One of the reasons I love break is because I can come home to my kitchen and bake bake bake!! As soon as I got home I went on a Christmas cookie baking marathon (decorated sugar cookies, lemon lavender shortbread, linzer cookies, Viennese chocolate sables, pistachio cherry icebox cookies, and later pecan cocoa nib cookies) to give as gifts and it made me sooo very happy. Next thing I knew, I had had made chocolate espresso mousse cake for a holiday party, Tiramisu cake for my aunt's birthday, mixed nut toffee to give as a gift, raspberry truffle brownies for a visiting friend... Oh, the lavish use of sugar and butter!!
After using up probably around 4lbs of butter so far (Sam's Club conveniently sells a 4-pack of 1lb butter blocks), I am very much saddened to think about how my kitchen and I will have to part ways in about a week. Clearly the best thing to do is to drown my sorrows by making Pierre Herme's Faubourg Pave, a chocolate caramel cake that uses 3 sticks of butter and 1 cup of heavy cream just for the ganache frosting. Muahahahhaa!!!
After using up probably around 4lbs of butter so far (Sam's Club conveniently sells a 4-pack of 1lb butter blocks), I am very much saddened to think about how my kitchen and I will have to part ways in about a week. Clearly the best thing to do is to drown my sorrows by making Pierre Herme's Faubourg Pave, a chocolate caramel cake that uses 3 sticks of butter and 1 cup of heavy cream just for the ganache frosting. Muahahahhaa!!!
For a New Year's Eve party I made this white chocolate peppermint cheesecake that was well-loved by all, especially me since I loooove peppermint and I loooove cheesecake so it was natural that I looooved this white chocolate peppermint cheesecake. (No, sorry, I do not loooove white chocolate. But it's good with peppermint!)
Crust:
1 1/2 c crushed chocolate cookies (I used the chocolate cat cookies from Trader Joe's)
4 tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp salt
Filling:
3 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
For the crust, mix and press into a 9 inch springform pan and bake at 350ºF for 8 min. and cool.
For the filling, have all ingredients at room temperature. Beat cream cheese for a min or two until creamy, add sugar and beat a minute or two more at relatively low speed. Add eggs one at a time on low speed, and then the rest of the ingredients, with white chocolate last. Stir in peppermint candies, and then you can pour the filling in to the crust! yay.
I baked mine at 325ºF in a water bath for about 55min, so it's not completely set when you take it out. Cool completely, and then refrigerate at least for a day for maximum yummy cheesecake flavor.
YAY CHEESECAKE!!!
posted by Emily || 2 Comments