White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

I hosted Christmas this year and I needed a dessert!  I had already been making tons of other stuff like cupcakes for the girl's parties at school, cookies (because what's Christmas without cookies?!?!), stuff for Christmas Eve at my parent's house (for 25 people) and Christmas dinner for 12.  I needed something I could prepare a few days before, but something that would be delicious with a WOW factor!  So while searching I found THIS and decided to give it a try!  It took a pretty decent amount of time due to all the layers, but the end result was worth it!  If you like peppermint flavor anything and cheesecake...you will LOVE this dessert and so will everyone you serve it to!  And a little goes a long way..make sure you slice into thinner pieces and save some for another day!

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups Chocolate Cookie Crumbs (22 regular Oreos -- regular not Double Stuffed)
3 tbsp. butter,  melted

Filling:  
3 blocks of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 oz. white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp peppermint extract
3 eggs
1/2 batch peppermint bark (RECIPE) approx. 1 1/2c chunks

Mousse:
1/2 cup Cool Whip, softened
4 oz.  cream cheese, softened
2 oz. white chocolate, melted
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla


••••Make the peppermint bark before you are ready to make the cheesecake.  I usually have some made during the holiday season, but if you do not...make sure you have it made a day or 2 before you are ready to make the cake.  •••••

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using 2 sheets of tin foil prepare your 9" spring form pan.  
Using a food processor blend cookies until they are fine crumbs.  Add melted butter and blend together.  
Transfer the crumbs to the pan and using a flat bottom cup, press crumbs down to make an even crust.  
Bake for 10 minutes and set aside.

Reduce temperature to 325 degrees.

Cut up peppermint bark into small pieces and set aside.

Melt 4oz of white chocolate.  I use the microwave and check it (and stir it) every 30 seconds until fully melted.  You can also use a double broiler.  

Filling:
In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer), beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar and mix well.  Add melted chocolate, flour, heavy cream, salt and peppermint extract.   Make sure to scrap the bowl between each new addition.  Mix well.  Add one egg at a time and then mix until smooth and well blended.
Add peppermint bark pieces and stir by hand.

Transfer the whole spring form pan (with crust) to a larger roasting pan and pour filling into spring form pan.  Add hot water to roasting pan....fill half way up the sides of the spring form pan.  

Carefully place in center of oven and bake for 1 hour.  

Turn oven off and keep door shut, but leave cheesecake in the oven for an additional 45 minutes.  

Remove spring form pan from roasting pan and allow to cool for an hour before chilling.

Chill 4 hours or overnight before adding the mousse.  

Mousse:
In a medium bowl beat softened cream cheese, melted white chocolate, cool whip, sugar and vanilla until smooth and thickened, slightly.  


Carefully remove side of spring form pan.  Spread mousse mixture evenly over cheesecake. 

Chill for another 4 hours or overnight before serving. 

Serve topped with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and crushed candy cane!  

ENJOY!!!!! 

~Gianna~

Not your ordinary cheesecake........

OREO CHEESECAKE!

This cheesecake might be one of the most delicious, moist cheesecakes I have ever had!   I'm not a huge chocolate lover, but as long as "chocolate" isn't the primary flavor I will eat it!   And I LOVE this cheesecake and anyone who has had any....agrees!  It's always one of my old faithfuls and it's perfect for any time of year....a BBQ, a Christmas party, a gathering of friends.....it will get you rave reviews!!  It's pretty simple to make and doesn't take too much time to prepare.....the longest time is in the baking and cooling in the fridge!  Make sure you make this cake with enough time for it to cool and settle (as with most cheesecakes).   I honestly can't remember where I got this recipe, it may have been a website or a magazine because I don't think I got it from anyone in particular (and if I did......I apologize for not giving you a shout out).  

OREO CHEESECAKE
I package (1lb 2oz) Oreo Cookies

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
4 pkgs (8oz. each) Philly cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Sour Cream (I use Breakstone)
4 eggs

PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. Place 30 cookies in food processor; cover. Process until finely ground. Add butter, mix well. Press firmly into 13x9-inch baking pan.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

CHOP remaining cookies. Gently stir 1-1/2 cups of chopped cookies into cream cheese batter. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining chopped cookies.

BAKE 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 pieces. Store leftover cheesecake in fridge.

TIPS: For easy removal line pan with foil, with ends extending over pan's sides. Lift from pan using foil handles.....makes it easy to cut.
I use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer....so smooth and fluffy!

As usual my pictures don't do it's justice.....my photography is an embarrassment!  :) 

~Gianna~

Red Velvet Cake for a VERY Happy Birthday!

My Dad just turned 60 (shhhhh.....he's still in denial), but doesn't look a day over 50!  My Mom invited us to dinner and asked if I could bring the cake.  She (yes my Mom requested the kind of cake for my Dad) asked that I make a red velvet cake!  Being this is my absolute favorite kind of cake, I quickly started looking for a good recipe.  I had one for cupcakes that I had made for Olivia's birthday one year, and I had a slightly different recipe for red velvet cake balls I usually make around Christmas time....but I knew I had to find something even more delicious for my Dad.  If anyone deserves it, it's him! 
It didn't take me long to go over to one of my favorite baking blogs Bakeralla.  She has some of the cutest, yummiest ideas...and she didn't fail me this time either!  Within seconds I found my recipe...and after tasting it...I knew she would've been proud!   Of course..as you will see throughout this blog my picture taking skills of food aren't that great....but I am going to keep trying to get better! 

So without further ado....I present my first food entry to this blog and boy was it a good one!  This red velvet cake was so delicious and ooooo sooooo velvety!  Once you slather it in cream cheese frosting ......it's a red and white slice of yumminess!   Everyone loved it, including my Dad!  Happy, Happy...DAD (Mom picked a good cake!!)  xoxox

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with a wire whisk. Add remaining liquid ingredients and stir together with whisk until blended. Set aside.

Place all the dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together really good with another wire whisk.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or until completely combined.

Pour into cake pans and then drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack. I also cover in plastic wrap while the cakes cool.

Then make the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups confectioners’ sugar

Sift sugar and set aside.

Beat cream cheese and butter on high until creamy. Add vanilla.

Then, add the sugar in batches. Scrape down the sides in between each addition.

And frost.

ENJOY!!!!



~Gianna~