Cheesecake | Aapplemint

Applesauce & Chocolate Cheesecake

All, Baking, Dessert, Featured 33 Responses »

Mar 112010

Green apple and chocolate ?? … You’re wondering what a weird combination . Well weird it is, but ask me why this combination and it’ll all make sense. My baby who just turned 6 months old, loves green apples. There aren’t many options available to the little boy and with just pureed apples(red and green), carrots, pears, bananas and rice cereal, I can say he has a pretty darn good choice . So that explains the green applesauce, and for the chocolate … Baby cannot eat cake at 6 months, so I’m gonna have to eat it , n I like chocolate. At this age its more for mommy’s excitement, than for the baby, and so to celebrate his 6 month birthday, I made him this cake which he had great fun diving into with his bare hands, squishing it and getting it all over the place. Of course he did get a teeny weeny lick of the applesauce but the rest was all for me

Ingredients

For the Applesauce Cheesecake

300 gms steamed and pureed green apples (choose the tart one packed with flavour )
200 gms cream cheese
200 gms whipped cream
100 gms caster sugar (add more if you like)
1/2 green apple chopped into tiny bits
1 sachet gelatin powder
1/2 cup apple juice

Dissolve the gelatin in 2 tablespoons of hot water and keep aside. Beat the cream with an electric beater till its fluffy and holds. Keep aside. Now beat cream cheese till it is smooth and add the applesauce and caster sugar. Fold well making sure its all mixed in thoroughly. Now fold in the whipped cream and prepared gelatin. Add the chopped bits of apple and give it one final stir and pour over the cake layers alternately. Cover with cling wrap and let it set overnight in the fridge.

For the Chocolate Cake Layer

3/4 th cup + 2 tablespoons flour
3/4th cup unsweetened cocoa powder
7 eggs
13/4 cup sugar.

Preheat oven 180C. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder and set aside. With an electric beater, in a large bowl, beat the eggs to blend. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of sugar and beat on medium high speed until a slowly dissolving ribbon forms when the beaters are lifted. Gently add the sifted flour mix , folding in carefully trying not to deflate the air. Mix well and pour into the baking tin. Bake for 20 mins or skewer comes out clean. Remove and cool on wire rack. Now if you are doing small individual ones , cut out the layers using a mould. Or if you are layering then in the same tin, just slice it horizontally through the centre. Now soak the layers with the apple juice and then layer them with the cheesecake mixture. When ready to serve, top with some whipped cream and a slice of green apple.

Matcha, Mascarpone n Dark Chocolate – Happiness !

All, Dessert 87 Responses »

Sep 182008

Do you ever have one one those days, when you’re feeling a bit low, and you start asking yourself questions .. why ? Well last weekend i was feeling exceptionally low, and started asking myself, ” What is happiness ?” – ” How do you define Happiness ?” … n then i went on n asked everyone i met for the rest of the week … here are a few replies i got …

- Happiness is exploring new places, tasting new things

- Happiness … depends, right now drinking tea and enjoying the cool weather is happiness. I wouldn’t change for anything.

- Happiness is…(profound) knowing that sadness exists …(practical) Sharing a great meal w/love

- Happiness is with Friends and Family

- I define happiness as … sitting quietly on my front porch, watching a rainstorm dance by, observing all of nature joyously celebrating it’s abundance

- I define happiness as … walking through the dewy summer grass barefoot, the smile on a person’s face upon seeing you, the warm sun shining on your face, the feeling of being completely loved faults and all

- Happiness is … having the freedom, health and opportunity to do great things for myself and others.

- Happiness is being at peace with myself and those around me and being able to give

- I define happiness as … standing in the rain and really feeling every single rain drop that touches you, and knowing that each drop is a not a tear from God above but a drop of his everlasting love falling sown on us.

- Happiness is … comfortable shoes …

- Happiness – Simple stuff: a child laughing, sun shining, flowers blooming, art, feeding people, helping others in need … all make me happy!

According to me there is no perfect definition for happiness. Everyone has their own meaning to it. For some its a long time achievement for some its momentary happiness. I believe happiness is based on happenings, its a fleeting emotion that comes and goes. Takes you up high and at times, low below. Happiness to me comes from little things, from simple joys of day to day life. To me its not a goal … but a feeling of Joy. Joy comes with happiness, you can’t have joy and at the same time you’re unhappy … How do you define happiness … What makes you happy ??

Matcha Green Tea Mascarpone n Dark chocolate Cake

Its always a good thing to have some layers of cake in the freezer. Always comes in handy for these kinda days, when you’re really not upto baking, yet desire something sweet. I always have a layer of genoise n chocolate cake for emergencies … sometimes i get irresistible pangs of sweet cravings, and so i have to be prepared So with the cake at hand, making this dessert cake becomes extremely easy.

1 + 1/2 tsp Matcha green tea powder
1-2 tbsps hot milk
4 tbsps mascarpone
4 tbsp cream
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 + 1/2 tsp gelatin powder dissolved in 3 tbsp water
1 layer of chocolate cake

If you want to make them in individual molds, start with cutting the shapes out in the chocolate cake, 3 layers for each mold. If using one loose bottom round tin, then double the quantity of the ingredients, and take 3 layers of cake. Dissolve the Matcha with the hot milk. Let it cool. Loosen the mascarpone with the cream and beat it up together. Add the sugar, matcha and the gelatin mixture and mix well. Place the bottom layer of the cake in the tin, and pour some of this mixture on the top. If you find it too thick then add some more cream before you pour it on top. Put this in the freezer and let it set. The gelatin will make it set quickly. Once you think its firm enough, repeat this step with the second layer, and then the third. Finally let it set overnight. When you’re ready to serve, loosen the cake and remove from tin. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Alterately you could just make it in a glass. I cut the broken corners of the chocolate cake and set this dessert in a glass. And the glass version does not need gelatin. Just keep the mascarpone mixture thick, and pour it over the top. This would make for more of a Matcha n Dark Chocolate dessert smoothie Enjoy !

Matcha, Mascarpone n Dark Chocolate - Pure Bliss !!

Mango Cake n Birthday Wishes

All, Dessert 71 Responses »

May 072008

I truly believe, that the majority of the food bloggers are all Taureans. There are just so many of them celebrating their birthday this month i cannot begin to tell you. I guess all taureans are serious about their food and just naturally good in the kitchen. This post is dedicated to a taurean blogger friend – Mohini, of Mango Power Girl. Mo has become a very dear and close friend to me in the past year, and i actually have fought against time and all odds to put up this lovely cake i made for her …. that too just in time. The theme is obviously mango as thats her favourite and i know nothing else would make her happier.

With the summer in full swing, there are mangoes everywhere. Not to mention the mango tree growing in my garden is also in full bloom. Heres what i’ve been very patiently waiting for all year around. Trying very hard not to pluck out all the raw mangoes as they make a wonderful thai salad, or even taste great just as it is. I’ve written about raw mango salad before, and if you can get some raw mangoes you have to try the recipe out. I promise you, you will be addicted to it.The ones i used in my cake however aren’t from my tree but from the local market. My mangoes aren’t ready yet … but will be very soon. And that will be another post altogether. What i have here is a mango cheesecake, with a genoise base instead of a biscuit one. I thought it would go much better with the marsh-mellows and fresh mangoes. An even silky texture all the way.So without further adieu i’d like to wish her and of course …. heres the recipe.

For the Genoise

121 gms flour – sifted
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
121 gms sugar

Place the vanilla, eggs and sugar in a bowl. Put it over a hot bath and beat it for 3 mins till the sugar is dissolved. Now take it off the bath and wisk it for further 5 mins till it multiplies in volume. With the beater on mix in the sifted flour, and do not over-beat it. Pour into cheesecake tin lined with wax paper. Bake for 2o-25mins at 180 C. When the cake is ready, remove from tin and peel off paper. Let it cool on a wire rack, and then slice in horizontally making two halves. Cling wrap and keep one aside for later.

Mango Cheesecake

200 gms cream cheese
150 gms double cream
350 gms mango puree
150 gms castor sugar , will have to adjust depending on how sweet the mangoes are.
2 tbsps gelatin powder

Line the loose bottom cheesecake tin with cling film, leaving the excess hanging over the sides , so when the cake is set u can remove it easily. Now place the genoise cake base at the bottom. Drowse with sugar syrup. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, whip up the double cream till soft peak stage. Now in a another bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar till it loosens up and add the whipped cream. Pour in the mango puree and mix well with a spatula. Prepare the gelatin and pour it in mixing throughout, so that the gelatin does not form lumps. Pour all this over the cake base , cove with cling film and let it set over night.

To Decorate

3 mangoes
1 tbsp sugar
a packet on mini marsh-mellows
100 gms chocolate

With a melon baller try n get even neat balls of mango. Place them all on a plate and dust with sugar. Melt the chocolate in a microwave and put in a piping bag. When ready to garnish , place all the mango balls evenly all over the cake and then just throw in the marshmallows to fill in the gaps.Drizzle with chocolate. Send it back to the fridge for about an hour before you serve it.

Double Treat And A Meme

All, Baking, Dessert 50 Responses »

Feb 152008

This is probably the first time i am sincerely following up a meme. I know i haven’t in the past and like to apologize to all those who tagged me and i didn’t follow up. I’m sure there was an explanation why i couldn’t. This time around the very talented and beautiful Annemarie of Ambrosia & Nectar has tagged me for a 7 Random Things Meme … and watch out i gotta pass it on to 7 more. I cant do all 7 … or u’ll be reading forever, I’ll try as many as i can.

Lost in Translation

While i was in Ethiopia, i had trouble finding staff that spoke english. Somehow i had to settle for a house maid who could understand sign language … as in when i needed her to sweep the house I’d have to catch the broom in my hand and show her what i wanted her to do, when i needed her to make the bed every morn i had to literally go to the bed, touch the sheets n show her how … u get the idea right. Fortunately for us she knew the number zero and that it resembles a circle, so every time we need her to cut onion in circles/slices, I’d hear my hubby shouting in the kitchen, ” Cut onion zero zero !”, ha but thats hardly funny …. in that house for some weird reason the stupid architect had decided to make the kitchen outside the house. So every time i cooked, she had to carry the food to the sitting room. So one fine day I happened to make some Chinese and rushed the food to the sitting room from outside and when i reached the table i realized that she forgotten to put bowls on the table. Now we were bloody hungry and the food was getting cold so i didn’t go myself and instead told her pls bring me the bowls … she didn’t understand … then i said the one u put on the table everyday … round round … shaking my hands fanatically … zero zero … i stared at her hoping she understood … and then she said … oh yes … i bring …. and we waited .. what was taking her so long … almost finished our meal …. and then she walks holding a basket ball in both her hands …. ” madam u say ball , this ball ?!”
haha my hubby n me were on the floor … i swear u should’ve seen the expression on her face. It was a really funny moment.

Real Stupid

Yes, thats how i felt on the 15th of July last year. My hubby n me were leaving from Mumbai to come to Ghana. We were having a real tough time getting bookings and after chasing the travel agent for days together and changing the dates a couple of times we decided either 15th or 16th would be good, whichever booking we got.We got a booking finally and the travel agent had the tickets sent home. I collected them with my very own hands and didn’t bother to re check as i assumed they were correct and besides i was busy doing something else. So i packed up, said our goodbyes and my in laws came to drop us at the airport. We x-rayed our baggage and went to the airline counter and presented the tickets. The guy looked at the tickets and then looked at us, then looked at the tickets and looked at us …. and then said … ” u are one day early !” WHAT !!! how can that be… pls chk u are making a mistake .. by now realizing i could be the laughing stock of my family for the rest of the year. And yes I was. I had got us to the airport one day early ! I read the date wrong or something … but all i know is that from a seasoned traveller like me this was not expected and felt real stupid, and had to go back home. My in laws were still waiting out, they usually do till they see us walk into immigration , but this time around they took us back home ! yes everyone was laughing – except me !

Something Nice For A Change

I’ve been a bit busy lately, u can call me productive. I have been supplying a couple of sweet goodies to a local Cafe and Salad bar, here in Ghana … think i mentioned it before. But before it was just a trial kinda thing, this time I’ve started all out. Here are some shots, of some of the things I’m making and supplying. Nothing fancy, but it sells.

Numbers

I’m just not good with them ! Tell me a number and i assure you i cant repeat it. If you talk to me i will absorb everything but if theres a number in there somewhere I’ll not even register it. Dunno why but its just a terrible problem. Cant remember prices, telephone numbers even after few seconds of reading it, cant calculate a discount when i get one in the store, just not good at anything with numbers …. and thats probably also the reason why I’m not making a killing in the share market and just blogging with all the spare time i have! “P
I’m tagging Eva of Sweet Sins, The Homesick Texan, Mansi of Fun and Food , Rachel from Tangerines Kitchen Hangout , Mohini of Mango Power Girl , Zen Chef from Chefs Gone Wild , Sara from MS. Adventures in Italy,

Sunday Fiasco and Cheesecake

All, Dessert 60 Responses »

Oct 172007

Imagine …. you have friends coming over for Sunday lunch, which was planned over a week in advance, and they’ve requested Chinese. U are excited and want to impress, so you go all out and plan a really fancy menu… duck, grouper, crabs , prawns , beef , man tau , dumplings , udon noodles, tofu … , …. 3 desserts … the works ! Start a day ahead and go to the other side of town on a blazing hot day to get the ingredients while u are sick and your head is spinning and u even have diarrhea ( gross i know … sorry ). Not to mention the aching wisdom tooth which is digging into your cheek and making your whole left side sore. And you have to run frm one place to gather all the things, which are available in all different directions n specially to find a special ingredient – Mascarpone cheese which apparently is not available anywhere. Finally get back home in the evening and start off immediately, cutting, marinating n preparing getting everything ready for the next day. By the time you are finished its almost 11 and the last thing you do is whack a cheesecake in the oven which requires 1 hr 20 mins to bake. With an oven like mine which takes 45 mins to bake a 25 min recipe its definately going to take longer. So u are up till 2:30 a.m watching n waiting till the damn thing is done( which is another story altogether ). Finally u hit the bed with an alarm set for 7:30 as you have to go to the fish market at the port to buy some fresh seafood. U do wake up on time, brush and run. Manage to get some fresh crabs, prawns, and a beautiful Grouper. Back home, making the dough for Man Tau … steamed bread as it needs 2 hrs 20 mins to rise …. n still running around trying to organize which plates to serve what in, getting the place tidied up as you are expecting them at around 1 p.m …. and back to the kitchen , preparing the cold starters and dipping sauces. And then your mobile gets a “TEXT MESSAGE” saying sorry cant make it ..bla bla bla …. and you go like hmmm why couldn’t they have called instead … or more over why didn’t they inform a day ahead … but never mind u say alrite at least the others are comming … still gotta finish a few things. At around 12 u call the others as u want to make sure they have the directions to your house ( we moved recently ) and they go like … oh but didn’t u know we’re not comming, didn’t someone call u yesterday ( no ! no one did !!!) !!! At that point what do you do ???? What would your reaction be ??? Obviously try n coax them to come … after all you’ve slogged your sick butt out for them. But nothing … all you end up with is 2 fridges full of food and a very very very foul mood !

Can you believe that … your own friends … ! I think i’m just being too touchy about the whole issue and over reacting, anyone else and i wouldn’t have minded … would’ve just invited someone else over the next day and recycled the food, but this time i was just too pissed off. But now that i’ve shared it i feel better. Phew. So now that thats done … let me tell you about my cheesecake.

Amarula Chocolate and Mascarpone cheesecake with a Hazelnut and flapjack crust.

You may want to know what Amarula is. It is a South African cream liqueur made with the fruit of the African Marula tree. To me its Africa’s version of Irish Cream. Its a little sweeter and less alcoholic compared to Baileys Irish cream , and its obviously the preferred drink here. I thought it would be perfect for my cheesecake, which was a Delia Smith recipe but i had to change it drastically as i believe they never give the perfect recipe and u never get the results they claim to get. Also i did make a BIG mistake of using Creme Fraiche instead of the Fromage frais ( cuz thats what i found… not easy getting European products in Ghana). So well i had to re do it. Imagine my disappointment, when after baking it for almost 2 hrs i touch the cake and it still wobbles like a water bed. Eek ! i poured out the whole thing again and added some eggs and some more mascarpone whisked it all together and re baked it. And voila – it worked ! So here’s the full proof recipe …

Ingredients

200gms dark chocolate
2 x tub mascarpone
2 x 200g fromage frais 8% fat
2-3 shots of Amarula
6 large eggs
80 gms caster sugar
100 gms chopped hazelnuts
270 gms Lyons country snapjacks – crushed by hand
50 gms melted butter
chocolate curls to decorate

Start with the base of the cheesecake. I used a 26 cm loose bottom tin. Mix the butter, hazelnuts and biscuits and press it in the tin all over the bottom and raise it a little on the sides. Bake it for 20mins at 150 degrees C , and let it cool.
For the cheesecake, start with melting the chocolate in a double boiler and melt till smooth. In another big bowl mix the mascarpone and fromage frais with an electric hand whisk and when blended to a smooth consistency add the eggs and sugar. Mix it well again and fold in the melted chocolate and Amarula. U can use Irish cream instead . Pour it into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or till u think the cheesecake is set and very slightly wobbly at the center.May take longer depending on your oven. Then remove it gently and leave it on the counter and let it cool and then chill it overnight. To serve decorate with chocolate curls.

Yellow Plum and Mint Cheesecake with Almond Mascarpone.

All, Dessert 12 Responses »

Aug 082007

I had never in my life seen yellow plums, and so when i saw these in the fruit section of the supermarket i had to buy them. They had a lovely light delicate scent, a thin but very sour skin and a sweet juicy pulp. I ate a few and then began staring at the remaining 8 pieces. Now what do i do with these … obviously a voice inside me was screaming dessert … ! Not sure what i was going to do, i started with cutting the plums and poured some honey over it and cooking them gently for 4-5 mins. It caramalize the plums giving it a rich golden brown colour and a lovely fragrance. I tasted it … arrg it was too damn sour, so i threw in a few mint leaves ( yes i plucked them frm my garden )) while it was still hot hoping it would help. But it was still too sour, so added 2 tbs of sugar. Still sour, but better. At this point only one thing was going through my mind.This has to be turned into a cheesecake. Only the cheese n cream will balance out the sweet n sour of the plums – and so i got to it. Whisked up the cream with a tbsp of caster sugar just till it was holding shape. Beat in the mascarpone and a tsp of almond syrup. Crushed digestive biscuits with my fingers as i wanted them to be coarse, i like a bit of crunch. Mixed in a bit of melted butter and pressed it down in the glass and chilled it a for a while. The rest is a piece of cake ) pun intended . Mascarpone /plums/mascarpone/some more plums/garnish of mint leaves….Tada ! Dessert is ready. Don’t know how it tastes though. They’re chilling off in the fridge, will have them only after dinner. Keep u posted on how it turned out.

Ingredients

serves 2 – in glasses

6 yellow plums
1 tbsp natural honey
2 tbsp sugar for the plums
1 tbsp caster sugar for the cream
4 tbsp whipping cream
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
1 tsp almond syrup or a few drops of extract
2 digestive biscuits
2 tsp melted butter
a few leaves of mint

* update :- i ate one and shared the other one with a friend, who said ” he’d never eaten anything like this before ! i should start selling this stuff here .” haha no i’m not bragging , seriously he wiped the glass clean and even ate the garnish. I’m glad it turned out gr8. In fact i’m having some guests over tomorrow for dinner. I just might repeat these