BOOZY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE: National Cheesecake Day!

I've posted several Chocolate Cheesecake Recipes over the years from Chocolate to Double Chocolate to Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, but here's yet another -- Boozy Triple Chocolate Cheesecake that's perfect for today's Food Holiday: National Cheesecake Day. This recipe is adapted from CookingLight. The original recipe calls for reduced fat cheeses and low-fat sour cream and less sugar than my adaptation.

Boozy Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp egg white
1 1/3 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers)
Vegetable cooking spray
3 Tbsp dark Rum 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
Raspberries for decoration

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust
Place first 3 ingredients in bowl; beat on medium speed until blended. Add crumbs; stir well. Firmly press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes; let cool on wire rack. 

Filling
Combine rum and chocolate in top of double boiler (or saucepan over saucepan over simmering water). Cook over simmering water 2 minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add chocolate syrup, stirring until smooth.
Preheat oven to 300°.
Place cream cheese in large bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Add rum/chocolate mixture; beat at low speed until well-blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 300° for 40 minutes or until almost set.
Combine sour cream, 1 Tbsp, and 2 teaspoons cocoa; stir well. Turn oven off, and spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake. Let cheesecake stand for 45 minutes in oven with door closed.
Remove cheesecake from oven, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
Garnish with raspberries.

FROZEN S'MORES BARS: BEAT THE HEAT!

What a brutal hot summer this has been. By the end of July I'm usually posting a lot of S'mores recipes to make around the campfire, but because of the heat, I think S'mores can no longer be relegated to summer campfires. Try making this Frozen treat at home! 

This is a variation on traditional S'mores, and it's so easy and great on a hot day: FROZEN S'MORES BARS. You can glam these up by making your own graham crackers and using fabulous chocolate and making your own Marshmallow Fluff (recipe below). But, if you're in a hurry and just want a yummy treat, use store bought grahams, Marshmallow Fluff, and dark chocolate.

How to make these: 
Basically you're freezing marshmallow cream between two graham crackers, dipping the'sandwiches'  in melted dark chocolate and then freezing! How easy is that?

Want to be more precise?

FROZEN S'MORES BARS

Put graham crackers bottom side up on parchment lined cookie sheet. Pipe (use a ziplock with a corner cut out or piping bag) marshmallow cream onto graham crackers and top with graham crackers. Put in freezer to harden (30 minutes).
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Let cool a bit (can't be too hot or will start to melt the cream).
Keep cookies in freezer until ready to use. Take a few out and dip halfway in chocolate. Put back in freezer. Continue to dip. Freeze until hard.

Want to make your own Marshmallow Fluff?

Ingredients
3 egg whites, room temp
2 cups lite corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp Madagascar vanilla

Directions
In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt.
On high speed whisk for 5 minutes, until thick and doubled.
On low speed, add powdered sugar. Mix until blended. Add vanilla and blend.

Want to make Chocolate Graham Crackers for triple the chocolate?
Here's a link to my recipe for Chocolate Graham Crackers!

MILK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: National Milk Chocolate Day!

Today is National Milk Chocolate Day. If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm more of a dark chocolate fan, but I have to be fair to those lovers of Milk Chocolate, especially today!

I love this easy truffle recipe from Ghirardelli Chocolate. Ghirardelli makes a great Luxe Milk Chocolate bar. As always, use what you have or like!

MILK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients
1 pound Milk Chocolate, chopped (I use Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Chocolate)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder -Ghirardelli - or chopped nuts

Directions
Melt milk chocolate, heavy cream and butter in top of double boiler or in saucepan over another saucepan over simmering water. As soon as mixture is smooth, remove from heat and transfer into bowl or baking dish. Cover chocolate mixture with plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator up to 2 hours.
Spread cocoa powder (or chopped nuts) in shallow plate.
Using melonballer, scoop chocolate and roll into balls between your hands. Then roll ball of chocolate in cocoa (or chopped nuts) until well coated. Place truffles on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you finish making all truffles. Allow truffles to set for about an hour.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Truffles are best served at room temperature.

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH PEANUT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: National Scotch Day!

Today is National Scotch Day! I've participated as a judge in Scotch/Chocolate pairings, and I've found that it is often difficult to decide which chocolates pair best with which Scotch. However, here's an easy recipe for National Scotch Day that pairs not two but three distinct flavors for the perfect 'blend.' Choose your own chocolate and your own Scotch. Keep the chocolate semi-sweet, so you have some sugar in there. I tend to go very dark, but not in this recipe. Recipe adapted from one by Florence Fabricant that appeared in the New York Times in 2008.

I love truffles. They're easy to prepare and look and taste great!

Single Malt Scotch Peanut Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients
1 pound--12 ounces dark chocolate (55-65% cacao-needs to be semisweet to offset the salted peanuts & Scotch)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 tsp honey (original recipe calls for floral honey)
3 Tbsp Single Malt Scotch Whisky
6 Tbsp salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions
Break 8 ounces chocolate into small pieces and place in metal bowl. Heat cream to a simmer and pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth. If necessary, place bowl briefly over low heat to finish melting.
Stir in honey, Scotch, peanuts, and vanilla. Chill until firm, 2 hours.
Use small ice cream scoop to scoop small amounts of chocolate mixture. Quickly roll into 1 inch balls. Place on platter or baking sheet lined with parchment. Put in freezer to firm up (about 30 minutes).
Break up remaining chocolate and place 16 ounces in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on full power 2 to 3 minutes, stirring a few times, until melted. Remove from oven. Stir in remaining chocolate until melted. With two forks hold truffles and gently dip in melted chocolate to coat. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet at room temperature 15 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.