White Chocolate Cheese Cake

This cake was served in my high school graduation party. I have made it at least a dozen times afterwards plus many other versions of it by changing the base or the kind of chocolate. 
For the base you can use the biscuits you prefer. 

I used the gingerbreads because I love them but also Digestives or oatmeal cookies go well. 

For decoration you can also use fresh berries or other nuts. 

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE

Base:

300 g biscuits

100 g butter

Filling:

250 g Philadelphia cheese

200 ml cream

3 eggs

170 g (2 dl) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

200 g white chocolate

7 gelatines

Decorating:

pistachios 

Cover the base of a spring cake tin with baking paper.

Crush biscuits and mix them together with half melted butter. 

Press the mix on the bottom of the cake tin.

Prepare the filling. Put the gelatines into a cup covering them with cold water. Mix in one bowl egg whites with both sugars until the texture it's very thick. In another bowl whisk cream. In a third bowl mix philadelphia, melted chocolate and egg yolks. Add the two other mixes in the first bowl. Heat the gelatines with just a tiny amour of water and when it becomes fluid, add with all the other ingredients mixing carefully. Pour the mix on top of the base in a cake tin and place in the fridge at least for 6 hours. Before removing the collar, run a sharp thin knife around the cake and then place it on a serving plate. 

Decorate and serve cold.

 

Peanut Butter Waffles with Chocolate Topping

My grandmother makes the best waffles in the world. 

I'm not as good as she but this is a recipe I made up the other day. 

Instead of normal butter I used peanut butter and the topping is made of chocolate with caramel pieces. They taste a bit like Snickers :)

PEANUT BUTTER WAFFLES WITH CHOCOLATE TOPPING

Waffle dough:

3 eggs

250 ml milk

85 g (1 dl) sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

130 g (2 dl) white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

150 g peanut butter

+ butter for preparing 

Topping:

200 g chocolate of your choice

+ sprinkles (I used toffee flavour)

Prepare the waffle dough whisking eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add sugar and salt. In another bowl mix flour and baking powder and add them in the first bowl. Warm peanut butter a bit to make it more soft and add it in the mix whisking well. Leave the dough stay still for an hour in the room temperature.

Warm the waffle maker, butter it well and start making the waffles one by one. 

They are ready when the colour is golden brown. 

Prepare the topping simply by heating the chocolate. 

Spread it on the waffles, add some sprinkles and enjoy :)

 

Artichoke Ricotta Muffins

Every now and then remember to bake something salty.. 
I definitely should do it more often.
These are very Italian style muffins, great for lunch :)

ARTICHOKE RICOTTA MUFFINS

3 eggs

250 g ricotta

3 tablespoons red pesto

100 g (1,5 dl) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

200 g artichokes

50 g pistachios

Preheat oven to 200 C. Prepare a muffin tin putting on paper liners.

In a bowl whisk eggs to a foam. Mix together flour and baking powder. Add them together in egg foam, then add ricotta, pesto and last chopped artichokes. With a kitchen spoon fill the muffin forms, decorate with pistachios and bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool a couple of minutes and serve with good salad.

 

 

Crunchy Brownies

After three years working together, to thank my old colleagues I made these brownies :)  
I don't know for sure if they are going to miss me but they are going to miss my cakes.

CRUNCHY BROWNIES

Brownie base:

100 g dark chocolate

100 g butter

130 g (2 dl) white flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

170 g (2dl) sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

200 g mini marshmallows

Topping:

200 g caramel milk chocolate

50 g butter

50 ml milk

300 g crunchy granola with pecan nuts

Preheat oven to 200 C. Prepare a rectangular cake pan covering it with baking paper.

To make the brownies melt the chocolate and butter. 

In a bowl mix flour and baking powder. In another bowl whisk eggs with sugars into a white foam. Add in the egg-sugar mixture the melted butter + chocolate, then also the dry ingredients mixing carefully. Last add the marshmallows. 

Pour the mix in the cake pan and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. 

For topping melt again chocolate and butter. Mix them together with crunchy granola, add some milk if the mix is too dry. Pour the mixture on top of the brownies and place the cake pan in the fridge for 1 hour. Cut the cooled cake into squares and serve.

 

 

Chocolate Almond Balls

This is such an easy recipe when you want to have something sweet quick without using the oven.

I have made many different versions of these and this is quite a nice one.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BALLS

300 g plum cake (or other ready sponge cake)

150 g almond flakes

200 g caramel milk chocolate

100 g butter

2 tablespoons Amaretto liquore

Crumble the plum cake into a fine mix using a kitchen robot or your fingers.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl, add almond flakes, crumbled cake, Amaretto and mix carefully. With your hands start making little balls and place them in paper liners. Decorate with sprinkles and serve cooled with a good espresso coffee.

 

 

Bounty Mousse

I've always loved Bounty, it still reminds me of the family holidays abroad at the beach when I was little :)

This is a good after gym snack!!

BOUNTY MOUSSE (2 portions)

3 small (or 1,5 big) bars of Bounty

100 ml light cream

250 g quark

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons sugar

In a bowl whisk the cream into a foam. Melt the chocolate bars and add them in the bowl with all the other ingredients. Mix well and put into serving dishes, decorate with coconut flakes and serve cool.

Mint Chocolate Muffins

The two secrets of these muffins are Finnish Fazermint chocolates + Peppermint vodka.

MINT CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

2 eggs

170 g (2dl) sugar

160 g (2,5 dl) white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

100 ml milk

200 g mint chocolates (also After Eights go fine)

Topping:

200 g cream cheese

300 g icing sugar

3 teaspoons peppermint vodka

green colouring extract

 

Preheat oven to 200 C. Prepare a muffin tin putting on paper liners.

In a bowl whisk eggs and sugar to a white foam. Mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and vanilla sugar). Start adding them together in the egg-sugar mixing carefully, them add milk and melted mint chocolates. With a kitchen spoon fill the muffin forms and bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Mix together cream cheese, icing sugar, colour extract and vodka. 

With the help of a spoon spread the mix on the cupcakes. 

Place in the fridge and serve cold.