No Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake

 

Whether you make this for St. Patrick's Day or not, this no bake Baileys cheesecake is silky smooth and full of flavour. A sumptuous creamy cheesecake filling nestled in a dense chocolate crust, topped with a rich decadent chocolate ganache and drizzled with white chocolate is absolutely luscious and easy to make.    

No Bake Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake

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400 g (3 1/3 cups) chocolate baking crumbs

1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter, melted

2 and 1/2 packages (625 g) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened 

300 ml (1 1/4 cups) heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup (50 ml) Baileys Irish Cream

2/3 cups (75 g) icing sugar

Chocolate Ganache

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150 g (5 oz) Baker's semi sweet chocolate

100 ml (1/2 cup) whipping cream 

1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream

Chop the chocolate and place into a medium heat proof bowl. Using a heavy bottom saucepan, add the whipping cream and Baileys Irish Cream and gently heat over low medium. When the cream mixture begins to gently boil, slowly pour over the chopped chocolate and allow the chocolate pieces to rest and melt for 1 minute. 

Gently stir together until the chocolate and cream come together and allow to cool for about 30 minutes before pouring over the top of the chilled set cheesecake.    

melted white chocolate, for decorating

Line the bottom of a 9 - inch springform pan with baking parchment. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl mix together the chocolate baking crumbs and melted butter with a fork until combine. Press into the bottom and sides of the prepared 9 inch springform pan. You may use a smooth glass or the backside of a spoon to gently push and press the crumbs up the sides. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese and icing sugar and using a spatula mix together until nicely smooth and creamy. Add the whipping cream and using a handheld mixer beat the mixture on medium speed until soft thick peaks form. Ensuring not over beat the cream cheese as it may not set properly. Add in the Irish Cream and beat again until the mixture becomes thick and creamy but still smooth enough to spread around easily.

Pour the cream cheese mixture into the chilled chocolate crust. Smooth out towards the edges ensuring the filling is level. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day and once the cheesecake has set, make the ganache, see recipe above, allow the ganache to set before decorating with melted white chocolate.

Classic Cheesecake

With all the variations of cheesecake something can be said about the classic cheesecake. It's scrumptious and stands alone and from which all other flavours of cheesecake are created. Equally so, classic recipes are delightful standbys. 

Classic Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 packages (250g each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix graham crumbs and butter together in a bowl; press into the bottom of a lined spring form pan.

In a large bowl beat together the cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest with a mixer until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over the crust.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run a knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely before removing rim. Once cooled, top the cheesecake with a ready made cherry filling and refrigerate cheesecake for about 4 hours. 

Have a lovely weekend and stay safe everyone! - JD 

Carrot Cake

I feel that an abundant carrot cake may be enjoyed anytime however for those that feel they will be in chocolate overload this coming weekend, I suggest serving this sweet but non chocolate dessert; although I have made a chocolate carrot cake before.

Carrot Cake

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1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon maple extract

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 cups shredded carrots

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut, optional

1/2 cup raisins, optional 

Preheat oven tp 350ºF. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a rectangle (13 x 9 x 2 inch) cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.  

In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed until blended. Stir in the maple extract. Add the flour mixture into the sugar mixture stirring with a wooden spoon, until combined. Then fold in the carrots, nuts and coconut and raisins, if using, and pour the now formed cake batter into the prepared baking cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool the rectangle cake pan on a wire rack.

When completely cool frost with the cream cheese icing, see recipe below, and keep the iced cake in the refrigerator because cream cheese will spoil if left out at room temperature.   

Cream Cheese Icing

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1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered icing sugar

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth.

Gradually beat in the powdered icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Ice cake and store any remaining icing in the refrigerator. 

Despite the current news events... hope everyone had a lovely weekend. - JD 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake

If you like lemon poppy seed cake, then you will thoroughly enjoy this cheesecake, as well. Tart with a creamy sweetness that pairs quite well with it's burst of lemon flavour.  

Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cups graham crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 pkgs. (250 grams each) Philadelphia brick cream cheese

3/4 cup of sugar

3 eggs

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

grated peel and juice from 2 lemons

whip cream, optional
1 lemon sliced, to decorate the top of the cheesecake with, if you wish  

Preheat oven to 350ºF, if using a silver 9-inch springform pan or if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan, set the oven temperature to 325ºF. 

Combine graham crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each addition, just until blended. Stir in the poppyseed, lemon peel and 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Discard any remaining juice.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the centre is almost set. Run a knife or metal spatula around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake; cool before removing the rim of pan. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with lemon slices, if you wish and add a dollop of whip cream when serving. Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator. 

Cappuccino Cheesecake

A subtle coffee flavour with a lovely rich chocolate crust. What a perfect pair! 

Cappuccino Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cups chocolate baking crumbs

1/3 cup melted butter

3 packages (250g each) of Philadelphia cream cheese bricks, softened

3/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons brewed strong coffee, cooled

1 teaspoon organic coffee extract

3 eggs

Heat oven to 325ºF.

Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. Line the bottom with baking parchment. Set aside.

Mix the chocolate baking crumbs and melted butter together. Press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, to form a crust, and bake for 12 minutes. 

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together with a mixer, until blended. Add the coffee and coffee extract and mix well. Then add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Pour over the crust.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until the centre is almost set. Run a knife around the rim of the springform pan to loosen the cake; cool before removing the rim. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 4 hours. Then decorate the top with finely chopped walnuts, cocoa powder, and chocolate covered coffee beans. 

Notes: Ovens vary... I found that I had to bake the cheesecake for a bit more time then stated in the recipe.  

Hope everyone is having a good week, so far. - JD 

Let Them Eat Cake!

I have a couple of little souls who need cheering up so I made this delicious carrot cake. It was only intended to be one layer however I cut it in half, sandwiched the cream cheese icing between the layer and made this a double decker cream cheese carrot cake! I didn't want to carry the icing all the way around. I quite enjoy the raw, roughness of the cake with loose lashings of icing. Sometimes there can be a heavy hand where icing is concerned. Where ultimately the cake becomes forgotten. With a simple sweet icing such as this, less is more.

Cream cheese icing may be a bit tricky. I have tried many recipes only to have them look and taste less desirable than imagined. Here is the recipe I stumbled upon...

Cream Cheese Icing

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1/4 cup (60ml) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (60ml) butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon (2ml) vanilla

1 - 1/2 (375ml) icing sugar

In a bowl beat the cream cheese with the butter; beat in the vanilla. Beat in the icing sugar in two additions until smooth.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW 

Strawberry Raspberry Cheesecake

All this week I made some form of chocolate treats. However this was going to be a secret for my Valentine, my husband. There was no hiding the refrigerator stacked with berries, something round hidden under sheets of foil wrap and the smell of melting chocolate. Since I had melted too much chocolate and there were left over berries I felt compelled to share an early Valentine's Day treat. Sometimes there are benefits when one hangs around the kitchen. I prefer baked cheesecakes and this one was very easy to whip up.

  

Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cup graham crumbs

1/4 cup melted butter

3 - 250g packages of cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

spoonful of lemon juice

spoonful of lemon zest

Combine the graham crumbs and butter together. Press into a spring form pan.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just blended. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour into crust. 

Bake at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes or until centre is almost set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Decorate as you desire. 

Notes - By far this is as simple as cheesecakes can get. It is pretty much foolproof. You can certainly change up the crust by using chocolate or vanilla cookie crumbs. Try digestive biscuits. Also adding spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and nutmeg to the crust mixture is lovely. You can add orange or lime zest instead of the traditional lemon. Adding liqueur for a more grown-up sophisticated cheesecake. You can purée the fruit however I prefer fresh fruit. Simple things like chocolate, dried fruit, and nuts. The possibilities are truly endless. 

     

Hendrickson Bagels

Fresh and hot off the press. I got to meet Ron Hendrickson of Hendrickson Bagels. The conversation was light and full of substance just the bagels. 

Hendrickson Bagels have a booth at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market and have been doing so for the past 12 years. Their signature bagels come in 15 different varieties.  Which the Cheddar & Jalapeño bagels come highly recommended from a very valued customer. I got to try the Whole Grain mini bagels and they were quite lovely... not at all what I expected from a bagel. It was quite evident that these bagels are anything but ordinary. They have no artificial preservatives and most of the varieties are vegan. Offering low saturated fats and trans fat free, nut free and dairy free, except the ones with cheddar, and also contain no eggs, animal fats or soy protein. 

They also sell Pamela Stadnyk's, Ron's wife, signature cream cheese spreads. There are 8 unique flavours. Her most famous are the Cheddar and Five Peppers and the Saskatoon Berry. 

Hendrickson Bagels do have a Facebook page and are located at 14 - 52 Brentwood Boulevard in Sherwood Park. However if you are at the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market I highly recommend stopping by and picking up a bag or two of these delicious bagels. 

- JW  

Beat the Heat #3

Trying to stay as cool as a cucumber? What better way than with cucumber sandwiches. Take bread slices, white or brown, and smoother half of them in light cream cheese. Then take one lemon and grate over the slices with the cream cheese. Place slices of cucumber over the lemon rind and cream cheese. Add a top slice of bread. Now use a knife to cut into squares, triangles or fingers. Regardless of being Royal or not cut the crusts or ends off. It's your preference. Even more fun is to use cookie cutters to create delicate shapes. You can make these sandwiches and keep them refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Cucumber sandwiches are fresh and hit the spot when trying to keep things cool and light.  - JW