix the crumbs with the butter. Press the mixture down firmly along the bottom of the springform pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the cake.

Crust (Mine)

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Dutch process but any would be ok)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Press on the bottom of the springform pan and refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Cheese Mixture

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
12 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups sour cream
Pinch of salt

Adjust rack 1/3 from bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate over barely simmering water in the top of a double boiler. When partially melted, remove from the heat and stir until blended. Set aside.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and sugar and mix well.

Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the sour cream (reserving 1/2 cup) and mix.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside 1 1/2 cups of the mixture.

In a separate bowl, mix the melted chocolate with the 1/2 cup of sour cream. Then add the reserved 1 1/2 cups of cheese mixture and beat until smooth.

You will have two bowls of batters.

Use a large spoon and place dollops of each batter over the chilled crust (alternating the batters).

Use a thin metal spatula or knife to marbelize the mixtures.

Briskly rotate the pan first in one direction, then the other to level the top of batter.

Bake for 30 minutes. It will seem soft but it is done.

Let stand on a wire rack for several hours until room temperature. Refrigerate for 5-6 hours or longer. 

Carefully cut around the sides of the pan with a sharp knife to loosen and remove the sides of the pan. Use a large spatula to carefully remove from the bottom pan. Transfer to a plate. Serve cold.

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 146.

After finally getting all my pots and pans organized and the new kitchen in order, I am finally ready to do some baking.  There have been lots of rainy days and the weather has been perfect for staying inside. Regardless of what you may have heard about the Pacific Northwest, there have been some nice sunny days as well! 

In addition to getting used to where all my equipment is located (I am still not totally comfortable with where everything is yet), I also now have a gas stove. We had an electric stove at our former house in Alabama. I have not really had a problem with it though and it seems to perform just like the old one.

We had our friends in Portland over a few nights ago and I decided to make a cheesecake to celebrate our move and our new home. I chose the Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake because it sounded delicious and it is one of the choices in the baking group that I mentioned in the previous post.

This is a recipe that Maida Heatter devised after she told her husband she was making Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies and he said "Why not Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake"? 

It is very good! I forgot to buy nuts so I omitted those from the brownies and it was fine. 


First, make the brownies:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
3 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp. powdered instant coffee
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 oz. (1 cup) walnuts


Preheat oven to 350. Line a 8-inch square pan with foil. Melt a tablespoon of butter and brush it on the foil.
Sift together the flour and cocoa.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring occasionally. Stir in the coffee, vanilla and salt. Add the sugar and the eggs (one at a time).

 

Add the sifted ingredients to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir in the nuts.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Then place the pan in the freezer until the cake is very firm.

Remove the cake from the pan after it has frozen completely. Cut the cake into quarters - set aside one quarter (you will not be using it) and cut the remaining 3 quarters into small cubes. Return to the freezer.

The Cheesecake:

2 lbs. Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8x3 inch one-piece cheesecake pan. Wrap the pan with aluminum foil.

Beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add the vanilla, salt and sugar. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix only until incorporated.

Pour a little of the mixture into the pan, just enough to cover about 1/2 inch on the bottom.

Remove the brownie chunks from the freezer and gently gold them to the remaining cream cheese mixture.

Add the remaining mixture to the pan and smooth the top. Sit the cheesecake pan into a larger pan. Add about 1 1/2 inches of hot water to the larger pan.

Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. During the baking process, the top of the cake will rise and turn slightly brown. The hardest part to baking a cheesecake is judging whether or not it is done. One method is to jiggle the pan and observe the middle. It should jiggle slightly. The best way to do it is to use a thermometer. The internal temperature should be 160. Cool on a cooling rack and let it stand for 2-3 hours until the bottom of the pan is completely cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

For the crust, Maida employs her usual method of removing the cake from the pan, flipping it, and applying dry crumbs to the bottom. Trust me on this - it is a mess and a terrible way to do it. I always make the crust by the modern method (mixing crumbs with butter and pre-baking). However, a confession. This time, I forgot to do that and ended up serving the cake without any crust at all. It was fine without it.

An InLinkz Link-up

Emilio's Cheesecake

Emilio's Cheesecake
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 142.

This is an unusual cheesecake in that it has no crust and is made in a 13x9 pan. It was first published in the New Yorker magazine in 1971 and was a famous recipe by Emilio Braseco in New York.

Maida notes that a friend (from Alabama!) says that it is better after being refrigerated for 3 days. I think the friend was correct because it is tastier after a day or two. It is very creamy and has a distinct lemon flavor. I would recommend serving this with fruit or whipped cream.

2 pounds Philadelphia Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
1 stick unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 TBS. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup less 1 TBS. cornstarch
7 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup lemon juice

16-24 portions

Preheat the oven to 350 and adjust rack one third down from the top. Butter a 13x9x2 inch pan and set aside.

Beat the cream cheese and butter until it is soft and smooth.

 

Add the vanilla...

And the sugar...

And the cornstarch.

On low speed, beat in the eggs one at a time.

Add the cream slowly.

Add the lemon juice, beating only to mix.

Spray the bottom of the buttered pan.

Pour the mixture into the pan.

Place the pan in a larger pan (I used a jelly-roll pan) and place in the oven. Pour hot water into the bottom pan about 1 inch deep.

Place the pan in a larger pan (I used a jelly-roll pan) and place in the oven. Pour hot water into the bottom pan about 1 inch deep.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then increase the temperature to 375 and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (for a total of 40-45 minutes). Carefully remove the pans from the oven and take the cake pan out of the water bath. Let the cake sit until the bottom of the pan is cool.

Cover the top of the cake pan with a board or tray and carefully invert so that the cake falls out of the pan. Refrigerate as is.

Longchamps' Cheesecake

Longchamps' Cheesecake
Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed.), pg. 138.

This cheesecake is named after a restaurant chain in New York. It is very easy to make and wonderful. The lemon zest gives the cheesecake a nice touch. After making this I realized that the crust was your basic graham cracker crust and not the nightmarish way she normally does it (maybe she discovered this later??)  

Although the recipe does not call for a water bath, I always use one when making a cheesecake. However, since this one will be covered with topping, that might not be important to you.

About the topping - she recommends either fresh blueberries or strawberries.  I had frozen strawberries on hand and used those. Her method was different (I will explain both ways in the recipe). Enjoy!

Crumb Crust

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
7 TBS. plus 1 tsp. (1 stick minus 2 tsp.) unsalted butter

Butter the sides of a 9 x 2.5 or 3 inch springform pan. (Leaving the bottom unbuttered makes it easier to transfer to a serving plate). Combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir until evenly distributed. Remove and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture. Press the remainder on the sides of the pan. Press the reserved crumbs on the bottom. Press firmly all over. Place in refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use it.

  
Filling

16 oz. Philadelphia brand cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Finely grated rind of 2 large lemons


Adjust oven rack 1/3 up from the bottom and preheat to 350.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and very smooth. Add the sugar and beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate.

Add the salt.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in the cream.

Add the vanilla.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the lemon zest. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake 80 minutes (I baked it for 70 minutes since I have a hot oven). Turn the oven off, open the door about 6 inches and let the cheesecake cool in the oven. (Note: I used a water bath)

After the cheesecake has cooled, remove it from the pan and refrigerate for a few hours or longer.

Topping

Since I was using frozen strawberries for the topping, I didn't follow Maida's instructions. It probably would have worked however. Her Method: Use 2 cups of fresh strawberries or blueberries and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of seedless red currant preserves. Wash the berries and dry them thoroughly. Melt about 1/2 cup of the preserves in a small saucepan, stirring over low heat. Let it come just to a boil. Mix it with the berries and spread over the cake.

The Method I Used: Allow the frozen strawberries to thaw. Drain them, reserving the liquid. Add enough water to reserved liquid to measure 1/2 cup. Mix cornstarch and reserved liquid in medium saucepan until well blended. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Cool. Stir in strawberries; spoon over cooled cheesecake. 

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.