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Showing posts with label Cheesecakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheesecakes. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2014

Dark Chocolate and Cocoa-Rum Cheesecake

Dark chocolate and rum are incredible flavors on their own, but when the two are infused together, you know something magical is about to happen.  That was my first thought when we came across this Exotic Cocoa Dark Chocolate Rum while on vacation in Roatan.

This little island off the coast of Honduras is home to the Roatan Rum Company, makers of several varieties of insanely good infused rum.  Upon entering the shop, you could smell the beautiful aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, and spices.  And then things got really interesting.  We were offered samples of their Roatan Rum Cakes, which are pound cakes infused with Spiced Rum, Banana Rum and 151 Rum, which were all delicious.  To make this visit even better, they offered samples of their infused rums.


After sampling several varieties, and enjoying every single sip, we had a tough decision to make.  We were only allowed to take 2 bottles back aboard the ship, so we chose the The Spiced Rum and the Cocoa Rum.  I could not wait to get home and start making some delicious new recipes with these rums.

My first thought for the Cocoa Rum was truffles, and then I started thinking about a chocolate cheesecake.  So after combining a couple of recipes, we came up with this version.  A crust of graham  crackers and cashews, and the cheesecake a swirled mixture of half chocolate and half vanilla filling.


This is definitely an adult version of cheesecake with a less sweet and more flavorful taste, but the kids liked it just as much as we did.  The creamy texture had just enough rum flavor and the cashews in the crust brought out that island flavor.


If you ever get a chance to visit Roatan, this is one stop that you won't want to miss.  Above are the rums we brought home and we can't wait to make more delicious recipes with these.

  

This is the retail shop for the Roatan Rum Company, and the spectacular view from their door. I think a second visit to this beautiful island is in our future..lol.  Enjoy!!

To Make the Crust
1-1/2 cups  Cinnamon Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup  Ground Cashews
5 TB  Unsalted Butter, melted

To Make the Cheesecake Filling
6 oz  Dark Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup  Cocoa Rum (or your favorite rum)
1 lb  Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup  Sugar
1/2 cup  Sour Cream
1 TB  Vanilla Extract
4  Large Eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.  Butter an 8-1/2 inch springform pan, making sure to butter the sides.  Cover the outside of the pan with heavy duty foil, shiny side out and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cashews and butter, stirring with a fork to moisten the crumbs.  Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the springform pan and about half way up on the sides.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and rum and stir until the chips are melted, about 2 - 3 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Using a stand mixer or a large metal bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  Slowly add the sugar and continue to blend, then add the sour cream and vanilla and blend until smooth.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Heat a medium saucepan of water to a low simmer.  Place the mixer bowl over the simmering water and allow the steam to slowly warm the cream cheese batter, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Dip 1-1/2 cups of the cream cheese batter into another bowl and set aside.  Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining batter and whisk until blended.  Set the bowl back over the simmering water and stir until smooth.

Pour the chocolate batter into the springform pan, smoothing to the edges.  Next pour the plain batter over the chocolate, swirling the plain batter into the center of the chocolate.

Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes or until set around the edges and the center is still slightly loose.  (The center might seem a bit under set, but it will firm as the cheesecake cools.)  Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, remove the outer ring from the pan and refrigerate overnight.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Baked Banana Cheesecake


Everyone loves pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but it's also nice to have a little something different for such a special dinner.  This Baked Banana Cheesecake can be made one day ahead and your dessert will be ready for the big day.



This cheesecake has a creamy, intensely flavored filling on an elegant macadamia nut crust. The key to a smooth cheesecake is to make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before blending. Cold cream cheese will result in a lumpy batter. Baking the bananas brings out a deep flavor of caramelized sweetness. Be sure to include the liquid from the baked bananas in the cheesecake batter.  Enjoy!

Crust

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Vanilla Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, melted

Filling

3 ripe Bananas, unpeeled
3 8-ounce packages Cream Cheese, softened
3/4 cup Sugar
5 Large Eggs
1 TB Dark Rum
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 400 and set oven rack at the lower-middle level. Have ready a 10-inch springform pan.

Baking the Bananas: Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and roast until they turn black all over, about 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from the sheet and set aside to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350.

Assemble the Crust: Combine cookie crumbs, macadamia nuts and brown sugar in a food processor. Pulse a few times until mixture is finely ground. Pour crumb mixture into springform pan. Pour melted butter into center of crumbs and blend well with a fork, pressing the mixture evenly into the bottom of the entire pan.

Prepare Filling: With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl, scraping down the sides a few times. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Break the cooled baked bananas into pieces and add them to the bowl making sure to include the juice from the bananas. Add the rum and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared crust, smooth the top and place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until the cheesecake is a light golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool the cheesecake to room temperature on a wire rack, then cover and chill overnight before serving. Serve with a scoop of whipped topping and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake


To prevent cracks in the top of the cheesecake, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit inside for 1 hour. Hint: To serve cut perfect slices, use a knife dipped in warm water.

1 pkg ( 9 oz ) Chocolate Wafer Cookies
1 TB Unsalted Butter, melted
4 bars ( 8 oz each ) Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
4 Large Eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
8 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
Chocolate Ganache ( see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Assemble a 9-inch springform pan with the raised side of the bottom down.

In a food processor, pulse wafers until finely ground. Add butter and pulse to moisten. Transfer to the springform pan and press crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet; bake 10 minutes and set aside.

Wipe out teh bowl and blade from the food processor. Add cream cheese, sugar and salt; blend until smooth. With motor runnng, add eggs, then sour cream, and finally chocolate; blend filling until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Pour filling onto crust and bake just until set, about 1 hour. Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit 1 hour in oven, without opening (This step will prevent cracks on the cheesecake surface.)

Run a thin knife around the dge of the pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover loosely and refrigerate at lest 6 hours or overnight.

Prepare the Chocolate Ganache

1/4 cup Heavy Cream
4 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat, and add chocolate. Stir until melted, then set aside until thickened, about 3 - 4 minutes.

Unmold cheesecake from the springform pan. Spread the ganache in the center of the cheesecake; let set a few minutes before serving.