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Monday, November 9, 2009

Candy Bar Explosion and Explosion of Love for My Sweetie



After October, I would have to say that November is my next favorite month. I love Thanksgiving-counting my blessings, being with family, and eating pumpkin pie! I also love my Hubby, and his birthday is November 17th! Each year for his birthday, I make him a special homemade cheesecake. This is truly a labor of love because cheesecakes are very time-consuming and very expensive to make. But, I would truly do anything to make my Handsome, Loving and Godly Husband smile. (Check back next week on his birthday to find out just how wonderful he really is!) Now, he has a sweet tooth and a strong love for anything chocolate. I have made this Candy Bar Explosion Cheesecake (it is from Juniors Famous Cheesecake Recipe Book) for him before, and he was in chocolate heaven. Just take a look at the picture alone-it is sure to make your mouth water and it begs for a cup of really good coffee and a night snuggled up with someone you love.


Blessings to each of you today! Remember that God wants to lavish His love on you!


“I lavish my love on those who love me.” (Exodus 20:6a)




Candy Bar Explosion Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups honey maid graham cracker crumbs or oreo cookie crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
3 Tablespoons Sugar
3 1.4 ounce Heath milk chocolate English toffee candy bars

For the cheesecake:
One 8 ounce Hershey’s milk chocolate bar
Four 8 ounce packages cream cheese (only use full fat), at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs
¾ cup heavy or whipping cream

For the top decoration:
Four 1.4 ounce Heath milk chocolate English toffee candy bars
1 double recipe Whipped Chocolate Ganache
Assorted chocolate candies such as: semisweet chocolate chips, Hershey hugs and kisses, Reeses Milk chocolate peanut butter cup miniatures, kit kat pieces, rolos, butterfinger nuggets, chopped snickers, chopped 100 grand bars, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, etc…

For the whipped chocolate ganache:
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup cold heavy or whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl, toss the sugar with the cocoa and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer on high until the cream thickens and soft peaks just begin to form. While the mixer is still running, add the sugar-cocoa mixture, then the vanilla.
Continue beating just until the cream turns a light-chocolate color and stiff peaks form. Watch carefully and do not overbeat at this stage (the cream might curdle). Use immediately for frosting a cake or piping decorations or cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Best when used within one day.

Directions to Make the Cheesecake:
Makes One 9 inch cheesecake, about 3 inches high

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides. Make and bake the cake crust for 8 minutes (mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter and press into the bottom of the pan). Remove the pan from the oven, but leave the oven on. While the crust cools, chop the 3 heath bars with a chef’s knife into small pieces and sprinkle over the cooled cake crust.
Melt the 8 ounce chocolate bar in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and set aside to cool. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in your mixer bowl. Beat with the electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping the bowl down after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the melted chocolate bar, then the cream, just until completely blended. Don’t overmix!! Gently spoon the batter over the crust.
Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges look baked and the center appears set, about 1 ¼ hours (75 minutes). Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away-don’t move it). Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours. Transfer to the freezer for 1 hour.
While the cake is in the freezer, chop the 4 heath bars into chunky, coarse crumbs (these should be a little finer than the ones chopped for the crust, since they need to adhere to the sides of the cake). Make the ganache and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Release and remove the sides of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the ganache with a metal spatula. Press the candy crumbs into the sides and arrange the chocolates on the top. Use lots of chocolates, so you completely cover the top of the cake! Refrigerate until ready to serve (do not cover at this stage). Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover and leftover cake and refrigerate or freeze up to 1 month.

TIP: Small candies and miniature sizes work best, as you don’t have to slice through large pieces when cutting the cake.



3 comments:

  1. You are such a good wife! I am so thankful that Darin has you ... and that you have him. What a joy that brings to my heart. I love you, my sweet soul sister. (And won't everyone think our friendship story is amazing when they finally hear about it!!)

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  2. Teri-I love you too! And, one day we must share with everyone "our story" that only God could have orchestrated! Praying for you this week as you share your loving heart with the women-I so wish that I could be there to hear it!

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  3. Oh my, reading that recipe wore me out! I think I will pass on this delicious recipe :)

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