Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Cheesecake

Have you ever been so busy that you don't even realize that you're too busy?  That is exactly what I felt like during the month of December.






I slid right into my busy holiday schedule so gradually this year so I don't think I even realized how busy I was.  It wasn't until I was on at least my 5th trip to the grocery store for the week, when I strolled passed by the Starbucks in my local Kroger that it hit me. 






The aroma of roasted coffee was overwhelming and I suddenly had the most intense craving for a cup of coffee.  I'm not a huge fan of Starbucks so I resisted the urge to order a coffee but I did brew myself a cup of Joe as soon as I got home from the store.  (Not to mention the fact that I am not coordinated enough to grocery shop and drink coffee at the same time without spilling it on me or another innocent shopper.) 

It wasn't until the moment that I actually sat down to drink my coffee that  it occurred to me that I hadn't actually sat down and taken a break in a really long time.  I never realized how busy it WAS until I finally stopped being so busy.  Maybe it's time to slow down and drink a little more coffee. 

It's really busy days that I appreciate a great dessert that I can pull out of the freezer and serve at a moments notice.  (You just never know when the urgent call for chocolate will come.)  This chocolate and peanut butter mousse cheesecake is a fabulous dessert that I like to keep in my freezer.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
1/4 cup butter

Peanut Butter Layer
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup peanut butter
5 ounces cream cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Layer
3 1/2 ounce chocolate bar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Ganache
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla







Mix wafer crumbs with melted butter for crust.








Press into the bottom of a greased springform pan.

Beat cream until stiff peaks form.








Beat peanut butter, cream cheese and butter in mixer until smooth.

Beat in powdered sugar.








Fold in half of the whipped cream.

Spread over crust and refrigerate.

Heat milk and sugar in saucepan.  Place milk and bittersweet chocolate in medium bowl.






Bring milk mixture to a boil and pour over chocolate.  Whisk until smooth.

Whisk in vanilla.







Fold in remaining cream.

Spread over chilled peanut butter layer.














Place chocolate in bowl for ganache.















Heat cream to a boil in saucepan.  Pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.






Cool to room temperature and slightly thickened.  Spread over cheescake.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour before removing outer ring of pan.

If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you will love this dessert.  It is heaven on a plate. 

Ciao!

Homemade Kahlua

I have been absolutely dying to post this recipe since early November when I made my first batch of Homemade Kahlua.  But ... since I was giving away jars of my homemade concoction as Christmas gifts to family and friends, I didn't want to post it on the blog before Christmas and ruin the surprise.

Have no fear though - even though Christmas 2013 has past, you've still got plenty of opportunities to make a batch of your own homemade kahlua to pass out to your friends and family.  It would be a wonderful hostess gift for anyone hosting a New Years Eve Party.

I got the recipe for homemade kahlua from Cooks.com.  It was REALLY simple and it leaves a lot of room for creative interpretation.  You could easily change up the coffee flavor, add some almond in place of the vanilla, play with the amount of alcohol and the strength of the coffee.  The sky's the limit - use this recipe as a guide and run with it.   (Make sure you send me a comment with your results though so I can continue tweeking my concoction.)

The recipe makes a LOT so unless you REALLY love Kahlua - I would plan on sharing with friends.

BEST HOMEMADE KAHLUA

from COOKS.COM

---

1 12-cup pot very strong coffee (chocolate flavored is best)
2 lbs. light brown sugar
4-6 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 liter 190 proof Clear Springs or Everclear

 

Brew a pot of strong coffee.  (I made mine about twice as strong as I would normally make my coffee.)

It looks like a Gevalia commercial but it is a total coincidence that I used Gevalia Chocolate Mocha coffee in my Gevalia coffee pot.

 

 

Bring coffee to a boil in dutch oven or large pot. Gradually add 2 lbs. light brown sugar and return to boil stirring constantly.













Let cool until room temperature.  Stir in vanilla and Everclear.










Pour into empty jars with tight fitting lids.  (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby and Michaels.)

Decorate with ribbon or raffia for Christmas gifts.

I think I'm going to go brew a cup of coffee now to pour my Kahlua into. 

Ciao!

Vanilla Sugar

For me, gift giving is all about the thought that goes into the gift.  Sometimes I have to resort to asking for a list but - when someone tells me what to get, it sort of takes all the fun out of the hunt.  I would like to THINK that I know the recipient well enough to choose a gift for them that they will appreciate even though I REALLY miss the mark sometimes.  It really is the thought that counts when it comes to gift giving - right?
 
I guess that's why I like to give homemade gifts.  I definitely appreciate gifts that I receive that someone has invested their time and talents into creating.  I hope that the recipients of my homemade gifts feel the same way.  (My homemade gifts are far from perfect so it really is about appreciating the effort not the result.) 

I tried some new edible gifts this year for Christmas.  One of the things that I made was vanilla sugar.  The concept is simple - combine vanilla bean and sugar to create a vanilla infused sweeter for tea or coffee.











Start with really great vanilla beans.  They are a little pricey but totally worth it.  (I found a jar with 2 beans on sale for 3.00.)










Slice each bean down the center with a sharp knife.  Use the tip of the knife to scrape the seeds from the inside of the bean.

Pour turbinado sugar into a bowl.

Add vanilla seeds and stir to combine.

 Spoon into jars.  (I added a half of a vanilla bean to each jar to give it a little extra boost of vanilla.)

Tie with a ribbon and label jars to give away.

I am going to tuck a little jar of homemade vanilla sugar into some special stockings this year.  I am ready to sit down and have a cup of tea with my vanilla sugar on Christmas morning.  (I guess this is a gift for me too.) 

Ciao!

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

 

I think December should be declared national coffee month.  Even for a non caffeine drinker like myself, coffee is what I crave in the month of December.  Sometimes, I just want to wrap my cold hands around a mug of steaming hot coffee simply for warmth.  It's also the month that I want to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of coffee and watch a movie.  (Honestly, that RARELY happens in December but I can dream can't I?)  

What goes better with a warm cup of coffee on a cold winter day than a crunchy biscotti?  Give me a sweet biscotti and a cup of coffee in the afternoon and I am a happy girl.

I found this recipe for Cranberry Orange biscotti on bakerbynature.com.  I'm always trying new biscotti recipes and this one sounded like it would be perfect for Christmas morning.  

Golden Cranberry Orange Biscotti
Yields 16-18 biscotti cookies
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a small bowl combine the sugar with the orange zest.

Add the sugar to the body of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed with the butter, salt, and vanilla until mixture is smooth and creamy.











Beat in the eggs.







Lower the mixer speed, and add the flour and baking powder, mix just until smooth.

Stir in the cranberries.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, and shape it into a rough log about 16 inches long. It will be about 2 1/2 inches wide and about 1 inch thick.

Bake the dough at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let cool on the pan.











Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Cut the biscotti into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices.

Place the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet, and bake for another 25 minutes.

 
Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

  








Get your coffee pots ready folks - these biscotti are just begging to be dunked.

 

As always, biscotti are freezable so if for some weird reason they don't get eaten for Christmas, you can always them away for a cold January day. 

Ciao!