Category Archives: Cheesecake

Hooray for Tuesday with Dorie! Hooray for Espresso Cheesecake Brownies.

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I open with a Cheesecake Brownie Abstract.

And hooray for hitting the gym, but that is so not what this post is about.

You know, my good friend Rachel moved away (you know who you are, Rachel). I blame her. Because when Rachel moved, her whole family moved with her (umm, of course). At least I knew Mike and Michael (husband, son) would eat my Tuesdays with Dorie goods. But now? Guess I’d better call Brady (my one “young” friend). He’s been known to enjoy a dessert or two at my hands.

It’s tough, you know? I could eat the entire pan. No, really, I am SO not joking.

But I won’t. Eat every last brownie, that is. One, sure. Two? Probably a bad idea.

ANYWAY.

It has been way too hot to cook this summer and I’ve been running around a bit, but the truth is? I really miss cooking when I find myself too busy to do it. I’ve finally dug my heels and and refused to eat out. It’s mediocre. REALLY. So…let’s take the time to do something fun. Tonight I did two somethings fun:
1. Tuesdays With Dorie
2. Ming Tsai’s Dumplings from Blue Ginger cookbook (more about that in another blog post).

These brownie’s were oh-such-a-nice-way to return to baking. Brownies are reasonably easy for someone as baking challenged as I am and these are incredible (okay, truth be told, I haven’t actually eaten one yet, because they are cooling for 2 hours in the fridge before I top them with even. more. sour. cream. But the coffee flavored cheesecake batter went really nicely with a dollop of the brownie batter! Love me some raw eggs…)
When I DID finally get around to assembly? Oh, heaven. The coffee flavor is there and the consistency of the cheesecake part is silky and smoth. Cut these into very small square because they are RICH. Enjoy with un cortado. And savor every crumb. Then share with as many people as possible: you will make them very happy.

(Final aside. I think I’d stop before the sour cream next time. It had an almost fake taste to it–so much so that I double checked and made sure I used full fat, good stuff…but hey, thems the breaks, right? If I make this again, I’m thinking a drizzle of chocolate over all. This is the kind of cheesecake they cut up, dip in chocolate and freeze on a stick. Decadence.)

(Really the final aside–after this sat overnight and the sour cream firmed up it lost that odd taste that made if fakey. I love it super chilled and firmer. That said, I still think I might forego it in the future, if for not other reason than the espresso cheesecake part of this is so fabulous.)

Recipe is up at Melissa’s Life in a Peanut Shell. And check out TWD for the blog roll and all the other bakers.

Hooray for Tuesday with Dorie! Hooray for Espresso Cheesecake Brownies.

Leave a reply

I open with a Cheesecake Brownie Abstract.

And hooray for hitting the gym, but that is so not what this post is about.

You know, my good friend Rachel moved away (you know who you are, Rachel). I blame her. Because when Rachel moved, her whole family moved with her (umm, of course). At least I knew Mike and Michael (husband, son) would eat my Tuesdays with Dorie goods. But now? Guess I’d better call Brady (my one “young” friend). He’s been known to enjoy a dessert or two at my hands.

It’s tough, you know? I could eat the entire pan. No, really, I am SO not joking.

But I won’t. Eat every last brownie, that is. One, sure. Two? Probably a bad idea.

ANYWAY.

It has been way too hot to cook this summer and I’ve been running around a bit, but the truth is? I really miss cooking when I find myself too busy to do it. I’ve finally dug my heels and and refused to eat out. It’s mediocre. REALLY. So…let’s take the time to do something fun. Tonight I did two somethings fun:
1. Tuesdays With Dorie
2. Ming Tsai’s Dumplings from Blue Ginger cookbook (more about that in another blog post).

These brownie’s were oh-such-a-nice-way to return to baking. Brownies are reasonably easy for someone as baking challenged as I am and these are incredible (okay, truth be told, I haven’t actually eaten one yet, because they are cooling for 2 hours in the fridge before I top them with even. more. sour. cream. But the coffee flavored cheesecake batter went really nicely with a dollop of the brownie batter! Love me some raw eggs…)
When I DID finally get around to assembly? Oh, heaven. The coffee flavor is there and the consistency of the cheesecake part is silky and smoth. Cut these into very small square because they are RICH. Enjoy with un cortado. And savor every crumb. Then share with as many people as possible: you will make them very happy.

(Final aside. I think I’d stop before the sour cream next time. It had an almost fake taste to it–so much so that I double checked and made sure I used full fat, good stuff…but hey, thems the breaks, right? If I make this again, I’m thinking a drizzle of chocolate over all. This is the kind of cheesecake they cut up, dip in chocolate and freeze on a stick. Decadence.)

(Really the final aside–after this sat overnight and the sour cream firmed up it lost that odd taste that made if fakey. I love it super chilled and firmer. That said, I still think I might forego it in the future, if for not other reason than the espresso cheesecake part of this is so fabulous.)

Recipe is up at Melissa’s Life in a Peanut Shell. And check out TWD for the blog roll and all the other bakers.

Creamy Cheesecake: TWD Catch-up Time

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So, I believe the last December TWD (Tuesdays with Dorie, for all you who haven’t read about my previous baking efforts here and here…and here, for example) was Tall and Creamy Cheesecake (pages 235 to 237 of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My home to Yours). A true classic, but Dorie lightens it..how? I don’t know how because I’m still learning the science behind baking.

I know these things: it gets a lot of time in the mixer, so it is well aerated. I used sour cream (option was heavy cream) because I love sour cream–and it gets baked slowly in a water bath, which gives it a lovely LOVELY creamy consistency.

I admit to screwing up the crust…how can that be? It’s almost soggy when it should be crunchy. It’s one of those great things about cheesecake to start with and, frankly, not that difficult. The pan was double wrapped with foil…maybe it didn’t cool enough before I put the cheesecake batter into it? Maybe I made it too thin? Who knows…it ain’t rocket science but I managed to mangle it…

Still, this is very tasty. Maybe won’t replace my inclination for Italian ricotta cheesecake, but it is lovely. If I make it again, I will certainly try one of the variations. Like chocolate. Mmm. But for now, this is straight up good and decadent.

This coming Tuesday, January 6, I believe, I’ll be blogging Pear Tart, which was chosen by Dorie herself…pears are waiting on my counter even as I type.

Now would someone come to my house and indulge in this cheesecake before I consume it all?

Creamy Cheesecake: TWD Catch-up Time

Leave a reply

So, I believe the last December TWD (Tuesdays with Dorie, for all you who haven’t read about my previous baking efforts here and here…and here, for example) was Tall and Creamy Cheesecake (pages 235 to 237 of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My home to Yours). A true classic, but Dorie lightens it..how? I don’t know how because I’m still learning the science behind baking.

I know these things: it gets a lot of time in the mixer, so it is well aerated. I used sour cream (option was heavy cream) because I love sour cream–and it gets baked slowly in a water bath, which gives it a lovely LOVELY creamy consistency.

I admit to screwing up the crust…how can that be? It’s almost soggy when it should be crunchy. It’s one of those great things about cheesecake to start with and, frankly, not that difficult. The pan was double wrapped with foil…maybe it didn’t cool enough before I put the cheesecake batter into it? Maybe I made it too thin? Who knows…it ain’t rocket science but I managed to mangle it…

Still, this is very tasty. Maybe won’t replace my inclination for Italian ricotta cheesecake, but it is lovely. If I make it again, I will certainly try one of the variations. Like chocolate. Mmm. But for now, this is straight up good and decadent.

This coming Tuesday, January 6, I believe, I’ll be blogging Pear Tart, which was chosen by Dorie herself…pears are waiting on my counter even as I type.

Now would someone come to my house and indulge in this cheesecake before I consume it all?