Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Hubby loves chocolate.  Hubby loves cheesecake.  I love Hubby.  Happy Birthday Hubby.

This is a fantastic chocolate cheesecake - not only does it taste A-MA-ZING, it bakes evenly without cracks and you don't have to fuss with a water bath.  Plan ahead and prepare this cheesecake at least a day before you want to serve it.  After baking, it will need several hours to rest and cool before chilling overnight in the refrigerator.  We think it gets better with age, so make it a few days in advance if you wish.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• food processor https://amzn.to/2YpubmU

• Oreo cookies https://amzn.to/2VgVYUJ

• leakproof springform pan https://amzn.to/2Hey0FE

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/2VYkPkt

• beaterblade attachment for stand mixer https://amzn.to/2Hj4G12

• professional stand mixer https://amzn.to/2vWYzZw

---

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

makes one 9-inch cheesecake (makes 12 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 9 ounces cream filled chocolate cookies (like Oreos), ground in food processor

• 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted

Topping:

• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

• 4 ounces heavy cream

• Garnish: blanched and chopped pistachios (optional)

Directions

To make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. In a food processor, process cream-filled cookies to fine crumbs (cream filling and all).

3. Add melted butter and combine; press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

4. Place springform on a half sheet pan and bake crust for 10 minutes.

To make the filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the BeaterBlade attachment (or the flat paddle), beat together on low speed the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, and salt; scraping sides of bowl if needed.

2. When mixture is silky smooth, add eggs, one at a time; scraping sides of bowl if needed. Finally, add the room temperature sour cream, followed by the melted chocolate; mix on low until combined; scraping the bowl if needed.

3. Pour mixture into springform pan and return to the oven for 1 hour.

4. Make ganache and blanch optional pistachios while cheesecake is baking (directions below).

5. After the cheesecake has baked for an hour, turn off the oven and do not open the door for another hour, then open the door slightly for one more hour (that's a total of 3 hours so far).

6. Finally remove cheesecake from oven and rest on counter until completely cool.

7. Top with cooled ganache and optional pistachios, cover with plastic or place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight preferred before releasing the springform sides from the base. For neat slices, heat and dry knife blade between cuts.

To make ganache topping:

1. While the cheesecake is baking, prepare ganache by bringing cream to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

2. As soon as the cream boils, remove from heat and stir in chocolate; stir to combine.

3. Pour ganache into a bowl; cover with a tea towel and allow it to rest until the cheesecake has cooled completely (several hours).

To blanch pistachios:

1. Put shelled pistachios in boiling water; remove from heat and wait 1 minute.

2. Drain and rub with a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins. You can use the pistachios right away, or toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until they're fragrant (just a minute or two).

3. Cool and chop.

adapted recipe form Martha Stewart

(affiliate links)

Mocha Snow Caps

I'm happy to be joining the Secret Recipe Club again this month.  What's the Secret Recipe Club?  Basically, it's a once-a-month blog hop party for food bloggers - each month, participants are assigned another member's blog where they secretly spend time perusing the assigned blog, pick a recipe, make it, write a blog post about it, and then everyone reveals their secret by publishing their posts at the same time.

My assigned blog - Living Lou... and guess what - she's only 18 years old!  Lou has a truly wonderful blog.  She's a gifted writer and photographer, and she's a world traveler with a rather sophisticated palate for someone her age.  I'm so impressed with the variety of food she's made over the past year and a half, and I look forward to enjoying what she has to offer for years to come.

So, what recipe did I choose?  It was so hard to pick just one.  I must have glanced at every recipe on Lou's blog 3 or 4 times, each time gravitating to her Snow Cap Cookies .  Lou's beautiful photo hooked me instantly.

My review - Lou describes these cookies as "pure heaven", and I have to agree - they're amazing!  These soft and chewy chocolate and espresso cookies melt in your mouth.  Thanks for introducing our family to a new favorite, Lou.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• high quality espresso powder https://amzn.to/2Q0pYTH

• high quality dutch-processed cocoa powder https://amzn.to/2Hg2mrn

• commercial half sheet pans https://amzn.to/2vVEaUJ

• silicone sheet pan liner https://amzn.to/2Vqo0gE

• precut parchment paper https://amzn.to/2YmYURB

---

Mocha Snow Cap Cookies

makes 18 cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (Dutch-processed)

• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1/3 cup confectioners or icing sugar (for coating)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Melt chocolate and set aside to cool before adding to the other ingredients.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside until needed.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg and cooled chocolate; mix to combine.

4. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Finally mix in the milk and shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until firm and easy to work with.

5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners and prepare a bowl with your powdered sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll into powdered sugar to coat.  Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread during baking.

6. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies have spread and are cracked on top. The cookies will be soft to the touch. Allow them to cool completely.  Enjoy!!

adapted from livinglou.com