Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake

fFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Valentine’s Day! is just around the corner! We celebrated a little early this year since the Hubster was going to be gone. His favorite dessert is Chocolate Cheesecake. I decided to amp up the yum factor a little this time and make it double chocolate cheesecake, cause really the only thing better than chocolate is more chocolate. Now if I was to make it again I would make the chocolate topping into a ganache instead of just the melted chocolate, not because of the taste but simply because ganache is easier to cut through than hardened chocolate! J We will still celebrate Valentine’s Day just the man-child and I but I had to make the Hubster special things before he left. After all he is my Valentine!

Here’s what you’ll need:

2-8oz pkgs cream cheese

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla             

3/4 cup Sugar

3TBSP Coco Powder

3TBSP Sugar

3TBSP Butter

Graham Cracker Crust

 

Here’s how you make it:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Cream Cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla and mix until creamy. In a medium sauce pan combine coco powder, sugar and butter, melt over low heat stirring continually so the chocolate doesn’t burn. Continue stirring until the chocolate is smooth remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Add a cup of the cream cheese mixture to the chocolate, stir. When it’s combined add it to the rest of the cream cheese mixture and stir until no white is showing. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust, bake for 35-40 minutes until it is set in the middle. Let cool. Meanwhile melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (or at 30second intervals in the microwave) When melted pour and spread over the cheesecake. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

ENJOY!

Pecan Pie Bars

Today’s post is for my Dad! He LOVES pecan pie! If you ask him what kind of pie he would want for Thanksgiving or Christmas he will more than likely say Pecan Pie! Now this is a hard choice, because my Grandma was the BEST pie maker EVER. Every Holiday she would make so many different pies and they were all AMAZING! Lemon meringue, Chocolate Cream, Coconut Cream, Pumpkin, Apple, and of course Pecan! How I wish that we had thought to write all her recipes down. We’ve tried a bunch of different recipes but none of them ever quite live up to the memory of her pies. Unfortunately she has Alzheimer’s so the recipes are locked away in a place she no longer has the key to. My advice to all of you if you have Grandparents that are still living, write things down now, while they still remember them. Don’t wait; you never know how long you have. Ok sorry got off topic a little. This is supposed to be about PIE and my Dad! I was thinking and looking for new ways to make pecan pie, a few years ago I did a “healthy” pecan pie that was more of a tart, and I don’t know it was ok, but it wasn’t Pecan Pie!  So I found this recipe for Pecan Pie Bars and I thought you know that sounds pretty simple and a much easier way to make pecan pie! I also love that it’s dipped in Chocolate, cause well that just makes it even BETTER! I’m sure my Dad would agree!

Here’s what you’ll need:

2/3 cup Sugar

½ cup Butter Softened

1 tsp Vanilla

1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour

2/3 cup Brown Sugar

½ cup Corn Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla

¼ tsp Salt

3 Eggs

1 cup Chopped Pecans

Semi Sweet Chocolate chips for melting

Here’s how you make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch baking pan.  Mix together Butter, Sugar and Vanilla. Then add in Flour and mix until combined.This dough is going to be VERY crumbly. Spread dough evenly into the baking pan, making sure to press it about ½ and inch up the sides. Bake dough for 15 minutes until it starts to lightly brown. While the dough is baking combine the Brown Sugar, Corn Syrup, Vanilla, salt, Eggs, and Pecans. Pour the mixture over the crust.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Run a knife along the edges of the pan while it is still warm. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Cut into bars and then cut the bars into triangles. To dip in Chocolate, melt chocolate chips with a double boiler and dip one side of the triangle into the chocolate. Set on waxed paper to cool.

 

So these are great and I’m thinking that I may have to send a few to my Dad!

ENJOY!