Here's the list of what I sold for the "A Taste of Chocolate" festival on February 8, 2013.....

W

wigs

Well-known member
I made 2 recipes of each of the following 7 desserts which ='ed approximately 179 portions (give or take). The cheesecakes sold out first; followed by the Strawberry Truffle Cake; then the Trifle' and finally the Turtle Tart.

1) Crushed gingersnaps make a delicious base and the glazed navel orange slices a delicate and lovely topping for this Elegant White Chocolate & Orange Blossom Cheesecake.

2) Chocolate Chunk and Peanut Butter Cheesecake – The chocolate and peanut butter combination in this dessert tastes just like a candy bar!

3) Turtle Tart – Layers of sweet milk chocolate, creamy caramel, and toasted pecans sit atop a cookie crumb crust. Yum!

4) Fudge Lover’s Strawberry Truffle Cake – A moist & rich chocolate fudge cake has fresh strawberries and chocolate ganache folded into it and is frosted with chocolate.

5) Raspberry-Studded Chocolate Cheesecake—Creamy semisweet chocolate cheesecake is enveloped in a chocolate glaze and garnished with fresh raspberries.

6) Brownie Trifle – Marshmallow cream folded into whipped cream & cream cheese is sandwiched between alternating layers of brownies and white chocolate pudding.

7) Chocolate Marble Cheesecake – Alternating batters of chocolate and vanilla are combined to give a beautifully swirled design that is as flavorful as it looks.

 
REC: Elegant Orange Blossom Cheesecake w/ Candied Orange Slices

Elegant Orange Blossom Cheesecake
Submitted by: Sharon Delaney-Chronis
SOUTH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
From Country Woman magazine--February/March, 2013
·
3 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 60 cookies)
2 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. grated orange peel. divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1/3 cup sliced fresh gingerroot
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
6 oz. white baking chocolate, melted
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten

CANDIED ORANGE SLICES:
3 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 small navel oranges. thinly sliced

1. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy duty foil (about 18 in. square). Wrap foil securely around pan. (I used a 10" cheesecake pan, greased with melted butter, wrapped first in a large sized Reynolds baking bag and then double foil over that.)
2. In a large bowl, combine crumbs, 2 tsp. orange peel and butter. Press onto bottom and 2 in. up sides of prepared pan.
3. In a large saucepan,combine orange juice and ginger; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to about 3 Tbsp. Strain; discard ginger.
4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in ginger syrup, melted chocolate, vanilla extract and
remaining orange peel. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 70-80 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes ..Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen cake; cool 1 hour longer.
Refrigerate overnight.

CANDIED ORANGE SLICES
6. For candied orange slices, in a large skillet, combine water and sugar. Cook and stir over' medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Add orange slices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 45 minutes or until translucent. Drain oranges on a wire rack; arrange in a single layer on waxed paper to dry.
7. Remove sides of pan. Top cheesecake with candied orange slices. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.

Caryn's NOTES:
1) For 2 cheesecakes I used about 2-1/4 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice and 2/3 cup of peeled and thinly sliced gingerroot. It took about 2 hours to boil down to the 6 Tbsp needed to make 2 cheesecakes.
2) For baking, I followed my former Cook's Illustrated bain de marie instructions--posted somewhere in detail in some other cheesecake recipe I've listed on this site.
3) For candied orange slices I used 2 large skillets and split the water-sugar mixture between them and put the slices of one orange into each skillet.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Elegant-Orange-Blossom-Cheesecake

 
REC: Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cheesecake
(From 125 BEST CHEESECAKE RECIPES by George Geary)

--Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180°C)
--9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake pan, ungreased, or springfarm pan with 3-inch (7. 5 cm) sides, greased

CRUST
1-1-4 cups peanut butter sandwich cookie crumbs 300ml
1/4 cup all-purpose flour 50mL
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 50mL

FILLING
4 packages (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar 300 mL
4 eggs
1 cup peanut butter, creamy style 250 mL
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 45 mL
1 tsp vanilla extract 5 mL
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks 500 mL

TOPPING
1/2 cup sour cream 125 mL
1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 mL
1/4 cup peanut butter, creamy style 50mL
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 15 mL
1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2mL
1/2 cup chocolate chunks 125 mL

1. CRUST In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour
and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze.
2. FILL!N'G: In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium~high for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in peanut butter. Mix in
lemon juice and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chunks. Pour into
frozen crust. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is
light brown. Cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn
the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.
3. TOPPING: In a bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, peanut butter, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into center of cake and
spread to edges. Sprinkle with chocolate. Bake for 5 minutes
more. Cool for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours.

George's TIPS: 1) Use a commercial creamy peanut butter. The natural peanut butters have too much oil for this recipe.
2) Variation: If you think you can handle more chocolate, replace the peanut butter cookie crumbs with chocolate sandwich cookies and omit the flour.

Caryn's Notes: 1) I baked in a 325-degree bain de marie (see Cook's Illustrated water bath technique I use for all cheesecake baking and which I explained in detail inside older of my posted cheesecake recipes).
2) I used a 10" cheesecake pan.
3) I made with a combination of semisweet and white chocolate chunks.

 
REC: Turtle Tart

Turtle Tart
(From MIX IT UP DESSERTS by Betty Crocker)

COOKIE BASE
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 cup chopped pecans

FILLING·
40 caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING
1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips (2 cups)
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1) Heat oven to 350°F.
2) In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, water and egg until soft dough forms..Stir in 1 cup pecans. Press dough in bottom and up sides of ungreased 9-inch tart pan* with removable bottom.
3) Bake 19 to 21 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool
10 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and 1/3 cup cream on High 2 to 4 minutes, stirring twice, until caramels are melted. (I used a double boiler.) Stir in 3/4 cup pecans. Spread over cooled crust. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
5) In another medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and l/3 cup cream on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Pour over filling. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup pecans. Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.
6 To serve, let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before cutting. Store covered in refrigerator.

*NOTES from Caryn: I used an 11-1/2" fluted tart pan w/ removable bottom.

 
REC: Fudge Lover's Strawberry Truffle Cake

Fudge Lover's Strawberry Truffle Cake from MIX IT UP DESSERTS by Betty Crocker

Cake
1 box Betty Crocker~SuperMoist chocolate fudge cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

Ganache Filling and Topping
2 packages (8 oz each) semisweet baking chocolate, finely
chopped
1-1/3 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup butter (do not use margarine)
2 cups cut-up fresh strawberries

Garnish
6 fresh strawberries, cut in half lengthwise through stem
1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

1) Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Make and bake cake as directed on box for 13 x 9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2) Meanwhile, in large bowl, place chopped chocolate; set aside. In 2-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture comes to a boil. Pour cream mixture over chocolate; stir until smooth.
3) Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with waxed paper. Cut cake into I-inch cubes. In large bowl, beat half of the cake cubes on low speed until cake is crumbly. Add remaining cake cubes and 1-3/4 cups of the ganache (reserve remaining ganache for topping). Beat on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed until well combined (mixture will look like fudge). Fold in 2 cups cut-up strawberries. Spoon mixture into springform pan; smooth top. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze about 45 minutes or until firm enough to unmold.
4) Run knife around side of pan to loosen cake mixture. Place serving plate upside down on pan; turn pan and plate over. Frost side and top of cake with reserved ganache. Arrange strawberry halves on top of cake.
5) In small microwavable bowl, microwave white baking chips and 1/2 teaspoon oil uncovered on High 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. Place in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut off tiny corner of bag. Drizzle over top of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Best served the same day. 12 servings.

 
Chocolate Cheesecake (studded with fresh raspberries)

Chocolate Cheesecake
(from CHEESECAKE EXTRAORDINAIRE by Mary Crownover. See link below for picture of this cheesecake.)

Chocolate Wafer Crust
1-1/4 cups finely crushed chocolate wafers
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

In a small bowl stir together crumbs and sugar. Add melted
butter or margarine. Stir till well combined. Press crumb
mixture evenly onto the bottom of a greased 9-inch
springform pan. Set aside.

Chocolate Filling
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
4 eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted
3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch.
Beat with an electric mixer till smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or till the center no longer looks wet or shiny. Remove the cake from the oven and run a knife around the inside edge of the pan.
Turn the oven off; return the cake to the oven for an additional
1 hour. Chill, uncovered, overnight.

Chocolate Glaze
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons shortening
Fresh whole raspberries
Chocolate leaves

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over top and sides of cheesecake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and chocolate leaves. Chill till serving time. Makes 12 to 16 slices.

NOTES from Caryn: 1) I used 1 recipe of glaze to cover 2 cheesecakes.

http://www.amazon.com/Cheesecake-Extraordinaire-Sumptuous-Recipes-Ultimate/dp/0809235447/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360533677&sr=1-3&keywords=Mary+Crownover

 
REC: Brownie Trifle

Brownie Trifle
(from Southern Living magazine, 2003 ANNUAL RECIPES, submitted by Sara L. Nichols, East Bend, North Carolina)

MAKES 15 SERVINGS
Prep: 1 hr., 20 min.; Chill: 2 hrs.

For a change, assemble this trifle in a 3-quart bowl. Measure the size of your bowl with water; it should hold at least 12 cups. Assemble the brownie pieces, marshmallow mixture, pudding, and caramel topping in several layers when
using a deep bowl.*

2 (21-ounce) packages chewy fudge brownie mix
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened**
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow cream
2 (8-ounce) containers frozen whipped topping, thawed and
divided***
3 cups fat-free milk****
2 (3.3-ounce) packages white chocolate instant pudding mix
1 (12-1/2-ounce) jar caramel topping*****

PREPARE each brownie mix according to package directions for chewy brownies in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Cool; break into large pieces.

BEAT cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; beat in marshmallow cream. Stir in 1 container
of whipped topping; set mixture aside.

STIR together milk and white chocolate pudding mix, stirring until thickened. Stir in remaining container of whipped topping.

CRUMBLE half of brownie pieces in an even layer in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over
brownies; drizzle evenly with caramel topping. Pour pudding evenly over caramel topping; crumble remaining brownie pieces over top. Cover and chill 2 hours.

NOTE from SL: For testing purposes only, we used Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix****** and Smucker's Caramel Topping.
SARA L. NICHOLS
EAST BEND, NORTH CAROLINA

NOTES from Caryn:
*A single recipe filled my largest trifle bowl to the brim--it has a 9-3/4-inch diameter and the bowl part is 6 inches deep (6" measurement does NOT include the footed portion).
**I used 8 ounces mascarpone.
***Instead of frozen whipped topping, I beat & stabilized 3-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks and split this amount between the 2 layers. I stabilized the cream with 2 packets of Dr. Oetker's Whip It, Stabilizer for Whipping Cream.
****I used whole milk.
*****I used almost 1 pound of Soft Caramel made by The Baker's Kitchen.
******I made 4 batches of the Ghirardelli Classic Brownies recipe that appears on the back of the Semi-sweet packaging.

Ghirardelli Classic Brownies
4 oz Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Bar (1 bar)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup & 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8" x 8" pan. In a heavy 1-1/2-qt saucepan, melt chocolate bar and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from heat; cool to room temperature. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, mix well. In bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly fold in flour mixture; mix well. Stir in chips. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

 
Yes, ma'am, I made 2 each of these 7 desserts & that's why I'm still dragging around yet 2day. Post-

ing is a sit-down job! lol.

 
REC: Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
(From GREAT CAKES, PIES, COOKIES, MUFFINS & MORE by Carole Walter)
Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Marbleizing a cheesecake batter is fun. You may also experiment with patterns. Try alternating patches of vanilla and chocolate batter instead of the typical swirled effect. For best results, the batter should be very thick. Do not make this in a food processor, as it overthins the batter so that it will not
hold a design.
For hard-core chocophiles, this recipe is easily turned into a fabulous chocolate cheesecake. See the variation below.

AT A GLANCE:
PAN: 9-inch springform pan (I used a 10-inch pan.)
PAN PREP: Buttered
RACK LEVEL: Lower third
OVEN TEMP: 325°F
BAKING TIME: 1 hour, plus additional 1 hour to cool in oven

3 ounces imported bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, Courante, Tobler, or Poulain*
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon coffee zest (see below)
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F. Butter the springform pan.
2. Break the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates into pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in a pan of shallow simmering water and stir until melted, or melt in a microwave at medium setting. Blend in the cream. Add the coffee zest and stir until smooth. Set aside.
3. Place the cream cheese in the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with beaters or the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 30 to 45 seconds, until smooth & creamy.
4. Add the sugar in a steady stream, taking 45 to 60 seconds. Scrape the side of the bowl as necessary. Mix for 1 minute longer.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low. Add the eggs one at a time at 30-second intervals, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds longer. Scrape the side of bowl again.
6. Measure out 2 cups of the batter and transfer to a separate bowl. Add to it the chocolate mixture, stirring until thoroughly blended.
7. Spoon one-fourth of the vanilla batter over the bottom of the pan. Then, working from the edge to the center, circle the pan with alternating spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla batters.
Reserve one-fourth of the vanilla batter and 1/2 cup of the chocolate batter to finish off the top. To complete the top, smooth on the reserved vanilla batter, working from the edge to the center, then dab on the remaining chocolate batter at random. Insert the handle of a wooden spoon (I used a butter knife.) into the batter and gently swirl around the pan to create an attractive, marbleized surface. Center the pan on an 18-inch square of heavy-duty aluminum foil and mold the foil
around the side of the pan. (I used 2 squares of foil for a double thickness.)
8. Select a pan large enough to allow at least 1 inch of water to circulate around the batter-filled pan. A shallow stainless steel roasting pan or a disposable aluminum foil roasting pan measuring about 12 x 17-1/2 x 2 inches is ideal. Pull out the oven rack to its full extension and set the empty pan on the rack. Place the batter-filled pan in the larger pan. Using a kettle or a I-quart measuring cup, carefully pour very hot water into the larger pan to a level of about 1 inch. Gently ease the rack holding the pans into the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.
9. Turn off the heat and prop the oven door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Leave cake undisturbed for an additional hour. Remove the cake from the oven, discard the foil, and set the pan on a cake rack to cool completely. Refrigerate the cooled cake at least 24 hours before serving.
10. To unmold the cake, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan and carefully remove the rim. Place the cheesecake on a cake platter. Let the cake stand at room temperature until ready to slice.

Storage: Refrigerate, covered with an aluminum foil tent, for up to 1 week.

Chocolate Cheesecake Variation:
Increase the bittersweet chocolate to 6 ounces, the heavy cream to 1 cup, the coffee zest to 2 teaspoons, and the sugar to 1-1/2 cups. At step 6, add the chocolate mixture to the vanilla batter, stirring until thoroughly blended. Omit the marbling and proceed with recipe.

COFFEE ZEST: Dissolve three parts instant coffee with one part boiling water.

Caryn's NOTES:
*1) I used 3 ounces Callebaut semisweet chocolate instead of the bittersweet called for in the recipe.
2) This cheesecake does NOT freeze well.
3) Cheesecake sliced beautifully, but I had a hard time removing it from the bottom of the pan so next time I will add a favorite crushed cookie or cracker crumb crust to this cheesecake.

 
Ranking of 4 desserts....I have a neighbor who bought 4 slices of the above this year, and she sent

me the following tabulation of her personal order of priority preference==>

In 1st place was the Turtle Tart.
Number 2 was the Raspberry Cheesecake.
Number 3 was the Orange Blossom Cheesecake.
Number 4 was the Strawberry Truffle Cake.

 
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