Light(ish) Chocolate Cheesecake Squares

 
Alright, they're not exactly diet food, but if you have a hankerin' for chocolate cheesecake without too much guilt, you're going to LOVE these babies!

These bars are really easy to make, but if your boys are like mine, they'll take one bite and think you are a domestic goddess.  I like that.

Light(ish) Chocolate Cheesecake Squares
{adapted from Everyday Food magazine, Jan 2004}
makes 9 squares

shortening for pan
8 chocolate wafer cookies
8 oz  (1/3 less fat, or reduced fat) cream cheese
1 c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 c. dutch-process cocoa (regular is fine, too)
1/2 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
2 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 325.  Coat an 8x8" baking pan with shortening.  Line with 2 criss-crossed sheets of parchment, coating the with shortening between sheets.  Coat the top sheet with shortening.

{Here is one sheet coated.  Lay another sheet in opposite direction on top and coat that one as well.}

Process wafers in a food processor until finely ground.

{Chocolate wafers....in my store, they are near the ice cream, not in the cookie section.  You can substitute Oreos.  What you do with the cream filling is your secret.}
 
Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. 

Without rinsing the processor bowl, process the cream cheese and sour cream until blended.  Scrape down the sides and bottom as needed. Add the cocoa, espresso powder, cornstarch, sugar, egg and egg white; blend until smooth and combined.

{This is the Hershey dutch-process cocoa. It's labeled as "Special Dark."}

Pour into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake 35-40 minutes, just until set.

Cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.  Refrigerate at least one hour.

Lift out of the pan using the parchment.  Cut into squares. (I love using my bench scraper for cutting bars like this.)

Enjoy!

(Also...there is a new vlog post over at University of Cookie: how to apply luster dust!) :)

Candy Bar Cheesecake, Oh My! (A Guest Post from TidyMom)

You guys remember Cheryl, right? Cheryl blogs about food, family, photos, crafts and keeping at tidy home at TidyMom. (Yes, she does it all.) I'm lucky enough to call her a real friend and even got to visit her in St. Louis over the summer.

Well, Cheryl is sharing a Candy Bar Cheesecake with us today. A perfect excuse to use up that extra Halloween candy....or to buy some 1/2 price!

Hi there!!! I'm Cheryl from TidyMom, where I share my passion for good easy recipes, photography and any thing creative!

Bridget is my cookie idol! If it wasn't for her, I don't think I ever would have tried working with royal icing.

Bridget and I have many things in common, especially our love of BAKING! Baked goods can turn a frown upside down. They can make a bad day better or simply remind people that you're thinking about them.

I would bake every day if my hips didn't get so ugly about it!

If your house is like mine, you have an over abundance of those tiny little tempting candy bars all over your house (my 14 year old likes to hide her trick-or-treat booty). So I have the perfect solution to use up many of them all at one........I think if you eat 20 mini candy bars in a cheesecake, the calories are the equivalent to just one candy bar.....I THINK........but don't quote me on that! HA!

So here we go........grab your aprons! This was my first time making a cheesecake! It was so easy and fun I can't wait to make more!

Candy Bar Cheesecake

recipe from Betty Crocker.com

Ingredients:

1-1/2	cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 25 cookies)
1/3	cup sugar
1/3	cup butter, melted
2	packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1	can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
3	eggs
2	teaspoons vanilla
20	Twix bars (fun-size) candy (or your favorite candy bar), unwrapped, cut into quarters (about 2 cups)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Spray 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. To minimize cracking, place shallow pan half full of hot water on lower oven rack.
2. In medium bowl, mix cookie crumbs, sugar and butter. Press into bottom of pan.
3. Open candy bars and cut each one into 3-4 pieces, set aside.
4. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Stir in vanilla and candy bars. Pour over crust.
5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set at least 2 inches from edge of pan but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Run small metal spatula around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Turn oven off; open door at least 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
6. Just before serving, run small metal spatula around edge of pan; carefully remove side of pan. Drizzle with Chocolate Syrup and Caramel Syrup or topping. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.

Enjoy!!

Thanks Bridget, for inviting me over! I hope you all will come visit me for more fun at TidyMom.net!



PS- I'm having a Love The Pie party on Nov 15 - get your pie recipes ready to link up and share.....there will be prizes and lots of FUN!

See you there!!

Kiddo in the Kitchen : Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

We're trying a little something new here at the blog. Once a month or so, kiddo is going to pick a recipe and I'll help him make it...or he'll help me...or something. I'm thinking once a month...but we all know I'm a quitter, so we'll see how it goes! ;)

{I'm pretty sure there is a pile of laundry in the background on my dining room table. Ignore that.}

Kiddo spends a lot of time in the kitchen. Not necessarily cooking, but he knows it's where to find me. If I'm not baking, I'm normally in the pantry grabbing a handful (or two) of chocolate chips straight from bag.

---

The kitchen is also where kiddo learned the concept of trust. When he was about 4, I called him in to taste some chocolate sauce I had just made. He wouldn't try it.

"It's really yummy...you'll love it," I said.

Shakes head. "No...I don't want any."

This went on for about 5 minutes...I could.not.let.it.go. He was going to eat the chocolate.

"Sweetheart...Mommy will never tell you something is really yummy to trick you into eating it. Look, I'll never tell you broccoli is really yummy. I'll tell you that it tastes pretty good with some butter and salt, but it's never going to taste as good as a chocolate chip cookie. THIS, this chocolate sauce tastes as good as a chocolate chip cookie...trust me."

He tried it.

He trusts now.

Now you'll have to trust us.

---

So, onto the recipe. I knew as soon as he peeked over my shoulder as I read cookies and cups, that this was going to be our first recipe... Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars.

{If you haven't been to cookies and cups...GO! It is filled with all kinds of deliciousness...and is really funny to boot (that's an expression, right?)}

Here's how to make them:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
{adapted from cookies and cups & The Essential Chocolate Chips Cookbook}

Crust:
1 & 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
5 TBSP butter, melted
2/3 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cookie Dough:
5 TBPS butter, room temp.
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
3 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1/3 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening

Preheat oven to 325.

For the crust:
Grease a 8x8 pan with butter, line pan with parchment paper and butter the paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides.

Crush graham crackers into crumbs to make 1 & 1/2 cups. Add to butter and stir until crumbs are moistened. Stir in chocolate chips.

Press crust mixture into bottom of pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Set pan on wire rack to cool.

For cookie dough:

Using mixer and the paddle attachment, mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract at medium speed until smooth. Adjust mixer speed to low and add flour. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

For cheesecake:
Using mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating just until blended.

{It helps if you make a face!}

{Concentrate!}

{And, have you ever noticed how your Kitchen Aid makes a little beat when mixing? Kiddo recommends drumming along. I may need to change the name of this segment to Kiddo & the Kitchen Aid!}

Pour batter into cooled, baked crust. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the top of the filling.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until set. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator to chill several hours.

For the topping:
Combine the chocolate chips and shortening and melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power. Stir after each interval; repeat until melted.

Drizzle over the bars before serving.

They were rich and delicious; I highly recommend serving them with sparkling water to wash them down!

My only complaint, and I hate to complain about cookie dough and cheesecake, is that they are a little hard to cut into nice squares. These two in the pictures are the only pretty ones I got.

{My other complaint...I'm still seeing the effects of these on my thighs!}

The verdict: Kiddo gives these bars a thumbs-up!

What do you love baking with your kids?

---

I'm linking this post up to I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom's place because I *do* love baking with my boy! :)

As promised . . . cheesecake

How about a little somethin' to go with that raspberry sauce?

How about Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with a Chocolate Cookie Crust? Oh, yeah.

One really nice part about finally living in the same city as my sister is that when it's her birthday, I get part of the cake. {I mean, that's not the only reason I like having her here.}

She wanted birthday cheesecake and I couldn't have been happier.

Let's start with the crust.

Chocolate Cookie Crust

1 & 3/4 c. crushed chocolate wafers
4 TBSP melted butter
4 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. coarse salt

Combine all ingredients. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.


{I used (chocolate) Oreos...just the cookie part...for the wafers because, well, they're cheaper than chocolate wafers and I knew there would be extras. What you do with the creamy centers is your business.}


Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
{modified version of Classic Cheesecake from The King Arthur Flour Baking Companion}


3 (8 oz) pkgs. cream cheese, room temp.
1 & 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
4 eggs
3 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
1 c. sour cream, full fat
1/2 c. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 325.

On low speed, beat the cream cheese until no lumps remain; scraping down the sides as needed. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth before adding the next egg. Scrape the bottom of the bowl after each addition.

Stir in the lemon juice, vanilla bean paste, sour cream and heavy cream until smooth.

Pour onto the cooled crust and bake 50 minutes or so until the edges are set and the cheesecake is a light golden brown. The middle will still jiggle when the pan is shaken.

Turn off the oven, crack the door and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. (This helps prevent cracking.) The center will finish setting in the oven.

After 1 hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan.

{Doing this allows the cheesecake to contract as it cools without pulling off the side and cracking.}


Refrigerate overnight and serve with raspberry sauce (or plain, or with chocolate sauce).


You might start spooning the raspberry sauce onto the cheesecake,


but I say....go for the pour!

Happy birthday to my beautiful sister, Molly! Thanks for sharing your cake with us! :)



Related posts:

• raspberry sauce
• no-bake cheesecake
• lucky

{Oh...and Flavor-of-the-Month *Chocolate Edition* linky will be up on Sunday!}

No-Bake Freezer Cheesecake

My mother-in-law came for a visit last weekend. Her birthday was just a few weeks ago, so I wanted to make a special dessert for her. Her favorite is cheesecake.

This recipe comes with a warning.

If your 40th birthday is the next week and you'd like to lose 10 pounds first (but would settle for 5), like someone I know really, really well....

{ok...it's me}

....this might not be the best choice to help you reach that goal.

I love this recipe, not only does it have a chocolatey, slightly salty and sweet crust; it has a layer of ganache (!), and is topped with delicious cheesecake.

AND, you make it ahead of time and pop it in the freezer! No baking!

The dangerous part, though...it calls to you from the freezer. I swear! "Remember me? You made me 2 days ago. Let me out into the light. EAT ME!" Well, something like that.

Sigh. Oh well, I think 40 and chubby is a good thing.

Never trust a skinny cook, right?

No-Bake Cheesecake
(modified from MarthaStewart.com)

CRUST

• Vegetable oil for coating the pan
  
• 18 ounces chocolate wafers (about 90), finely ground (4 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt

GANACHE

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 61 percent), finely chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

FILLING

• 32 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  

Using a paper towel, coat a 10-inch springform pan with vegetable oil. Mix wafers, sugar, butter, and salt in a medium bowl. Pat mixture into pan, pressing firmly into bottom and all the way up sides. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Place chopped chocolate in a food processor. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate. Let sit several minutes, then process until smooth. Reserve a few tablespoons ganache for decorating, and spread the remainder evenly on bottom and all the way up sides of crust. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add sugar and salt. Raise speed to medium-high, and beat until very fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in lemon juice.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream with the whisk attachment until medium-stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Pour filling into crust, and use an offset spatula to spread evenly.

Transfer reserved ganache to a pastry bag and decorate as desired. (For my mother-in-law, I wrote "Happy Birthday;" last time, I just made squiggly lines. :) That looked better.)

Cover, and freeze for at least 1 hour or overnight. Unmold cheesecake and serve immediately.


Related posts:

• Julia's Triple-Decker Cheesecake
• Mom's Coconut Cake
  

Julia's Triple-Decker Cheesecake

Please tell me you've visited Julia over at Dozen Flours. Her blog is full of the most beautiful, mouth-watering concoctions. She makes a lot for her co-workers and I'm pretty sure there's a LONG, LONG waiting list to work at that place.

A few months ago, Julia posted a Triple-Decker Chocolate, Toffee, Coffee Cheesecake. I knew it would be the perfect dessert to make for my husband. So, this was our/his Father's Day dessert.


Please forgive my not-so-great pictures. They don't do the cheesecake justice. It was wonderful...creamy and decadent. I followed Julia's instructions to the letter with 2 small exceptions:

1. I didn't have instant coffee on hand, so I used instant espresso and cut the amount in half.
2. I topped our slices with toffee pieces because I was too lazy to whip the cream and make chocolate shavings. :)

{Here's a picture from day 2, I managed to cut it a little bit cleaner...still, Julia's pictures are better. }

It was a hit. If you like this flavor combination, you'll love this cheesecake! Thank you, Julia!!!

Hungry for more desserts?
Try this Turtle Ice Cream Pie or this No-Bake Cheesecake. :)