Best cheesecake ever?

I have shared so many cheesecake recipes here and have made more that didn’t get into posts, I feel like Forrest Gump: peanut butter and jelly cheesecake, blueberry pie cheesecake, pecan pie cheesecake, carrot cake cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, cupcake cheesecake, brownie crust cheesecake and plain old regular lemon cheesecake. It is possible that the superlative cheesecake has just been made and consumed this month!I also cannot believe that I forgot to post the pumpkin cheesecake recipe here, as it has been the overall winner so far. I just made it 2 weeks ago but didn't take photos, so I will correct that omission the next time I make it.

 

Thanks to the original recipe from https://omgchocolatedesserts.com/german-chocolate-cheesecake/

I made some modifications and may have to scientifically test the hypothesis that it’s outstanding the next several times I make a cheesecake!

 

I modified the original “Oreo” crust recipe by using gluten free oreo-type cookies that came in a 10 oz package. I used 1 stick of melted butter and wished I had used a blender to really pulverize the cookies. The old “mash the cookies with a rolling pin or can” (inside a plastic bag) technique was ok, but finer crumbs would have been better. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, spray or grease it, and pop the crust (pressed into the pan) in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up.

 

Preheat the oven to 350.

 

I used 2 packages of cream cheese (8 ounces each). This made for a thinner cheesecake, but it was so rich that it didn’t need to be super tall. I used less sugar than called for, ¾ of a cup instead of more, and found that to be plenty sweet. 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla, about 8 oz or so of chocolate chips, melted, followed by 3 eggs with a hand mixer - only because I don’t have a stand mixer! When you take the springform pan out of the freezer, wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Pour the cream cheese mix over the crust and spread it around. Place another pan filled halfway with water on the oven rack under the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 

Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly to cool the cheesecake slowly for one hour.

 

Gloucester, MA

For the coconut topping, toast ¾ cup pecans and ¾ cup coconut flakes in the oven for 10 minutes. Bring to a gentle boil 1 cup canned coconut milk, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup of brown sugar (this is less than the original recipe), and 3 egg yolks. I stirred it the entire time as it thickened. After at least 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla and the toasted nuts/coconut. My topping did not get to a pudding consistency that was expected using evaporated milk in the original recipe, but it tasted fabulous after firming up overnight in the fridge. In fact, I needed to warm the topping in the microwave for 30 seconds to get it to spreadable consistency so I could top the cheesecake.

 

Essex, MA

The original recipe calls for extra chocolate frosting to decorate the cake, which I skipped, and nobody noticed or complained. I used the leftover egg whites for an omlette at breakfast the next day.

Week 4 – lots of pounds of donations

After buying several non-consumable items last week, I’m pleased about the large bag of donations that is in the works now. I’ve created a specific challenge to help meet my goal of downsizing: my reward for passing along 100 pounds of items will be a trip to a local used bookstore. Can I go to this bookstore any time I want? Yes! Do I need to buy any books? No! But I do well having something to look forward to and I’d rather avoid tempting shops while I truly want to move things out, not in.

 

Ipswich, MA

So, to that end, I am ruthlessly finding items I don’t love, and setting them aside to be weighed once the bag is full. I’ve collected (bought) picture frames over the years to create gallery walls, but I can’t stand the thought of silver (nickel) frames on my gray walls, and I’m ready to keep what I truly love- nothing else. So there are a number of frames in the bag to bless someone else’s home. 

 

Gloucester, MA

I went apple picking and got some consumable fruit, cider, and gluten-free donuts which did not taste good to me. Apparently, apple cider donuts are worth the gluten, which I can have periodically, just not multiple times per day. The farmers’ market yielded corn on the cob, other fruit and veg, and a small bag of delicious mini apple cider donuts (with gluten)!

 

Salem, MA

More walks along different beaches are keeping the exercise and sunshine goals going, and I found the small path over the hill from my new place to get to the library by a walkable shortcut instead of a drive. Yay!