Peanuts and chocolate are a gorgeous pair.  They play well with each other.  they are comforting. They hang out well together.  to top all of these compatibility perfections, they are simple to combine.

Both are wonderful on their own.  Aside from those with allergies to nuts, most people enjoy these lovely legumes.  Most people also enjoy chocolate.  Bringing the two together is a match made in culinary and confectionary heaven.  It’s also mind numbingly simple to pull off, which is a plus for someone like me who enjoys instant gratification where food is concerned.

I’m not sure if this is so much a recipe as it is a method, but for the sake of semantics, we’ll say that it’s something worth learning, especially if you would like to get in to playing with chocolate.  I’m sure there are better methods and more advanced recipes for this, and if David Lebovitz can tell me how to keep 60% cacau chocolate from melting the second I touch it, I would be very greatful, as these candies are messy, but so very worth it!

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Popularity: 1% [?]

Cheesecake may just be the perfect food.  It is certainly one of the oldest on record.  It is believed that cheesecake was served to the Olympic athletes during the first Olympic games in 776 B.C.  Any food with that kind of staying power just has to have something to it.

Perhaps it’s the ability of cheesecake to be modified in so many ways. Cheesecake is adaptable.  It can be made in any number of different flavors and textures, from light and fluffy with a hint of vanilla to incredibly dense and savory, the cheesecake has been with us since the beginning of Western history and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be leaving us very soon, especially with flavors like the ones in the cake pictured above.

My guests for Christmas requested only three things.  Turkey, ham and a chocolate cheesecake.  That’s a simple request if I’ve ever heard one and I was happy to oblige.  Initially I was going to make a simple chocolate cheesecake, but the gift of 8 oz. of German milk chocolate and the thought of my favorite coffee drink made me decide to go in a different direction.  It turned out to be a fated decision, as this is by far the best tsting chocolate cheesecake I’ve had to date.

I had picked up Coffee Liqueur and Creme De Cacao with the intention of posting the recipe for my cafe mocha (coming soon) and the smell of the cheesecake batter reminded me of that drink, so a few quick additions to the custard were all it took to turn what I’m sure is a phenomenal recipe into something extraordinary.

Chocolate Cafe Mocha Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For Cheesecake:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreo Cookies (about 20 cookies)
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 24-oz cream cheese (3 packages), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 8 oz. milk chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp. Creme De Cacao
• 1 tbsp. Coffee Liqueur

For Ganache Topping:

• 8 oz. dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. Creme De Cacao
• 1 tbsp. Coffee Liqueur

Method:

Cheesecake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees if using a silver 9″ springform pan or to 300 degrees if using a dark nonstick 9″ springform pan.  Mix crushed cookies and butter; press firmly onto bottom and sides of pan.  Bake 10 minutes, remove and allow to cool.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, Creme De Cacao and Coffee Liqueur with electric or stand mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add chocolate and mix well.  Add eggs, one-at-a-time, mixing on low speed until just blended.  Pour over crust.

Bake 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set.  Run a sharp knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool to room temperature before removing rim of pan.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before topping.

Ganache icing:

Place chocolate chips in a small heat proof bowl. heat cream in a small saucepan over low heat until just boiling.  Immediately pour cream over chocolate.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Mix well with a wire whisk or silicone spatula.  Add Creme De Cacao and Coffee Liqueur, stir to combine well.  Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or until ganache is stiff but not set.

Assembly:

Remove ganache from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.  Stir to loosen slightly. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and level the top with a very sharp knife if necessary.

Gently spread ganache icing from center of cheesecake to edges. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Share and Enjoy!

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

I think I managed to overcook this cake a little.  The sides puffed up a good inch higher than the center, which made the icing a necessity once the cake was leveled.  It was a happy accident though.  The ganache icing adds an entirely new dimension to the already rich flavor of this cheesecake that we all enjoyed very much.

You’ll want to be sure to serve this one just slightly chilled or at room temperature.  Straight from the refrigerator the coffee liqueur is a bit overpowering, but it mellows and plays nice with everything else at room temp.

Be warned, this is a very dense cheesecake and it doesn’t slice “pretty”  Just overlook that and go for it anyway.  It’s more than worth it!

Links to other recipes like this:

• Chocolate Cheesecake, from Closet Cooking
• Plum Crazy Chocolate Cheesecake, from InnCuisine
• Chocolate Almond Cheesecake, from Kelly at Sass & Veracity

Popularity: 4% [?]

This is the third in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

Although all three of the white chocolate mousse tartlets in this series have the same simple base, the toppings (or additions, if you would like to mix them in with the mousse) make all the difference.  They elevate what is in its own right something magnificent.  This is my personal favorite among the three.

The cranberry compote contrasts wonderfully against the sweet silkiness of the white chocolate mousse in a way it never could against a milk or dark chocolate.  The flavors start out in-your-face, but then blend into something I can only describe as a symphony of flavors and textures unlike any I’ve had before, but I’ll be looking for it in other foods.

If I had to give a description of the way this tartlet tastes, I think I’d compare it to cranberry juice and vanilla bean ice cream, but that really does it no justice. It’s just so much more than that.  You really just have to make this for yourself and see what the end result is.  Trust me, you’ll love it.  I did, and i usually can’t stand white chocolate.

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Popularity: 3% [?]

This is the second in a series of three white chocolate mousse tartlets for the holiday season, look to the end of the article for other recipes.

This version of white chocolate mousse tartlet bears the same humble base of white chocolate mousse and mini fillo pastry shell as the others in this series, but the flavor combinations are most decidedly more refined.  Topped with toasted macadamias, macerated golden raisins and white chocolate chips, this tartlet is awash with subtle yet intensely different flavors and textures that will tantilize even the most fearsome food snob in your group of friends.

The silky mousse is contrasted wonderfully by the crunch of the white chocolate chip, fillo dough and macadamias, while the raisin packs a small but very potent burst of flavor that is beyond heavenly.

Note: this is an adult treat.  There’s too much alcohol in this particular version for the kiddies!

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Popularity: 2% [?]

If you’re looking for a bit of “wow” factor at your next dinner or dessert party, give these little guys a go.  They’re number one in a series of three white chocolate tartlets that will have anyone you serve them to thinking you are a pastry chef extraordinaire, even though they are quite simple to make.

Not only are these little tartlets simple, elegant and, of course extremely tasty, they’re the perfect dessert for a larger gathering, since prep can be done on sheet pans or directly on serving platters.  Just lay them out and let your guests, friends or family dive in.  The taste is something like vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with caramel, but a bit subtler, so these should appeal to just about anyone!

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Popularity: 3% [?]

This mousse was originally made to be a part of a different article, nothing more than a part of a larger recipe, but once it was made I had to put the mousse itself in the place it deserves to be.  Firmly in the spotlight.

Let me start by saying this:  I am not a huge white chocolate fan.  Generally speaking I’d rather be going for dark chocolate, or better, chocolate toffee. This recipe may have changed my mind.

This mousse is light, delicate, fluffy, airy, silky, velvety and other adjectives I just can’t come up with at the moment.  Basically it’s like eating a slightly whipped-cream flavored cloud, but with the flavor intensified by a factor of 100.  I could sit and just spoon down a cup of this mousse without ever trying hard, though a full cup might be a little much for anyone.

The mousse is simplicity in itself to make and could be used for any number of absolutely decadent desserts.  Drop a dollop on a pie the next time you were craving whipped cream, use it as a substitute for butter cream in a cake recipe, the filling for a pie or tart, or as a classic mousse.  My personal favorite way to eat it is drizzled with a bit of fruit compote and a spoon ;-)

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Popularity: 3% [?]

My wife entered a cookie contest last week.  These bad boys won first place in the chocolate cookie recipe category, as best chocolate cookie recipe.  So when I tell you these are more than good, I have a panel of judges to back me up.  These bars are sweet, succulent and definitely something we’ll be making all year long, but they are perfect for a Holiday buffet, so don’t pass this recipe up when you are planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas cookie baking!

This is a simple recipe, an even though I usually shy away from anything that uses a mix, in this case I’ll gladly make an exception.  They make in a snap, don’t cost much and are suited for the novice baker (read: me).  The results are fabulous, the oooh-and ahhhh factor is pretty high on the list.  Just place a pretty pyramid of these on a shiny platter and back out of the way.  But I suggest you make two batches if you want any for yourself!

I could talk forever about these, but I think I’ll just let the recipe speak for itself.  It’s that good!

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Popularity: 10% [?]

Who doesn’t love cheesecake? If made properly it is decadent, creamy, fluffy and just sweet enough to satisfy the cravings of any sweet tooth. It can be made in a variety of flavors, and toppings are always welcome. It plays well with others and finds its place easily as the star dessert at back yard barbecues and five star restaurants.  It’s just that good. The only problem with it is that I have a tendency to eat way too much of one kind and don’t have room to sample others. This little recipe solves all that.

These mini cheesecakes are tiny.  They are perfect for appetizers or if served in all of their possible variations, as a perfect dessert sampling menu. Go crazy with toppings and you could serve a seven course dessert without breaking a sweat. Trust me, the Oooh’s and Ahhhs you’ll get will be worth the effort.

The inspiration for them came from a recipe by Giada DeLaurentis, but as usual, I found Giada’s original version somewhat uninspired.  Oh, they were good, but they weren’t jaw dropping, and they were more labor intensive than this variation. The original called for orange zest, but for my tastes it just didn’t work as well as I’d hoped, so i swapped out for vanilla.  The results were superb.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

The goal: A supremely simple yet still sweet and unexpected Valentine’s gift for my wife.

The result: Chocolate Peanut Perfection, with a kick from Cajun spices.

I don’t usually “do” Valentine’s Day, at least not in the sense of buying flowers or going out to the best place in town for dinner. (Which would have required reservations made before Thanksgiving.)  I prefer to use my own grubby little mitts to create something that’s mildly surprising and special.  I enjoy it more and so does my wife.

This year I decided early on that I was going to do some happy heart-shaped stuff and since my wife has been doing an amazing job of abstaining from it (fitness testing coming up.) I figured some sort of a sophisticated chocolate treat was in order.

While these little gems are no more than fancy peanut clusters, the flavor is probably not what you would expect at first glance.  The addition of Cajun Seasoning to both the nuts and to the chocolate itself does a wonderful job of adding several different subtle undertones to the chocolate, all of which serve to make it taste even more like chocolate, if that’s possible.

These aren’t perfect, but then I’m lacking in a few of the tools I would like to have when molding chocolate.  They are also quite obviously hand made, and were done so in secret, which is not an easy task when your wife is only out of the house for 4 hours at a stretch. (Melt, mold, fridge, cleanup in less than 2 hours, then cook something that covers the smell of the chocolate…  You try it!)

In the end it all worked.  My wife was presented with a few of these last night.  She was thrilled, which makes me extremely happy.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

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Popularity: 2% [?]

If you’d like to make something special for that certain someone this Valentine’s Day, why not say I Love you with breakfast in bed?  And if you’re going to do that, why not make sure that the meal you serve is fit for the occasion and make it heart shaped as well?

While Valentine’s Day was certainly part of the inspiration for this dish, the clincher for me was finding a set of silicone pancake molds at the local grocery.  The set is made by Good Cook, but if these aren’t available at your local store, you can get a pair of Silicone Solutions Heart Pancake Molds in a 2 pack for about $10.00. (Lucky you, I only had a single mold, and it took a while to get through the process, and I like the shape of their molds better than mine.  I’ll be jealous!)  If you can’t get a mold, you can always simply cut a heart shape out of a finished pancake, or even make your own mold out of foil, just be sure to get it plenty-hot before using.

The really nice thing about making pancakes for a breakfast in bed is that if you have children, they can help with the occasion.  Little hands are wonderful at stirring and adding ingredients to the bowl, and you’ll find that they’re quite eager to help.  (This accomplishes the most difficult part of an exercise of this type.  It keeps the kids from waking said significant other before the time is ripe, while teaching them some cooking skills in the process.)

Another nice point is that since you’re making your own syrup, you know exactly what’s in the breakfast or brunch you’re serving. As far as sweet toppings go, this simple fruit syrup is relatively good for you, even with the sugar, and kids will eat it up as quickly as adults.  The fruit is healthy, and if it happens to be blackberry season, it’s even better with fresh picked berries.

This recipe is an adaptation of my go-to pancake recipe, found in The Betty Crocker Cookbook under breads.  I use this basic recipe for just about all of my pancake creations, with additions and subtractions as needed, from ultra sweet to supremely savory. (Think beer batter pancakes with caramelized onions and sausage.)

So take a few minutes and make Valentine’s Day special, won’t you?  If not, just make these as regular ol’ flapjacks and enjoy the syrup.  The choice is yours, really.

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Popularity: 2% [?]