Alice in the Kitchen

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

This is probably one of our most often made desserts – so much so that the cookbook pages around this particular recipe are covered with chocolate!  This is really very easy and very good.  To save time, I usually make the recipe as directed and pour the filling into two store-bought oreo crusts, rather than a springform pan – just as good and very simple.  You may have to adjust your baking time, but cheesecake is fussy anyway so you should be watching (through the oven door) all along.

Here goes:
Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

1 9 oz package chocolate wafer cookies
3 T butter melted

(or two oreo crusts)

12 oz Semisweet choc chips
1 C heavy cream
3/4 C Raspberry jam
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 C sugar
4 Eggs
2 t vanilla

Grind cookies to a fine powder, mix with the butter and press into the bottom and up the sides about an inch of a 9″ springform pan (or 2 7″ pans).  Refrigerate while making the filling.

Combine the chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat at high for 3 to 4 minutes or until smooth. Stir every minute. Mix in the jam, stirring until disolved, let cool 10 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add the vanilla and the chocolate/raspberry mixture.  Mix well.

Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours at 325 or until cake is set around the edges but still jiggles slightly in the center. Cool and put in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Decorate as you like – but it’s just as pretty plain!

This is a nice dessert for company or to give as a gift.  Really, it’s that good!

Just in Time – King Cake

Today was the absolute last day to make a King Cake.  So keeping in line with my tradition of doing things at the very last minute, I made one, tonight.

King Cake can only be made after Twelfth Night (January 6) and before Mardi Gras day (today)… but is it okay to eat it tomorrow? I hope so. I will.

This wasn’t really too special, but the cream cheese filling was yummy.

Taking it into the office tomorrow!  Happy Fat Tuesday!

Spinach Balls

These were a surprise treat.  I had been holding on to the recipe for awhile and finally got a chance to make them before an impromptu holiday party at my folks’ house at Christmas.  I mean, they were really good!  And they’re made of spinach!  I mean sure, they’re loaded with less-than-healthy extras, but it’s mostly spinach!  Popeye would approve.  I think that these would be a nice cocktail appetizer for the vegetarians in the crowds, and carnivores will love them as well.  Matt, my resident non-vegetable-eater, ate 1/4 of one and declared it “actually pretty good” – and if I haven’t won you over yet, then I give up.

Here we go:

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach

2 cups herb bread stuffing mix (I used Pepperidge Farm – it’s better if you can run this through the food processor before mixing)

2 onions, chopped fine

6 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon garlic salt

2/3 teaspoon thyme

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

Rinse and drain spinach according to directions on box – squeeze out the extra moisture. Mix in remaining ingredients. Make into marble size ball (the directions say marble size, but I think golf ball size is more accurate.) Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

And you know what’s clutch?  You can freeze these bad boys before baking and then thaw them for an hour before you need them.  I had a bag in the freezer that we took on two ski weekends and they still heated up and were delicious.  I even think these would make a nice holiday gift, maybe along with some sausage balls – a savory alternative to all the sweets at Christmas time.