Chocolate Sour Cream Cheesecake

(1 x 9" cheesecake)

This dense chocolate cheesecake is very nice with raspberries, raspberry sauce and whipped cream, and I served this one with all three.

Bringing the ingredients to room temperature first, using a paddle instead of the whisk attachment for your mixer and baking it at a low temperature seems to result in a cheesecake with an even smooth surface; at least most of the time.

I brought this cake to the office for Amanda's birthday!

Preheat the oven to 400°F

crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted

Combine the crumbs and butter and press firmly into the bottom of an 9" spring-form, and a little more than an inch up the sides. Bake for about 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and turn down temperature to 220°F.

filling
1 1/2 lbs neufchatel or cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder, (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
8 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

*If you have a flat paddle for your mixer, use that because it tends to aerate the mixture less. Less air means less of a chance for a cracked surface.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and sour cream and beat until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Scrape down the sides.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat only long enough until they are combined, being careful not to over beat. Again scrape down the sides.

Add about 1 cup of the cheese mixture slowly to the melted chocolate and stir until well combined. Return the chocolate mixture to the remaining cheese mixture and stir until the colour is uniform.

Pour this mixture into the spring-form. Bake for 1 hr and 45 min. Turn off the heat and allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the oven; about 4 hours.

topping
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips work well)

Heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Spread evenly over the top of the cheesecake and allow to set.

raspberry sauce, (optional)

1 10 oz bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar, to taste
1 -2 tbsp Framboise liqueur, optional

Place the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and allow to come to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve. Stir in the Framboise liqueur, if using. Cool.

serve with (optional)
fresh raspberries
whipped cream

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans

(about 6-8 cookies)

I woke up to a very cold house this morning and wondered what was up with the temperature. Its nearing the end of March and often I'm already running the air conditioner. Well, I looked out of the window and there was snow on the ground; in Dallas of all places.

This seems to have been an unusual year. Last month around President's Day we had snow which remained on the ground for several days as well. Brings back memories of Canada.

Cold days seem nice for baking, so I made a batch of these cookies to have with my coffee this morning. I wasn't thinking and used white chocolate chips which are too sweet for this. In retrospect, I should have used semi or bittersweet chocolate chips.

1 1/3 cups icing sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder, I used Hershey's unsweetened natural

1/2 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, lightly toasted and broken up
2 large egg whites, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Combine the icing sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and pecans in a large bowl. When the dry ingredients are well combined, stir in the egg whites just until everything is evenly moist.

Drop by the heaping tablespoonful onto parchment or Spilat lined cookie sheets (those French baking mats).

Bake for about 16-18 minutes or until the tops are slightly cracked. I err on the side of slightly under-baked as I like them somewhat chewy. Allow to cool before removing from the cookie sheets.

I make these in small batches because they seem best the day they are made or perhaps one day later.