Fixation Friday.....Chocolate Cheesecake

Jason left today for NTC, a lovely training center in the middle of the Californian desert. He will be gone for the entire month of August and probably the first week of Sept. BOO! But before he left I wanted to make some yummy food for him. This week we have had Greek Steak with Orzo and Feta, Pad Thai, Chicken Pasta, a Lasagna kind of dish....and some sweets of course! I decided that he needed a treat, so I made him one of his favorite desserts - cheesecake....more

specifically Chocolate Cheesecake! I was scrounging through the cupboards for some oreo crumbs but couldn't find any (must have used them and don't remember!) so I used plain old graham crackers for the crust (my fav!) and of course used Dorie's recipe for her uber creamy cheesecake. I love making mini cheesecakes. The little four inch springforms that I bought months ago have been getting a lot of use! I love them. And Dorie's recipe is so easy to quarter and it makes two perfect little cheesecakes.

Here is the cutest slice of cheesecake ever...

For reference....the plate fits in the palm of my hand!!

Recipe.....

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From My Home to Yours

For the Crust

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Butter (Melted)

Mix all the ingredients together until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist. Divide the crumbs between two 4 inch springform pans that you have already buttered. Press the crumbs up the sides and evenly over the bottom. Wrap the pans in double layers of aluminum foil. Then put the pans in the freezer while your oven preheats to 350 F. Bake the crusts for about 8 minutes - keep an eye on them so they don't over bake. Set aside the crusts while you make the cheesecake batter.

For the Cheesecake Batter

1 four ounce box of cream cheese - at room temp.

1/3 c Sugar

1 tsp vanilla (I like a lot)

1 large egg

1/3 c sour cream or heavy cream (I like using sour cream for a bit of extra zip)

Beat the cream cheese for a couple of minutes in your stand mixer until soft and creamy. With the mixer running, add the sugar and continue to beat for a few more minutes. Beat in the vanilla. And then the egg. Let it get nice and aerated...makes for a light fluffy cheesecake. Then on low, blend in the sour cream or heavy cream.

To make it a chocolate cheesecake I melted 3 oz of semi sweet chocolate and added it to the batter after the sour cream.

Divide the batter between the two pans. Put the pans in a baking dish that is big enough to hold them both and then surround them with boiling water - up about half way up the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake at 350 F for about an hour. Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, leaving the cheesecakes in their water bath.

After the hour pull them out of the oven, remove the foil carefully, and let them come to room temperature on a cooling rack. When cooled to room temp, cover with wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours - the longer the better - the more the flavours meld.

Then.....eat them with someone you love!

So this Chocolate Cheesecake kills two birds with one stone - my two favs - in one amazing dish!

Make them, you will love them!

Take care,
Tania

Love Big, Bake Often

Fixation Friday

I use to think my life would be a constant search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe...but I think I may have found it, tweaked it, and perfected it. I am not quite ready to share the recipe with you all just yet...you are going to have to wait for it. I want to make them a couple more times before I decide if the recipe is perfect to my specs for the perfect chocolate chip cookie....nice and crispy buttery edges, a slight chewy center....and just the right amount of chocolate chips. I can't decide if I prefer them with semi-sweet or milk chocolate...I am SO torn on that dilemma .

Here is a pic of what I might think are the perfect chocolate chip cookies.

Tell me...what makes a perfect chocolate chip cookie for YOU? Chewy? Crispy? Buttery? Semi-Sweet? Bitter? Milk? White?

Hope you all had a great week....Happy Fixation Friday!

Take Care,
Tania
Love Big, Bake Often

Fixation Friday meets Cheesecake!

Nutella Marble Cheesecake!


I have always loved Nutella! It has been a staple in my married household. Though I can't really remember having it too much growing up. It was more of a treat for us when we were young, probably one of those things you beg your mother to buy while you are out grocery shopping together. I remember being preggers with Jakob and craving it bad! We ended up buying the big container of it because we were going through it so much. I was loving having a slice of lightly (had to be lightly) toasted WONDER BREAD(!!!) slathered with Nutella. That chocolate hazelnut goodness! Jakob would kick inside me with absolute approval of Mama's snack! I ate it with Aiden in my belly too, but not like I did with Jake. Jakob and I had many similar cravings for chocolate, coke, and really bad for you stuff. I think I ate a lot better with Aiden - not so much junk food.

So today for fixation Friday I bring you Nutella Marble Cheesecake! Jason has been asking when I would make another cheesecake as he dreams of the cheesecake I made for Easter. So I quartered Dorie's Tall and Creamy Cheesecake and made two 4 inch mini cheesecakes. I heated up some Nutella to thin it out and swirled it into the creamy vanilla cheesecake batter. It was so easy. And it smells so yummy. Jason and I are looking forward to enjoying it with some more wine tonight after the little men have rested their weary heads. It has been a busy and fun day today. Daddy was home for the day so lots of playing and fun to be had.

Hope everyone gets their "fixation" this Friday, whatever that may be.....leave me a comment and let me know what that is.....

Take care,
Tania

Love Big, Bake Often

Froggy Fixation Friday

I am sorry to say that today's fixation is not chocolate. I have another fixation. Every since I was a very small child I have been collecting FROGS! My wonderful Aunt Karen nicknamed me Toady when I was very little, and it stuck. So for every birthday, Christmas, holiday of any kind, I received gifts and cards related to frogs. And I love it. And luckily Jason doesn't mind all the frogs in our house.

I was so excited when Jason told me that we have frogs hanging around the house. All different kinds; green ones, brown toads, tree frogs....it's super cool! So tonight as we were wrapping things up outside after Jason worked so hard to clean up the backyard and mowing, he pointed out this little guy...

Here he is clinging for dear life...

It was really cool to see this little guy hanging out on the side of the house. And the boys thought it was awesome. Aiden ran over and started "ribbiting"... when I got around to trying to tape it he ran away, but trust me it was super cute!

So this is my fixation for today...finding all the different frogs around our new home!!

What is your fixation for the day?

Take care,

Tania, Love Big, Bake Often

Fixation Friday....Askinosie

So as many of you may know Askinosie contacted me about sending me some of their amazing chocolate. I had mentioned them in a previous blog post, one about the differences in chocolate. I am working on recognizing the differences and the qualities of some fantastic chocolates. So when Askinosie sent me this email, I jumped at the chance. Free Chocolate??? Sign me up. You can imagine my surprise when just a few days later this big box arrived at my door. I literally squealed when I saw it. I was so excited to open it up and see what was inside. I could not believe my eyes...they had sent me three, yes three, bars of chocolate and a container of cocoa!

Here they are...the bars were wrapped up together so nicely. I am in love with their packaging!

I hate to admit that we have yet to open it up. Jason and I are planning a tasting session. (but he has been in the field for most of the month of March!) Since all three bars are from different parts of the world (one from Mexico, one from the Philippines, and one from Ecuador) we figured a proper tasting session was in order. A great bottle of wine, small deliberate bites of chocolate, deep intellectual discussion of every bite. And I am not being sarcastic here...I am being truly serious. This is serious chocolate that deserves to be treated properly. I thought about baking with it, but really want to experience it first. So the cocoa will be for baking. I have a brownie recipe that is calling for it...Or maybe Dorie's World Peace Cookies....those are worthy of it for sure.

If you have any tips for our proposed tasting session, please send them along in the comments section...I would love some!

So until then I look at my beautiful bars of chocolate in their delightful packaging and wait....but not for long...my will power is only so strong.

Good night for now.

Take Care

Tania

Love Big, Bake Often