Chocolate Overload S’mores Cheesecake

Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

I remember my sister and I sitting on the back porch tearing yesterday’s newspaper into small ragged pieces and placing them into an empty can. Probably one of my grandmother’s #Folgers cans, you know the red one with the plastic lid? We used those as vessels to fulfill our need for the melty gooey, chocolatey goodness that would soon tangle our fingers in a web of mallowy strands and #cocoa smear. If I had to choose a house that I missed, it was this house with the huge backyard where we often watched the deer drink from the pond and the trees overflow with black walnuts, pears and apples. We were young and naive and had no real appreciation for the seasonal jewels that rolled across the forest floor. I mean, we ate the occasional fruit and cracked a few nuts now and again but nothing too serious. I remember seeing our next door neighbor gathering the nuts in the evening to crack for an evening snack.

Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

If I had the passion for food I have now back then, I imagine that I would’ve encouraged the making of pies, tarts, jams and jellies, but those are merely the wishes of a time gone. And we all know that living in the past can prove to be a detriment to one’s growth; no one wants that…do they? S’mores are the ‘cream of the crop’ when it comes to nostalgic childhood treats. The simplicity of those three ingredients combined have the capability to solve life’s conundrums, sartorial – political or otherwise. There may be a little embellishment in there but work with me folks, we’re talkin’ #smores.

I know that with the arrival of #Pinterest and food bloggers appearing by the dozen every hour — these once sacred treats are always getting a new makeover from pie-pops to #cake but I warn you, steer clear, it’s a trap and you won’t be happy. What I’m giving you today is an all year round invitation to the snack once cornered to Autumnal nights and snow-capped backdrops. We should be able to indulge in all of this goodness any time the mood awakes within us and be able to do so without checking the weather report. Lord knows, it won’t be correct anyway. The time is winding down and as you know I am collaborating with the fine folks of the Asheville Wine & Food Festival to bring you some delicious food posts in anticipation for the event.

I can’t begin to tell you how full my heart is full knowing that we are only a few weeks away from that Blue Ridge Mountains seduction. We found the perfect place to stay in walking distance to coffee shops and you know how I love the beans. We’re plotting out all our favorite places to dine as if we won’t be eating enough AVL goodness between the SWEET Event and The Grand Tasting! If you haven’t made plans to attend, there’s still time and you won’t want to miss it! You can purchase tickets for the SWEET Event on August 21 here and tickets for The Grand Tasting on August 22 here! In the meantime, enjoy this recipe for one of your favorite childhood treats and steer clear of all those other impostors (wink).

IMG_1544-0 Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

Chocolate Overload S’mores Cheesecake

Crust… 2 cups Crushed Graham Cracker
3 Tablespoons Granulated White Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (slightly melted)

Filling…
2-8 ounce pkgs Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/3 Granulated White Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Nielsen Massey Bourbon Vanilla
2 Large Eggs 1/2 Teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Topping…
6.2 ounces of Hershey’s Chocolate (4 1.55 oz bars)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Cups Miniature Marshmallows

Method

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until mostly melted but not hot. Mix together your graham crackers, granulated sugar, salt and butter until you can squeeze the mixture in your hand and form clumps. You may need a little more butter depending upon the dryness of your grahams. Place the mixture in the bottom of an ungreased cake pan, square or circle, it doesn’t really matter. Evenly pat down the crumbs until no holes remain. If you have a pan slightly smaller and the same size I would use it smash it down evenly. Smash…giggle. Bake in the oven for ten minutes, remove and allow to cool. Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees for your filling.

Place your cream cheese into a standing mixer with the sugar, vanilla and salt. Let the mixture whip on medium speed for two minutes, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula and then evenly distribute the filling over your cooled crust. Surround the bottom of your pan with aluminum foil. you will probably need to pieces to criss cross the bottom of the pan and create a boat for the cheesecake, be gentile. Place this into a larger baking pan and fill the surrounding area with warm water about 1/2 way up the side. Place the entire thing into the oven slowly as to avoid splashing water into the cheesecake. Let cook for 90 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Once cheesecake is done, allow it to set in the water for 30 minutes and I noticed that the top didn’t crack like the last time I made it and removed it immediately once cooked. Give it a try! Allow to cool overnight or for at least 90 minutes.

Then, take your chocolate and rough chop it, place it in a microwaveable bowl with your vegetable oil. Heat it in the microwave for 20 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted. Be careful not to overcook your chocolate, this will give you nasty sugar crystals (not cool). Pour it over the graham cracker crust, place it in the fridge and let it cool for 15-20 minutes.

Turn on the broiler, if you have a temperature option I typically use HI and watch the marshmallows like a hawk. Let your oven come up to temp. Evenly distribute the marshmallows over the chocolate, try not to leave any exposed chocolate and more marshmallows never hurt anybody. Place the pan on the high rack , tell the kids to step back. You should be squatting with the oven door open watching your marshmallows get nice and toasty right before they burn. Though this is totally subjective on how much crunch and torchy marsh you like, I like a lot! You may need a towel at hand to slightly rotate your dish to get even torch (no marsh left behind, ask Bush) on your marshmallows. Once your topping has the right color that you prefer, allow it to cool for 30 minutes before cutting into it. You will want to run a sharp knife under hot water if you desire perty slices.

I hope you and the family enjoy this recipe, I mean s’mores all year round, you’re winning! Chocolate Overload S'mores Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies & The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

Peanut Butter Chocolate Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies More than the perfect chocolate chip cookie filled to the brim with chocolate-y goodness, a crispy rim and a chewy center is a chewy center. This has always been and always will be my favorite part of any cookie. So you crispy cookie people may want to move on. As a child, I endured the crunchy rim and saved every last moist bite of the center until the very end. The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap was the perfect opportunity for me to flex my cookie making abilities and create this idea cookie that had the perfect chew.Peanut Butter Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

But enough about my love for chewy cookies, let’s talk about the cause! The Food Blogger Cookie Swap was created by Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen to benefit Cookies for Kid’s Cancer. I’m beyond flattered to be apart of such an awesome cause seeing as how my father-in-law and wife both fought cancer and live to tell the story. It’s a beautiful thing when my love for dessert can be used to fuel research for such a life-threatning illness. And not to mention, the thought of receiving three dozen of cookies is a no-brainer, yes please!Peanut Butter Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies & The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap

I was thrilled like many other bloggers to receive my holiday inspired cookies and I’m already looking forward to next year. I mean, who doesn’t want cookies in their mailbox?Below, I have shared a photo of the cookies I received with a link to the blogger from whom it came from as well as a recipe for cookies! So I hope you enjoy and think about participating next year, you won’t be sorry.

 

Peanut Butter Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter softened
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Tucker’s Nut Butters (Cashew Butter)
2 eggs (room temp)
1 teaspoon Nielsen Massey vanilla
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces %67 Olive & Sinclair Chocolate (chopped)
3 Tablespoons Honey Roasted Peanut Butter

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a non-stick cookie sheet or silicone mat.

In a standing or electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until fluffy. Add in the cashew butter and peanut butter to the mixture, beating until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time and vanilla.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Add it slowly to the wet ingredients along with the chopped chocolate. Mix until just combined. Scoop onto a silpat or lined Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Break up the almond paste and add to the mixture, beating until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the chopped chocolate. Mix until just combined. Scoop onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet with a medium cookie scoop. You can make your cookies larger or smaller if you like but remember to change cooking temp accordingly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are just a light golden on the top and outside and slightly undercooked in the center. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. And try to contain yourself, they are ridiculously delicious straight out of the oven, not that I’d know or anything…

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms via The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap
Peppermint Blossoms via @stracciatellabella. You can visit her at http://www.stracciatellabella.blogspot.com
Butter Cookies via The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap
Butter Cookies via @kelly_ldbaking. You can visit her at http://www.longdistancebaking.com

 

Gingerbread Cookies via The Great Food Bloggers Cookie Swap
Ninja-bread cookies via @norhang. You can visit her at http://www.frommetovuu.com

 

Three Decades and Salted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies I simply don’t know where to begin. It’s been thirty-years of life here on this earth, breathing in this air , writing down my thoughts in books with tattered and torn edges. Thinking about ways to make life one big coffee break on a patio in a foreign country, or maybe just in my own backyard? What is age truly? Simple numbers on a piece of paper awaiting to be marked off in a brisk motion lined with disdain and contempt for yet another year of aging? Or maybe I’m being a bit dramatic?

It’s been thirty years, and in those thirty-years were born my insatiable love for food–I mean chocolate. I’m not sure what to share with you. I feel as though at times my life has been such a roller coaster ride–one in which I wanted to get off of many-a-time. But I can truthfully say that “I wouldn’t change a thing.” And yes, I’m fully aware of how cliché that statement is but it’s too late to drink coffee and wait for fresh phrases to surface.

If you look back over your past and find that there are things that you desire to change. You end up living a life stuck in the past and you become a victim of your past mistakes–living like this can be debilitating and you’re worth more than that, I’m worth more than that. Life is to be learned from and we are only to focus on the future not the past. I’m looking forward to what the next three decades will bring. I mean, just in the last ten years, I found my beautiful wife, we fought cancer, moved to Nashville where we have successful careers and purchased our first home. Now, I’m not insinuating that life has been idea, there’s a whole slew of bumps in the road, grey skies and unplanned events that are meant for another post. But that’s enough ranting for now, let’s talk cookies.Salted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

My wife, Jenna, is no baker and she refuses to pretend to be and I’m ok with that because if need be, my girl can bake break-apart cookies like a champ. She’ll tell you that her mom tried to get her in the kitchen and she declined with pleasure every-time. So I wasn’t surprised when she walked in the door with one of my favorite desserts, chocolate chip cookie cake! Ahhhh, it’s a beautiful thing and has been one of my favorite birthday gifts since I can remember and oh yeah, I occasionally get a jones for Pillsbury funfetti or strawberry cake. Guilty!…judge away!(#noshame).

I feel like I have been blessed beyond all that I deserve. God has been so good to me despite my constant neglect of Him in my life from day-to-day. You know, when you feel as though life is just too busy to stop and pray or simply tell Him thank you for that brisk wind beneath your chin. Life is a thing of beauty and I look forward to another three decades of taking it all in, appreciating the little things more often and stopping to say, thank you for a life I never could’ve created.

So clearly, my wife and I are fans of chocolate. It’s safe to say if dessert comes up in conversation, we’re typically on the same page unless I’m having a gummy candy craving. But these chocolate chip cookies have been taunting me from Food52 for quite some time now. I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect chocolate chip recipe that doesn’t need a ‘secret ingredient’, just the perfect balance of sweet and savory as it should be. There’s not a whole lot of things more satisfying than a well-executed textbook chocolate chip cookie and I know–I know, we could go around and around about salty over sweet and dark over milk, crunchy over chewy. But the truth is–for me, the ‘perfect’ chocolate chip cookie gives a little when you apply pressure with your finger, like a ripe avocado. The edges shatter and leave a trail of salty and bitter tip-toeing around your palate and last but certainly not least–the chewy center. I remember as a child eating the edges of the cookie first and the slow destruction of that chewy center always left me longing for one. more. cookie.

And this recipe I’m sure will leave you with the same nostalgic feeling of course, you must change some of the wording and make the story your own, so on and so forth. Enjoy these as much as I did last night. The last. day. of twenty-something.Salted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Salted Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups French Broad Bar Chocolate (coarse chopped)
1 cup large bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup salted & toasted whole almonds, coarse chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 River Cottage Farm eggs
2 teaspoons Nielsen Massey vanilla extract

pre-heat oven to 375° F. Sift flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Set aside. Mix together coarse chopped chocolate and chopped nuts. Set aside. On medium speed in a standing mixer, with the wire whip attachment, cream the butter and sugars until well mixed and light (you’ll notice a change in color). Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add one egg. Mix for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add second egg. Mix for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides. Add vanilla. Mix for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides.

You’re going to add the sifted flour mixture in 4 rounds, stopping before adding the final round. For the first 3 rounds, mix at low speed just to combine, scraping down the sides between each addition. When you get to the final round of flour, add the chocolate chip/nut mixture. They will get a bit crushed. That’s okay. Mix until there’s barely a trace of flour visible. Don’t over-mix. Sometimes, it’s better to be safe and do the final bit of mixing by hand. Set up a sheet pan with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake one tray at a time or they will all cook at different rates. Make them spherical, not flat. The cookie size is up to you. I find the bigger they are, the better ratio you have between gooey interior and crisp exterior. 2 ounces is about right for that. Leave a few inches between the raw cookies. Place sheet pan in the oven. They cook relatively fast at this temperature. I didn’t bother setting a time. My internal cookie alarm is pretty good about keeping track. Somewhere around 8-11 minutes. Make some coffee and wait.

They’re done when they’re brown and crispy on the outer border and raw in the very center. Remove the sheet pan and allow them to cool for a few minutes, then, with a spatula, transfer cookies to a cookie rack to cool. And I must tell you the cookies are even better the next day, so if you can stand it, its worth the wait. If you’re not going to eat them right away, they should be frozen. If you’re not baking them off right away, portion them out with an ice cream scoop, place them on a sheet pan, and freeze them. Once they’re firm, store them in a sealable bag. Works great to bake them off when they’re frozen. Enjoy.

Vanilla Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting…Where has the time gone?

Vanilla Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting: Recipe by The Local ForkfulAs I sit down to write this post I honestly don’t know what I’m feeling but there’s a little bit of angst in the shadows of that indescribable emotion. Twenty-Nine. Yes, I’m officially twenty-nine, less than a year away from thirty(sigh). It is not my objective to make any readers feel insulted because while age is a thing of beauty. I just envisioned something different for myself at this age than any other.Vanilla Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting: Recipe by The Local Forkful

I can’t help but wonder if I’ve spent the last 29 years doing my best or merely existing? I can say with conviction that I don’t know what my success looks like and everyday I find inspiration in the desire to do something else. And when I think about all the possibilities that lie out there I become overwhelmed thinking about where to start. I’m passionate about food and I love to cook, but I’m an artist and I enjoy splattering paint across canvas while crafting something from your roadside trash. As a child I can recollect telling teachers and strangers I would be an artist or poet when I grew up. That evolved into a chef, artist and poet as I got older.  But I never threw all of my eggs into one basket which is why at twenty-nine all the questions have resurfaced. I’ve contemplated going back to school but the wife and I have no debt and I’d hate to incur any at this point. But you might be thinking ‘education is invaluable’ and yes, I know this to be true. But the thought of having to work full-time, balance a marriage, school and make room for my hobbies feels a little overwhelming. And we’re not going to discuss kids, at least not in this post.

I guess I could always sit in a quiet room and ponder the pros and cons of all these decisions. Or I could bake you one of the best cakes I have ever made. One of my favorite childhood treats is icing and ice cream. No, you heard me correctly. Icing and ice cream is one of my favorite things and every now and then I like to make a batch of frosting and grab some vanilla bean ice cream for a nostalgic treat. You talk about a simple combination that will take you to a happy place, well, this is it.

When some of life’s toughest decisions come our way the easiest thing to do is run for dessert. Let’s just say this is a dessert I’m going to be running to for a little while. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs(room temp)
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
smidge of kosher salt

Method:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Combine eggs and sugar into a mixing bowl and whip with hand mixer until thickened about 2 minutes. fold in buttermilk,vegetable oil and vanilla extract to mixture. set aside

Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add heaping spoonfuls of flour mixture into the wet mix until completely combined. Don not over mix. Batter should leave light ribbons across the top of the batter when draped from a spoon.

Evenly pour batter into two 8-inch greased baking pans. Let them bake for 30-40 mins. And as always, no two ovens are the same.

Chocolate Frosting

10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup or two sticks of room temp unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar (10X)
smidgen of kosher salt

Method:
Place butter into mixing bowl and whip the heck out of it until its light and airy. The color will be almost white and shiny. Add in the powdered sugar by the heaping spoonfuls while whipping on a lower speed. Then add vanilla. set aside.

Tempering Chocolate

Method:
Bring two cups of water to a rolling simmer in a small sauce pot. Set a stainless steel mixing bowl slightly larger than the pot itself over the pot. Stir the chocolate, and occasionally remove from heat, until chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool about 3 minutes. Then stream the chocolate into the frosting on medium speed until fully combined.

Side Note: Once cake is frosted, take remaining frosting and grab that ice cream I spoke of. Yum.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whatever it is you’ve been thinking about today. Stop. Clear your mind and imagine walking barefoot down a gravel road. You can feel the bits of rock press into your heel and nudge between your toes. You hear an unclear voice in the distance. A sound of comfort. A familiar sound. You walk up a set of creaky steps that lead to a creaking porch. The screen door opens as if involuntarily inviting you in. Your nostrils overwhelmed with the aroma of something sweet. The warmth of the oven glides up the side your leg and there sitting atop an old checkered kitchen towel are cookies. Not just any ole cookies. Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. The same ones that you’re parents ate when they were kids. That’s what chocolate chip cookies do to me when I see them. They take me down that nostalgic road to Grandma’s house.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
So naturally, last week, when I went on the search for a chocolate chip cookie recipe. I had to do my research. There are so many cookie recipes out there and a lot of them. Well, just don’t measure up. One might be too salty and another might be too dry or runny. But not here friends. We have the perfect combination of salty, sweet and chewy or crunchy. depending upon your preference. This recipe is an adaptation of The White on Rice Couple’s Recipe. And if you’re not familiar with Diane and Todd’s work, then shame on you. They’re passion for food and photography is truly inspiring. But anyways, enough of me being a groupie. Enjoy these cookies and if you haven’t grabbed a Father’s Day gift yet. Well, you’re welcome.

I made a few changes of my own to this recipe because I was trying to avoid a trip to the grocery store. And well, thanks to this recipe. Crisis averted! I used semi-sweet chocolate chips as opposed to the dark chocolate. I also used bleached flour but left the baking soda in addition. No harm, no foul. Now off to the kitchen.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 sticks unsalted Butter
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  •  3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F (350° for convection ovens)

  1. Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy or 3 to 4 minutes after you no longer hear the sugar scrape the sides of the bowl. (assuming that you use a  standing  mixer).  Add eggs, vanilla extract, and  salt.
  2. Mix the flour and baking soda together.  Stir into batter, then add chocolate chips and stir until well combined.
  3. Roll into 1 1/2″ thick logs.  If not using soon, freeze the logs for future use, otherwise cut the cookies into equal portions, about  3/4″ thick.
  4. Pat the discs even and circular then place on a cookie sheet or lined sheet pan. Spread your cookies out so they have personal space, no one wants rub elbows in a hot oven.
  5. Bake at 375° F for 8-11 minutes, and check them so that they are still a little undercooked in the center. Unless you prefer a crunchier cookie.  After the cookies cool for a minute, transfer to a cooling rack and grab a glass of milk. You deserve it.