cheesecake

PAMA Truffle Cheesecake

November 14, 2009 · 30 comments

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Thanks for playin’ the latest installment of Friday Trivia! The answers were:

1. Commonly known as chalk, though limestone, marble and antacids are accepted, too.

2. Nelson

3. Cricket

 

Those who qualified this round are:

Stephanie

Christina

Low

Melinda

Sarah Jayne

Y

Brenda

Julie

Jenny

Richelle

Arica

Evan

Alison

Peggy

Art Good

Diana

 

If I missed you, or anyone else, please let me know! There are 2 more chances to qualify and win Martha’s cookie book.

 

Remember a few weeks ago when I made this cheesecake? I actually used it as a ‘practice’ cheesecake, so I could make this one using PAMA pomagranate liqueur.

 

If you have not tried PAMA, you should. It makes a great cocktail. I love it with lime juice and club soda. I may have finished off the bottle. Ooops.

 

 

My hubby pick PAMA up a few weeks ago for me.

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It is delicious. Did I already say that?

 

 

 

I made a chocolate crumb crust, using my mini food processor. Just one of the many things I love it for.

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The obligatory butter shot. This one may be my favorite. Though it does resemble the butter that my brother ate off the counter when he was 4.

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I pressed the crust up the side of the springform pan, because we all know how much I love my oreo crust.

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Last time my cheesecake cracked like crazy. My Aunt Lisa suggested mixing it on the lowest speed just until the ingredients were incorporated. That is what I did, and it worked!

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No cracks this time. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture before adding the chocolate ganache. I must have been too busy finishing off the PAMA.  But, it worked!

 

 

I wanted to garnish the cheesecake with some pomagrante arils.

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I had tried them a few years ago, and I really wasn’t a fan. 

 

 

 

I’m not sure if my tastebuds have changed, but I LOVE pomagranates now. I almost ate this entire one before using it. I loved the tart, yet sweet juice and the crunchy seeds.

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I wonder if I can stock up on pomagranates to last me the entire winter?

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I added a ‘truffle’ topping to the cheesecake.

 

I made a chocolate ganache using Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. Into the double boiler they went.

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I definitely underestimated how amazing the taste of dark chocolate + pomagranate would be. I normally do not even like dark chocolate. I don’t care about the health benefits. Give me some milk chocolate.

 

I’ll get my antioxidants in other forms. Like wine.

 

 

 

I took the chocolate off of the heat and add some heavy cream and PAMA.

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Blurry pictures? I think my camera is on it’s last leg. This is not good. My money needs to be spent on other things! Like shoes.

 

Christms gifts for myself my family.

 

Dazzleglass.

 

Bacon.

 

Expensive cheese.

 

 

 

 

I topped the cheesecake with a fresh whipped cream. I just love it. Can’t do desserts without it.

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And threw some arils on there for a nice crunch.

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PAMA Truffle Cheesecake

25 Oreo cookies

3/4 stick of butter

3 8-oz blocks softened cream cheese

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup PAMA

1 cup dark chocolate chips

2 cups heavy cream cup heavy cream

1/4 cup pomagrante arils (seed)

Preheat oven to 350.

Crush oreos in a bag or food processor into crumbs. Melt butter in a micowave safe dish. Combine crumbs and butter, pressing into a spring form pan to create a crust. Refrigerate.

In an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Add in 2 tablespoons PAMA liqueur and mix on low speed. Add in flour and mix until combined. Pour into springform pan and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, or edges are until golden brown. When finished baking, let cool.

To make chocolate ganache, add chocolate chips to a double boiler. Once melted, remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and the remaining PAMA liqueur. Stir until smooth.

Once cheesecake is cooled, add chocolate ganache on top. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Add remaining heavy cream, sugar and vanilla to electric mixer. Beat at high speed until whipped cream forms. Spread on top of cheesecake. Refrigerate for another 2 hours.

Sprinkle pomagrante arils on top of cheesecake for garnish.

 

 

 

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Starting next week (I think), you will be able to vote for the most delicious recipe using PAMA on their facebook page.  If you like this recipe, please vote for it. I’m pretty sure you can vote each day.

 

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Have a wonderful Saturday!

 

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{ 30 comments }

Godiva White Chocolate Cheesecake with Fresh Whipped Cream.

November 2, 2009 · 29 comments

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Would you believe I’ve never made a cheesecake before? My thighs may say otherwise, but I’ve really never made one.

 

My thighs are on to something – I’ve eaten plenty a cheesecake slice in my day.

 

My inspiration:

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Godiva White Chocolate. Are there even words?

 

 

Have you ever had this in hot chocolate? If not, please. do. so. now.

 

 

 

 

I crushed up some Oreos to make a crust.

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And ate this entire stick of melted butter to bind it together.

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I threw some cinnamon in with the crumbs.

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This was my first time using a springform pan. And I call myself a baker?

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I based my cheesecake mix on a chocolate cheesecake recipe from my aunt.

 

 

You all know I love cream cheese. I don’t think I’ve ever used this much in one recipe before.

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How exciting.

 

 

 

I confess, I am a huge chocolate snob. I only like the best of the best. 

 

Kind of how I feel about shoes. And coats.

 

 

Unfortunately, I am not as kind towards my bank account as I am towards chocolate and shoes. Well – maybe am I.

 

I use all 3 alot. That counts, right?

 

 

 

 

Anyway, I don’t like much ‘candy’ chocolate. But I do love Snickers.

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So I chopped some up. I wanted to put it in the cheesecake, but later decided against it.

 

 

 

I think it was a good call, except for the fact that  65% of the pieces made it into my belly.

 

 

 

 

My batter turned out well, but I had no idea what to expect since I was a cheesecake-baking virgin. 

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I was a little miffed when it came out like this, but with some extensive googling, I learned this was not unusual.

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I knew some cheesecakes had a ‘sour cream’ topping, but I had already planned on a fresh whipped cream topping.

 

 

 

 

So I mixed up some sour cream, sugar and more booze to put on top of the cheesecake and fill in the cracks.

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I spread this on and baked it for a little while longer.

 

 

I took a picture, but it came out terrible. Very yellow. And cheesecake + yellow is not something I want to experience.

 

 

Unless it is banana cream cheesecake, which may be my next venture into cheesecake land.

 

 

 

 

I knew I wanted the fresh whipped cream topping. Partly so I could eat a quarter of the mixture by itself.

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And since I would be eating so much, I added a good six splashes of Godiva.

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I love whipping cream. There is something so simple and amazing about it.

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Maybe I’m so amused because it goes from liquid to semi-solid? I don’t remember much about science class.

 

 

 

I also apparently missed spelling class because I just spelled ‘amused’ with a ‘z.’

Like – ‘amuzed.’

 

 

 

 

Fresh Godiva White Chocolate Whipped Cream.

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 Topped with Snickers. 

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I wanted to dive in, tongue first.

 

 

 

 

 

Check out this beauty.

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I loved how thick the crust was. Oreo crust is one of my favorite things, especially mixed with butter. Remember when I ate this entire Oreo crust?

 

 

Yeah, neither do I.

 

 

 

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White Chocolate Godiva Cheesecake with Fresh Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 350.

crust:

25-30 Oreos

1/2-1 stick of butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Crush Oreos or use a food processor to make crumbs. Add cinnamon to crumbs. Melt butter. Mix crumbs and butter together in a large bowl. Press into springform pan, pushing crumbs ‘up’ the sides so the crust is a 1/4 of the way up the pan. Refridgerate.

 

filling:

4-8oz blocks softened cream cheese

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup Godiva White Chocolate Liquer

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix and scrape down bowl after each addition. Add flour and vanilla. Add liquer in small amounts and mix. The batter should not be too thick or too runny. A sprinkling of flour may need to be added at the end.

Pour into springform pan, only filling pan 3/4 of way full and bake 60-75 minutes. Watch closely.

 

sour cream topping:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Godiva White Chocolate Liquer

Mix sour cream, sugar, and liquer together. Once cheesecake has cooled for 15 minutes, top with sour cream mix. Bake for 10 minutes more.

 

fresh whipped cream topping:

16 oz heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup Godiva White Chocolate Liquer

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup chopped Snickers pieces

 

With a stand or electric hand mixer, beat cream, sugar and liquer until it thickens.

Once cheesecake is cool, top with fresh whipped cream and snickers pieces.

 

 

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In an unusual fashion, I took this cheesecake to a family member’s house so I did not eat the entire thing on my own.

 

But I could have.  And would have.

 

Beautiful blessings in disguise. I love them.

 

Thank you all so much for reading. You guys are the best!

 

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{ 29 comments }