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Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake Cups

Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake Cups ~ Spice does in fact make everything nice when it comes to chocolate.

These are fantastically easy to make and I love the way they present themselves in cupcake liner. Elegant and warm, these are perfect for any family gathering or holiday dinner.

I know I’m jumping way ahead, but if you know me you know I start Christmas shopping in June and I begin to panic when I see Halloween decorations out in August. Panic as in, I’m not even half way through Christmas shopping and the holidays are here.

Yes, those near and dear to me think I’m crazy. But I love being fully done with all my shopping and holiday crafting by the end of September; so that I can of course, do my holiday baking without anxiety. Continue reading Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake Cups

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Cake ~ Deep and rich, this chocolate cake is accompanied with a light whip cream frosting.

This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated. By the looks of the recipe, yes, it’s involved and takes some time. Although I can tell you the effort is well worth it.

Deep and full in flavor, it also packs more density than most chocolate cakes. For that reason, I finished the cake with a lighter frosting rather than with one of my favorite buttercream variations. I added the raspberries for a punch of color and for an added shot of tartness to pull all the flavors together.

Trust me when I say this cake will bedevil you. I generally give away most of my baked goods, but with this one I ate 3 out of the 12 mini cakes the recipe yielded in one day. Luckily, self restraint saved me from a day of gluttony. The unfortunate part is it came by way of my 3 year old telling me, “Mom too much chocolate is gonna make you so sick”. Really can anything be worse than your son telling you to stop eating chocolate while trying to give you your disapproving look?

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Triple Threat Mousse

Triple Threat Mousse- A marvelously wicked dessert that will have your inner Chocolatier gleefully dancing to every bite.

I know a dessert is a wide success if my picky eaters love it. I have the great fortune of trying to please three picky palates. For someone who loves to bake and cook and has an immense recipe box, my family enjoys but a small handful of my recipes and this is one of them.

Mousse is one of those dessert staples that every baker should master. It’s fast and easy to make and lends itself well to versatility. It can be served as a standalone dessert or as a stand-in for frosting between cake layers.

Additionally, its malleable body can easily be sculpted into a simple form or dressed up for some elegance. I chose something in between by using a hexagon cake ring and then finished it with a simple chocolate fan.

A few notes:
1. Over beating or whipping your mousse will result in a dry textured mousse rather than a light and fluffy one.
2. Since this is chocolate dessert, use premium chocolates like Valrhona, Scharffenberger or Callebaut.
3. If you use a form like I did, place your dessert in the freezer for an hour and then use a flame torch to heat the sides for release. Although the easiest way to use a form for this dessert is to line the sides with food safe acetate, I just didn’t have any on hand. Food safe acetate can be found at cakedeco.com.
4. If you are not a huge coffee flavor fan, reduce the instant coffee measurement to decrease its intensity.
5. You can prepare this up to two days in advance. If you do, allow dessert to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

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