Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

On to cheesecake #2!

This cheesecake is for serious chocolate fans only. Got that? Rich, dense and silky, it is loaded with chocolate flavor. Did I mention rich?

Enough warning?

Okay, you strong few that have stuck with me... let's proceed.



Not so Humble's Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake:

Crust:
2 cups chocolate cookies
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Filling:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sour cream (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
3 large eggs (at room temperature)

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a 10 inch spring form pan with butter and parchment.

In a food processor grind the cookies into fine crumbs, add the sugar and pulse to mix. Melt the butter and add it to the sugar crumb mixture and pulse again. Take this mixture and press it into your prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack. Leave oven on, place a shallow pan half full of water into the oven reserving the lower middle rack for the cake and reduce heat to 300 degrees. This will increase the oven's humidity and help prevent surface cracking.

Chop the chocolate and place in a double boiler, once melted set it aside and allow it to cool.

Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and on medium speed mix the packages of cream cheese for 3-4 minutes till the texture is smooth and uniform. Add the sugar in a slow stream to the bowl while mixing. Mix the salt, cocoa and flour together and add to the batter, mixing well. Reduce the mixer's speed to low and add the sour cream, vanilla and melted chocolate and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to be incorporated fully before adding the next. Take care not to over beat as the eggs allow air to become trapped in the batter.

Pour batter into the crust and place into the oven for about an hour. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, refrigerate 4 hours or overnight before serving.

If desired, dust cake lightly with cocoa powder or top with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache (optional)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup of heavy cream

Heat heavy cream to barely boiling and pour over chips, mix till smooth.

(This cheesecake recipe also works well with a little espresso powder or Grand Marnier added to the mix for those wishing to play with the flavors. I've also made this recipe with 100% pure cacao and the result is an even darker, richer and more intense chocolate dessert. However, a sliver of that cheesecake will bring any faint hearted chocolate aficionado to their knees.)

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Frangelico Pumpkin Cheesecake

I've spent the last couple days baking cheesecakes. An absurd number of cheesecakes. I'm on a mission to fatten up Mr. Humble (If you're reading this go have another slice!). Hopefully time allows me to actually get some posts up and I can share at least a couple.

So I'm starting to feel the holidays approaching and I decided to put down the summer berries and accept that fall is upon us and that I should start making some seasonally appropriate dishes. Although really, we only have two seasons in Seattle: the wet season and the not as wet season. Anyway, my first seasonal recipe is relating to pumpkin. I know there are plenty of pumpkin breads, ice creams, whoopee pies, muffins, soups and of course, cheesecakes all over the place out there in the foodie blogosphere. Still, I baked a pumpkin cheesecake and I'm going to post it... just like everyone else.

However, this isn't your run of the mill pumpkin cheesecake, this one is just a little different. Pumpkin with a hint of hazelnut in both the cheesecake and topping, in the form of frangelico. Lots of frangelico. So try not to drain the bottle whilst assembling the thing, even to steel your nerves against possible cracks. You're going to need that stuff.

Not so Humble's Frangelico Pumpkin Cheesecake:

Note about the crust:
I like to use whatever cookies I've been baking recently to make my cheesecake crusts, be it gingersnaps, homemade graham crackers, or in this case, those vanilla bean cookies. Whatever I have on hand that is getting just a little too stale to eat and will make a good crumb. You're welcome to use whatever you'd like to create the crust here, just aim for about 2 1/2 cups of crumbs and 3-5 tablespoons of melted butter (depending on how moist the crumb is) and it should work fine. You may also add toasted chopped hazelnuts to this crust as well if you would like to incorporate the hazelnut flavor there too.

For my vanilla bean cookie crust, I re-baked 5-6 cookies in the oven for 30 minutes at 200 degrees to remove any remaining moisture and allowed them to fully cool. I then ground them in the food processor to obtain my 2 1/2 cups of cookie crumbs. I mixed these with about 3 tablespoons of butter to form the crust. Press the crust into a buttered 10 inch spring form pan outfitted with a round of parchment. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes and allow to cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on but reduce the heat to 300°F. Place a dish of water on one of the oven racks, leaving the lower middle rack free for the cheesecake. This will up the humidity in your oven and keep the heat gentle.

Frangelico Pumpkin Filling
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese (at room temprature)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup frangelico
15 oz of pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
5 large eggs (at room temperature)

Frangelico toping
2 cups sour cream (the freshest you can find)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup frangelico

After all your ingredients have reached room temperature fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the cream cheese on medium speed for several minutes till smooth and lump free. Slowly incorporate the granulated sugar and then add the brown sugar. Add the spices, vanilla and frangelico to the mixture and mix till uniform, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Sift in the flour and add the pumpkin puree and mix on medium speed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next.

I then strain this batter through a loosely woven mesh sieve because I like to ensure it is homogenous. This removes any little rogue particles of brown sugar, egg chalaza or cream cheese bits that were not beat into submission during the batter making.

Pour the filling into the crust and place in the center rack of your oven and bake for 65-75 minutes at 300°F. At an hour check the cheese cake; it should be set but still wobbly in the center (any testing of 'wobbliness' should be done as gently as possible). Turn the oven off and prop open the door a few inches. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another hour like this. Then remove from the oven and place on a wire rack . Turn the oven back on and preheat it to 400°F.


Mix the ingredients for the frangelico topping until smooth. pour onto the cheesecake and return to the oven for 7-10 minutes till the topping sets. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan. I slide a small offset spatula around the edge of the cake now to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan so it can contract freely, helping to prevent cracking.

Allow the cheesecake to fully cool then chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. Cut with a clean wet knife.

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Oishii Salmon Ramen

I spent my freshmen year of college knocking out my degree's foreign language requirements, in my case this was Japanese. I spent a lot of time loafing around the school of Asian studies and hanging out in their lovely Japanese style garden. That's where I met Samurai Wannabe. Walking around campus with a karate kid like bandana tied around his anime spiked blond hair. He infused every interaction with utmost gravitas. This guy wasn't messing around. He was living the lifestyle; I'm pretty sure off campus he carried around a sword, if not two.

I miss that guy. He reminded me that maybe you shouldn't take yourself too seriously. Something that clearly I don't try to do here.

Well Seattle Samurai Wannabe, I'm sorry I never remembered your real name. This soup is for you.

Ramen with Pacific Northwest twist.



Not so Humble's Oishii Salmon Ramen:

8 oz fresh ramen noodles (Not the instant stuff. If you can't find these and don't feel like making them, substitute a thin chinese egg noodles or packets of fresh 'stir fry' noodles)

Soup
4 cups vegetable stock
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled and grated ginger
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 cup bean sprouts
1 green chili, seeded and sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves (optional)
fresh cilantro

Salmon
1 pound of wild pacific northwest coho, skin removed and sliced into four filets.

3 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons of mirin
1 teaspoons grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated garlic
1/2 teaspoon hot chili sauce - sriracha (optional)

Cook the ramen according to the package directions.

Mix the ingredients for the salmon and glaze each piece. Place the salmon under the broiler for roughly four minutes on one side. The flesh should flake easily but the center should remain moist and pink.

Add the garlic, ginger and soy sauce to the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer.

Boil 4 cups of water in a small pan and add the spinach, cooking briefly till it has just wilted. Remove the spinach from the water and squeeze the spinach to remove any excess liquid.

Divide the spinach between four bowls, then add the noodles. Pour the broth over the noodles and add a filet of salmon to each. Sprinkle with the bean sprouts, chilies, and cilantro.

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Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

Tuesday's Cookie. Another recipe from Martha that I really enjoy (link.) I always replace the normal granulated sugar called for in the recipie with homemade vanilla sugar to add additional vanilla punch to the cookies. The vanilla bean cookies have a light crispy shell and a soft chewy interior that has just a hint of salt, tempering the sweetness. The cookie is just yummy, even without the filling. Around here we eat often them plain or smeared with blob of Nutella.

Om nom nom.

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Singapore Street Noodles

The first time I had this yummy noodle dish was in Singapore and they tried to hurt me. It was delicious but the meal's enticing flavor belied the evil lurking within. The noodles resulted in one of the longest bus rides in history, where I contemplated stomach churning, how mortifying it would be for me to get sick on a crowded Singapore bus.

I've made peace with this dish and it has long since made up for the wrongs it has done to me.

Not so Humble's Singapore Street Noodles (The non-evil kind):

150 grams of Rice Vermicelli noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 pound pork loin sliced sliced thinly
2 cups chopped chinese cabbage
2 thai chilies seeded and chopped
2 cups broccli florrets
1 1/2 cups small cooked shrimp
1 tablespoon turmeric
2-4 teaspoons green thai curry paste

chopped cilantro
shredded green onion


Cook or soak the noodles according to the package direction. Unless you have these noodles and then just treat them like you do other rice noodles (soak in hot water till tender) and hope for the best. I tried out a new brand today and though they were nearly twice as much as my normal rice vermicelli they were not as sturdy. Delicious though, similar to Japanese somen.

In your wok heat oil and add onion and garlic and cook a minute or two till the onion softens. Add the sliced pork and cook for a few minutes till pork acquires a little color. Add the broccoli and 1/2 cup of water and cover the wok for 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, chilies, and shrimp and stir fry a minute longer. Mix the curry paste with a few tablespoons of water and add it with the turmeric to the wok. Add the cooked rice noodles and gently toss with a pair of forks. Serve garnished with the green onion and cilantro.

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Pasta with Brown Butter, Sage and Nutmeg

This is one of those wonderful pasta dishes that can be thrown together in a pinch from a handful of ingredients that one tends to have on hand. The simple mixture of brown butter, fresh sage and nutmeg creates a marvelously aromatic meal. So satisfying that I tend to overindulge, resulting in my sinking into one of those warm and fuzzy starch induced comas.

Oh yes, I want to go to there.

Not so Humble Pie's Pasta with Brown Butter, Sage and Nutmeg:

2 cups penne pasta
1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
6 tablespoons butter
15-18 small fresh sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt
pepper
Parmesan

Serves 2-4

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and place the butter in a skillet over medium high heat and cook until bubbly. Add the chicken and saute till butter darkens and the chicken has cooked through. Take a little more than half of the sage (reserve the smallest of the leaves to garnish with later) and slice them into thin strips and add to the chicken and butter. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and saute briefly until dish becomes aromatic.

Place the cooked and drained pasta into a bowl and add the Chicken, Sage and Brown butter mixture. Sprinkle with a generous amount of fresh ground pepper and salt (to taste) and toss well.

Serve the pasta topped with fresh parmesan shavings and a few of the remaining sage leaves.

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Amaretto Lemon Squares

This is my own spin on lemon bars, inspired by my penchant for Amaretto Sours back in my drinking days. These are sweet and tart with the velvety flavor of Amaretto and unlike the mixed drink, they won't lead to any embarrassing moments... like falling off your chair and sprawling on the floor of a late night pizza joint. Anyway...

The worst these cookies can do is give you a powdered sugar mustache and a very happy grin.

Not So Humble's Amaretto Lemon Squares:

Crust:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter chilled
1 1/2 cups plus one tablespoon all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup toasted almonds ground in a food processor
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 tablespoons amaretto
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup whole milk

powdered sugar for dusting

Butter a 9 x13-inch baking dish and line with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor grind the toasted almonds, add the flour, salt and sugar and pulse to combine. Cut the cold butter into pieces and add then to the flour and process till the mixture looks like a coarse meal. Pour the mixture into the pan, distributing evenly and pressing down with your hands to make the crust. Bake the crust for 16 minutes until light brown. Reduce the oven temp to 325°F.

Make the filling by combining all the ingredients and mixing well to remove any lumps of flour or starch. Pour into the crust and return the pan to the oven baking another 18-20 minutes until filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. In about 10-20 minutes they should be cool enough to remove using the parchment to lift the bars from the pan. Leave the bars on the parchment to cool on the rack. Right before serving dust with a generous coat of powdered sugar and cut into bars.

These lemon bars are best once they have cooled but are still slightly warm from the oven. However, if you must wait to serve them, keep the bars chilled. These are best eaten the same day you bake them.

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