Mocha Mousse Cheesecake

Definitely one of those recipes that once you read the title and see the picture, you will dream about this until you make it. Is that just me? I bought a springform pan just for this baby. Well, I'm sure there was one long ago in this house... but it's hard to say where it went. I would tell you how long this cheesecake lasted in a household of 2, but it's shameful. I tried... but LOOK at it!


Mocha Mousse Cheesecake
from Mrs. Fields Best Ever Cookie Book

Ingredients:
-Crust
4 ounces chocolate chip cookie crumbs (about 1 cup)
2 tbsps salted butter, melted

-Filling
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
8 oz. sour cream (about 1 cup)
3 large eggs
7 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, melted (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup coffee, freshly brewed
1 tbsp vanilla extract

-Glaze
5 oz. semisweet chocolate (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) salted butter, softened

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2, Make the crust: Use a blender or food processor with a metal blade to grind cookies into fine crumbs. Add butter and blend until smooth. Press crust into bottom of s 9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing mousse.

3. Make the filling: In a large bowl with and elective mixer, beat the cream cheese until very smooth. Add sugars and sour cream, and blend thoroughly. Add eggs and beat until mixture is smooth.

4. Add melted chocolate, coffee, and vanilla, again blending ingredients until smooth. Pour filling into prepared pan, and bake in middle of oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

5. Turn off oven, crack door 1 inch, and leave cheesecake in oven 1 hour to set. Then remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

6. Make the glaze: In a small saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat; stire until smooth. Pour glaze over top of cheesecake and smooth with a  metal spatula. [When baked cheesecake has cooled, pour chocolate-butter glaze over the top and smooth with a metal spatula to form a thin chocolate frosting.] Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or until firm. Cut and serve.



Tine's Notes: So in a [futile] effort to be healthier, I opted to use low-fat cream cheese and fat free sour cream. Let's just say, you can tell the difference-- see picture. They are really serious about fat content in cheesecake. After a couple of days, I hate to admit the consistency was less creamy and more crumbly. Also for measurements, I've started using a scale for exact measurements-- had it already, might as well use it. I used Chips Ahoy! cookies for the crust.

Thing I learned: Also, please remember to wrap the bottom of your springform with foil or you'll deal with a smoky mess the next time you use the oven. *I did.*

Marbled Pesto Bread

You must make this if you have a bread machine [and extra pesto lying around!]. Your house will smell heavenly!

Marbled Pesto Bread
Recipe from 150 Recipes for Your Bread Machine by Jennie Shapter

Ingredients:
5 fl oz milk
5 fl oz water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups unbleached white bread flour
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 rapid rise yeast
7 tbsp pesto sauce

Topping:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp coarse sea salt

Preparation:
1. Put ingredients in bread machine per instructions (dry before wet, wet before dry, etc.) Set to basic dough setting. Lightly oil a 10 x 4 inch loaf tin.

2. When dough cycle is finished, turn out dough to a slightly floured surface. Punch it down gently, then roll it out to a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick and 10 in long. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and leave to relax for a few minutes, if the dough proves difficult to roll out.

3. Spread the pesto sauce over the dough. Leave a clear border of 1/2 inch along one long edge. Roll up the dough lengthways, Swiss (jelly) roll fashion, tuck the ends under and place seam down in the prepared pan.

4. Cover with oiled clear film and set aside in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes or until the dough has more than doubled in size and reaches the top of the loaf tin. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

5. Remove the clear film and brush with olive oil over the top of the loaf. Use a sharp knife to score the top with flour diagonal cuts. Repeat the cuts in the opposite direction to make a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle with sea salt.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

Tine's Notes: I used more of the prepared pesto sauce (and STILL have some left over-- it's a large jar). I noticed while kneading the dough that because the recipe calls for real milk as opposed to dry milk powder it was tougher to deal with. After letting it rest, it became much more manageable. This would be a perfect accompaniment for an Italian dinner in lieu of dinner rolls!

Hot and Spicy

Two words I've come to love and like Pavlov's dogs, my taste buds start watering. I can't help it.

Hot and Spicy Tofu
from Allrecipes

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound firm tofu, cubed
1 red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green chile pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup hot water
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation:
1. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Toss the tofu into the oil, and cook until browned on all sides. Once browned, toss in onion, bell pepper, chile pepper, and garlic; cook until just tender, about 5 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the hot water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes. Pour over tofu and vegetables, toss to coat, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens slightly.

Tine's Notes:  I used plain vegetable oil which was fine. My tofu was medium texture so it crumbled a bit while cooking, but overall held up. I must be colorblind, I used a regular onion and green bell pepper (this is what happens when you go with on-hand ingredients, right?) Instead of using a chile pepper, I used Thai chili paste, a dab will do ya, trust me. My inner saucier would have preferred more so I recommend adding more water.

Alliteration What?

This dish will surely have you seeing green-- in a good way. This dish brought to you by the letter P.

Pasta, Pesto and Peas
From Food Network - Ina Garten

Ingredients:
3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1. Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignoli, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Tine's Notes: I used elbow macaroni and rotini as my two pastas. Left out spinach and pine nuts (those suckers are expensive!). I had a jar of pesto sauce patiently waiting to be used and now have about 1/4 of it left over. Have you turned green yet?