Friends Food Family

Creamy Chocolate Lace Cheesecake

 

When you think of Thanksgiving desserts, I bet you think of Apple, Pumpkin and Pecan Pie. What would this holiday be like without one, two or all of them. I love pie, but, a slice of apple pie does it for me and the rest of the pie could sit until Christmas. Whenever we cook a big meal...Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter...I love to finish with something chocolate. Usually, we make a big bowl of Chocolate Oreo Cookie Trifle, otherwise known as GOO. 

About 15+ years ago, I came across a recipe for a chocolate cheesecake called Creamy Chocolate Lace Cheesecake. I started making it for dessert at Easter and it was a hit. A great chocolate crust with a creamy, smooth chocolate filling and slightly sour topping. The blend of flavors was amazing. I put the recipe on my big index cards and haven't made this cheesecake in over 10 years. Jeff's daughter, Kate (our queen of birthday cakes), came across the recipe after she had a request for a rich chocolately, birthday cake. It was always delicious and people loved it. We needed to make this recipe.

Kate made the Creamy Chocolate Lace Cheesecake and it came out perfect, just as I remembered. She brought it to work and it was a big success, so much so, that she has to make it again next week. As far as I am concerned that is a perfect cheesecake.

So, take care of the chocoholics at your next gathering with this creamy chocolatey cheesecake. It could go faster than your favorite apple pie!

Recipe for Creamy Chocolate Lace Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cookie Crust
1-1/2 cups of chocolate wafer crumbs
1/2 cups of finely chopped almonds
1/4 cups of butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1- 12 ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 cups of whipping cream
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Sour Cream Topping
1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of sugar

Lace
1/2 ounce of unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325*F. Butter a 9inch springform pan.

2. In large bowl combine all crust ingredients; mix well. Press the mixture into the bottom and partially up the side of the springform pan.

3. Using a large mixer, combine the cream cheese and 2/3 cups of sugar. Beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Lower the speed and add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended.

4. Add the melted chocolate chips; beat well. Add all remaining filling ingredients, whipping cream, vanilla and melted butter, beat until smooth. Pour into crust lined pan.

5. Bake at 325*F for 55 to 65 minutes or until edges are set; center of cheesecake will be soft but an inserted toothpick should come out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove sides of pan.

6. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours. You want the cheesecake completely cooled before you add the sour cream topping.

7. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir until smooth spread over cooled cheesecake.

8. Drizzle with melted unsweetened chocolate in a lace design pattern. Refrigerate atleast 4 hours or over night. Store in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Written by Tricia White

Pumpkin Bread with a Cinnamon - Brown Sugar Crumb Topping

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and everything is coming up PUMPKIN!

I made some pumpkin cookies a few weeks back and wanted to find a pumpkin bread that had a brown sugar crumb topping. I wasn't really finding what I was looking for so I went back to my trusty old recipe cards which have carried some great baking ideas for the past 20 years. I knew I had a pumpkin bread recipe but it seemed a bit plain. With a few twists, I decided I could make a version that was moist and flavorful with a little bit of extra sweetness with the crumb topping.

Having looked at a few different recipes, I added some brown sugar to the white sugar and cut back on the nutmeg. Then, I added some ginger and cloves for a bigger flavor. Lastly, I had brewed come coffee and thought, why can't I replace the water with coffee. I was a bit fearful so I split the water with half coffee. As I put the pumpkin bread recipe together, I needed that brown sugar crumb topping. I remembered a topping from the New York-Style Crumb Cake recipe we made a few years ago...PERFECT. I cut the recipe in half and here you have it...Pumpkin Bread with a Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb Topping. 

I had set out and accomplished my pumpkin bread recipe before Thanksgiving. I will also mention that I have a really amazing pumpkin cake recipe called Pumpkin Crunch Cake from Chef Dennis Littley. I will try and get it together over the next week and report it here at Friends Food Family. It looks absolutely delicious.

So, lets get a few loaves of pumpkin bread baked for your guests at Thanksgiving. This is great as a house warming gift or just as a take-away from a big turkey dinner. We serve our breads on Thanksgiving morning when guests arrive early and they need a little "something" to hold them over until dinner. Some family members, a few cups of coffee and slices of pumpkin bread with a cinnamon brown sugar crumb topping...delightful!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Recipe for Pumpkin Bread with a Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb Topping

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb Topping:

1/2 cup of butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup of white sugar

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1-1/4 cups of flour

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in the microwave, allow to cool slightly.

2. Add dry ingredients to small bowl, add melted butter and mix with a fork. Continue until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Pumpkin Bread:

1 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup of brown sugar, packed

2 cups of white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of cloves

1/4 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of baking soda

3-1/2 cups of flour

2 cups of pumpkin puree (1-15 ounce can)

2/3 cups of water (we used 1/3 cup coffee/1/3 cup water)

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. You will need a hand mixer or upright mixer.

3. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, salt, baking soda and flour together and set aside.

3. Place vegetable oil and sugars in a bowl and beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time mixing until well-incorporated.

4. Beat in pumpkin puree. 

5. Alternating liquid mixture (coffee/water) with dry ingredients, add flour mixture then water until blended and the pumpkin mixture is well incorporated.

6. Pour pumpkin batter into 3 aluminum foil bread tins or slightly greased bread loaf pans (approximately 4X8 inches). Sprinkle with Cinnamon - Brown Sugar Crumble Topping. Place in oven for about 1 hour or until the pumpkin bread is firm to touch or a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Serve with honey butter or cream cheese. 

Written by Tricia White

Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

I LOVE Pinterest.

Why? You ask...

Because I get great ideas from holiday decorating, home decor, fashion, art and FOOD! The next two cookie recipes I will be covering came from my "I want to make that" board. I love finding recipes, with great pictures, to help me in my quest for another recipe to add to the Friends Food Family blog.

Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies immediately caught my attention when I saw the post. I remember growing up and eating these cookies all the time. Sadly, they weren't homemade, but I loved the crunchy oatmeal cookie with a sweet icing. So, as one of our A Year of Cookies, I made a batch for Stephen and he loved them...as did my daughter, Danielle, and numerous clients who become my testers whenever we make new cookie recipes.

A little side note: Because I have been making cookies for many years, there is nothing better than the expression on someone's face when you offer them a homemade cookie. Then the smile on their face when they bite into it. You want to make someone smile? Bring them some homemade cookies.

The recipe had some unique techniques (say that three times fast) as you partially process the oatmeal to get small bits of oatmeal flavor. The combination of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg make for that caramel spice flavor. The icing pulls it all together. Jeff thought the cookie was sweet with the icing and questioned whether this cookie would taste better without it. If you like a good old fashioned oatmeal cookie, you could stop at the frosting. If you enjoy that little bit of sweetness, add the frosting. Either way, you can satisfy a number of tastes with one recipe.

Think about old fashioned iced oatmeal cookies for Christmas and the holidays. They are wonderful with a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or big glass of ice cold milk. Kick it up a notch with chopped raisins or craisins (process like the oatmeal) and some orange rind in the icing or keep it traditional...the way I always remembered it.

Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookie Recipe (Adapted from The Novice Chef, thank you!)

Ingredients:

2 cups of old fashioned oats
2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, melted
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup (packed) of light brown sugar
2 large eggs

Icing:
2 cups of confectioner's (powdered) sugar
5 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter two cookie sheets. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse oats quickly until partially ground - you want "bits of oatmeal" not oatmeal flour. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar together. Add eggs, and mix well. Add the dry oat mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined.

Drop dough by (heaping) rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until slightly golden brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.

Once cookies are cooled, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and milk until smooth. Frost each cookie and allow the glaze to harden completely before storing.

Makes about 36-40 cookies.

Written by Tricia White