Sunday, 3 April 2011

My first blog...

I can't believe I have finally decided to do this. I have to thank Patricia, Aurélie and my very supportive husband for introducing me to the idea and encouraging me to do it. 
So here is my first post on making a cheesecake, well actually 5 of them from one base recipe. I have found that recipe while researching a desert I could make for my Father who came to visit and who was recently told he was borderline diabetic. I have made a few changes (and the cheesecake might not be ideal for Diabetics anymore) and came up with the following: white chocolate, peppermint and choc chip, peanut butter and chocolate, coffee and chocolate and the old reliable vanilla.

Ingredients:

1 paquet (250g) of Biscuits
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
One block of Cream Cheese
2 cups (500ml) of unsweetened natural yogurt
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of white sugar

English Version:
1-      Take the cream cheese out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature while you make the crust. It’ll be easier to mash and incorporate in the other ingredients.
2-     Process the biscuits into fine crumbs.

3-     Melt the butter
4-     Mix the butter to the crumbs until it forms a few lumps but make sure it is not too wet otherwise the crust will be very dense and heavy.

5-     Spoon it into the mold and push it down and against the sides. Make sure there are no holes. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

6-     In a bowl, mash the cream cheese

7-     Add the yogurt and mix.
 
      Add the eggs one at a time and whisk well before adding the other one.

9-      Add the sugar and then the flavoring ingredient (s)
10-  Pour the mixture over the crust
11-  Wrap the bottom of the mold with foil. The cheesecake needs to be cook in a bain marie and this will stop the water from entering the mold.
         

12- Cook the cheesecake for 1 ½ hour at 150 ̊C. There should still be a wobble in the center.
13- Take it out of the oven and leave it to cool.

Note: I have found that the cheesecake tastes better after a night in the fridge and it also is easier to take out of the mold.

For the white chocolate cheesecake:
200g white chocolate
Melt the chocolate in the microwave (30 seconds at the time). Once fully melted, leave it to cool a little and add to the mixture.
Follow the remaining steps from the recipe.
For the Peppermint choc chip cheesecake:
A handful of chocolate chips
½ teaspoon of Peppermint essence
A few drops of green food coloring (optional)
Before pouring the mixture on the crust, add the above ingredients.
Follow the remaining steps from the recipe.
Note: I realised afterward that I should have added some chocolate powder to the crust as I did with the peanut butter and chocolate... It still tasted really good without though J
For the peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake:
1 teaspoon of chocolate powder
1 teaspoon of peanut butter
1 handful of chocolate
Add the chocolate powder to the crumbs (step 2). I have found that I needed more butter so I added a 1 teaspoon of melted butter in step 3.
Once you have prepared the mixture and just before pouring it on the crust, melt the chocolate in the microwave (30 seconds at a time) and add to the mixture. Add the peanut butter.
Follow with the remaining steps from the recipe.
For the coffee and chocolate cheesecake:
1 teaspoon of chocolate powder
1 teaspoon of instant coffee mixed with a little boiling water
1 handful of chocolate chips
Add the chocolate powder to the crumbs (step 2). I have found that I needed more butter so I added a 1 teaspoon of melted butter in step 3.
Melt the chocolate
Mix the coffee and the chocolate together and then add to the cream cheese, yogurt and egg mixture.
Follow with the remaining steps from the recipe
For the vanilla cheesecake:
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Add the vanilla to the mixture before pouring it over the crust.
Follow with the remaining steps from the recipe.

The degustation plate:
Next time I will try to add some nice decorations but I just wanted my husband to taste it and tell me what he thought. They were still a bit warm so we will have to have another tasting tonight





1 comment:

  1. I can attest that it all tastes as good as it looks! I am so happy to be the official taste tester but at the same time have to be so careful!!!

    My wife is a genius.

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