Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Cheesecake makes baking worth it

I love making cheesecakes, especially after I learnt that cream cheese DO NOT belong in the freezer. I love the way that they form so effortlessly and I have discovered that no-bake cheesecakes are not so bad afterall and they are so much easier to make, without having to worry if the water from the bain-marie has seeped into the springform and destroyed my hard-nights' labour.

I made this in an attempt to renew my faith in myself over the past disasters. It didn't turn out so bad. Plus it was also an attempt to ponder what I will/can make with my new KitchenAid that I redeemed from my flybuy points plus paid $400 for. Well worth the money *dancing on the bed because I am overjoyed at my new purchase* It's coming in 4 weeks, Yippee.

NO-BAKE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE


Ingredients
180gm marie biscuits
1 tbsp castor sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder / milo
90gm butter, melted
80ml warm water
1 1/2 tbsp gelatine
400ml whipping cream
3 tbsp castor sugar
500gm cream cheese
1/2 cup castor sugar
60gm dark chocolate
100gm milk chocolate
80gm white chocolate

Method:
  1. In a food processor, blend the biscuits, sugar and cocoa powder together until they resemble fine, sandy crumbs.
  2. Add in the melted butter and pulse the food processor for a few seconds until they resemble slightly wet sand grains.
  3. Remove the biscuit crumbs and press well onto a 23cm springform pan.
  4. Add gelatine to water and put it over the stove until the gelatin dissolves. Set aside to cool slightly.
  5. In a bowl, whisk the whipping cream and 3 tbsp of sugar together until soft peaks form. Set aside.
  6. In another bowl, whisk the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar together until creamy.
  7. Add the gelatine mixture into the cream cheese and beat until well combined.
  8. Fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently beat it to combine the cream cheese with the whipped cream.
  9. Divide the mixture into three equal parts.
  10. Pour the slightly warm dark chocolate into one part of the mixture while beating it with one beater attachment (on a handheld beater) until thoroughly mixed through. Pour into the springform pan over the biscuits.
  11. Using a spatula, smooth the layer until it is reasonable flat.
  12. Repeat steps 10 & 11 with the milk chocolate, pouring it over the dark chocolate layer.
  13. Repeat steps 10 & 11 with the white chocolate, pouring it over the milk chocolate layer.
  14. Cover the top of the springform pan in foil and place it into the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Note:

*DO NOT pour chocolate into the cream cheese mixture without beating it immediately, otherwise you'll have small (or large) pieces of chocolate - unless you want it to be a chocolate chip cheesecake. The milk chocolate layer turned out a little like chocolate chip cookie and tasted pretty good actually.

*I used leftover white chocolate with 2-3 drops of food colouring from my previous cooking to draw concentric circles with a piping bag. Then I ran a skewer from the side of the cake towards the center and then in the opposite direction around the cake to produce the spider web effect.

No comments: