cakerecipe




		~~ The Ultimate Recipe ~~

			Dark Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake Chocolate Pecan Cookie Crust - 1 cup pecan pieces 6 Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies (recipe follows) 1 tsp. unsalted butter, melted Chocolate Cheesecake - 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz pieces 1/4 cup brewed coffee, full strength 3/4 lb. cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla Pumpkin Cheesecake - 2 tsp. unsalted butter, melted 1 lb. cream cheese 3/4 granulated sugar 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground allspice 1/8 tap. ground cloves Semisweet Chocolate Ganache - 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz pieces Preheat oven to 325F. Toast the pecan pieces on a baking sheet in pre-heated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove form the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Lower oven temperature to 300 F. In a food processor fitted with metal blade, chop the cookies and the pecans until they are crumbs (yield about 2 cups of crumbs), about 20 to 30 seconds. Set aside. Coat the bottom of a 9"x3" spring form pan with 1 tsp. melted butter. Use hands to press 1 cup of crumbs to a uniform level and thickness on the butter bottom of pan. Set aside. To prepare the chocolate cheesecake, heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium-high heat. Place the semisweet chocolate and coffee in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap and allow to heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Place 3/4 pound softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on low for 1 minute and on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating on high for 20 seconds and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Then beat mixture for 1 minute more on high. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat on medium for 15 seconds. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat on medium for 30 seconds. Remove bowl from the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until it is smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour cheesecake mixture into the prepared springform pan, spreading evenly. Keep at room temperature while preparing pumpkin cheesecake batter. To prepare pumpkin cheesecake, coat the inside of a 9"x1 1/2" cake pan with 1 tsp. butter. Line the pan with an 8-inch square of parchment paper. Coat the parchment paper with the remaining teaspoon of butter. Set aside until needed. Place 1 pound of softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, the flour, and 1/2 tsp. salt in the bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on low for 1 minute and on medium for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, then beat on medium for 2 more minutes and on high for 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, beating on high for 20 seconds and scraping down bowl after each addition. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and beat on medium for 15 seconds, then beat on high for 2 more minutes. Add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves, then beat on medium for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until it is smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Place a 9"x1 1/2" cake pan partially filled with 4 cups of hot water on the bottom rack of the 300 F oven (the bottom rack should be at least 3 inches below the center rack). Place both cheesecakes on the center rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the internal temperature of the cheesecake fillings reaches 170 degrees F. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecakes to remain in the oven for an additional 20 minutes. Remove form the oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. Refrigerate the chocolate cheesecake for 1 hour, but keep pumpkin cheesecake at room temperature (do not remove either cake from pan. To prepare the ganache, heat the heavy cream, butter, and sugar in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Pour 1 cup of the semi-sweet chocolate ganache over the top of the chilled chocolate cheesecake. Spread evenly over the top of the cake. Invert the pumpkin cheesecake onto the layer of ganache. Gently press down on the cake to set in place. Wrap the entire spring form pan with film wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. The cheesecake can now be released from the spring form. Remove film wrap and wrap a damp, hot towel around the sides of the pan (the towel should be large enough to completely wrap around and cove the sides of the pan) and hold around the pan form 1 minute. Carefully release and remove the springform pan. Using a cake spatula, smooth the sides of the cake with 2 to 3 Tbsps. of the ganache. Spread the remaining ganache evenly across the top of the cake. press remaining cookie/pecan crumbs into the sides of the cake, coating evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving. Heat the blade of the serrated knife under hot water before cutting and run it under hot water after making each slice. (In the notes section of the recipe called The Chef's Touch, Marcel suggests the following: For an extra special touch, decorate the top of the uncut cake with sour cream and brown sugar: whisk together in a stainless steel bowl 3/4 cup sour cream and 1 Tbsps. light brown sugar. Pour the mixture onto the center area of the cake. Using a spatula, spread the sour cream to within 2 inches of the outside edge of the top of the cake. Now for the final touch, evenly space 12 pecan halves 1/2 inch from the outer edge of the top. refrigerate for an hour before cutting and serving.) Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup Nestle unsweetened cocoa 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz pieces 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz pieces 1 1/2 cups tightly packed light brown sugar 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla Preheat oven to 325F. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt onto waxed paper. Set aside Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet and the unsweetened chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with film wrap and allow to heat for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove form heat and stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed. Place the light brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl and beat on high for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, while beating on medium and stopping to scrape down bowl after incorporating each addition. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for 30 seconds. Add the melted chocolate and beat on low for 10 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add the sifted flour, cocoa, and baking soda and beat on low until thoroughly combined, about 20 to 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and mix thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Portion 6 to 8 cookies per baking sheet by dropping 2 level Tbsps. of batter per cookie onto each of 2 non-stick baking sheets. Place the cookies on the top and middle shelves of the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom about halfway through the baking time. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 to 6 minutes on the baking sheets. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to thoroughly cool before storing in a sealed plastic container. Repeat the procedure until all the cookies have been baked. (Makes 3 to 3 1/2 dozen cookies.)