So a lot has happened since I last posted!

Firstly, it is 2016, HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR GUYS!! Fortunately, there will be no “New year New me” attitude on this blog, I can’t say I didn’t contemplate it. I was thinking about going down the route of a raw vegan cheesecake but then I thought, “Nahh” it’s nearly the end of January and you lot have probably all broken your New Years resolutions of kale eating by now. If you are still going strong then I’m here to tempt you 😈. Life is for living and I’m not letting you live another day without some more naughty cheesecake!

I GOT A PUPPY! This is by far the most exciting news I have to tell you. My family is officially a crazy dog family, we have three dogs. THREE! I’m loving it, if only I could go back in time and tell 11 year old (dogless) me that in 12 years I would have THREE dogs. I would love to see her face. Anyway, that is enough of me blabbering. I will show you the little cutie, drum roll pleassssse…

I did ask for his permission to feature on my blog and he said “only if I can bite you”. 🙄 Longing for the day he loves me.

This is probably not that exciting but for me it is, I reached 2000 followers on Instagram!!! I initially started my Instagram account because I felt sorry for all my friends on my personal account being spammed weekly with the same style cheesecake. Starting my Instagram and blog has pushed me to experiment and create different yummy cheesecakes every week! I mean sometimes they fail…

But, that’s what happens when you’re experimenting with recipes, right? I call this success my drunk Bailey’s cheesecake! Obviously, this didn’t make it onto my Instagram, which leads me nicely to my next milestone.. I started a Twitter account! I share everything I create even if it is a giant flop. I also tweet about life and stuff which is probably not that interesting, but it doesn’t stop me. So please feel free to join me on my new Twitter adventure.

Lastly but by no means least, I got a Kitchen Aid. Well, technically my mum got a Kitchen Aid but that’s beside the point, I GOT A KITCHEN AID! Which obviously means this recipe will be featuring my (mum’s) beautiful new toy. This scrumptious ‘Death by Chocolate Cheesecake’ was the first thing I made with it, and boy has it sped up the process of making a cheesecake. It literally takes me half the time and I create half the mess.

You will need an 8 inch loose bottom tin, lined with baking paper. I also bought a new cake nozzle for the fancy ganache decoration; a large closed star nozzle (tip opening 20mm). Make the ganache an hour before serving your cheesecake because when it goes in the fridge it sets quite firm.

Ingredients

For base:

200 grams of milk chocolate digestives / Oreo’s

90 grams of unsalted butter, melted

For filling:

200 grams of dark chocolate, melted

100 grams of milk chocolate, melted

400 grams of soft/cream cheese, room temperature

100 grams of icing sugar

30o ml of double cream, chilled

For ganache:

300 grams of dark chocolate, finely chopped

170 ml of double cream

Decoration:

1 punnet of strawberries

1 punnet of blueberries

1 packet of milk chocolate chunks

a sprinkle of dried raspberries

Method

Step 1: Place the chocolate biscuits in a large mixing bowl or zip lock bag and crush into a fine crumb, using the end of a rolling pin. Next, add the melted butter into the biscuit crumb.

Mix the butter and biscuit crumb, until thoroughly combined. Pour the buttery biscuit base into a lined loose bottom tin. Press the mixture down with the back of a soup spoon, until the base of your tin is evenly covered in your buttery biscuit. Place the tin in the fridge whilst you make the filling.

Step 2: Before you do anything melt your chocolate over a double boiler (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of your bowl) or in the microwave. Once it is completely melted set it a side to cool.

Step 3: Place the cream cheese and icing sugar into your mixer and whisk on medium high until thoroughly mixed. Make sure you scrape the sides and the bottom, of the bowl with your spatula and then whisk for another minute.

Step 4: Add your chilled double cream into your soft cheese mixture and whisk again on a medium high speed until the mixture thickens. Make sure you stop every now and again to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Step 5: Scoop a heaped table spoon of the cheesecake mixture into the cooled melted chocolate, and mix really quick. This stops the chocolate going grainy when added to the rest of the mixture. Then add the chocolate paste into your mixer and whisk again on a medium high until the chocolate is throughly mixed. Make sure you again scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Step 6: Remove the loose bottom tin from the fridge, BUT do not get distracted by a cute puppy…

Step 7: Spoon the mixture into the tin and evenly spread with a spatula. Place it in the fridge for 4 hours or over night.

Step 8: Make the ganache before you decide to serve the cheesecake. Finely chop the chocolate and place into a large glass bowl. Heat the double cream on a medium high heat until it is boiling. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl and leave for five minutes, then whisk the mixture until completely mixed and glossy. Leave the mixture for 25-30 minutes or until thick enough for piping.

Step 9: Remove cheesecake from the tin and pipe the ganache in a continuous swirling motion around the edge of the cheesecake. Then place the strawberries around the inside of the ganache boarder and fill the centre with chocolate chunks and blueberries. Sprinkle some dried raspberries on top to finish.

Enjoy this delicious naughty double chocolate cheesecake and feel free to join me on my Instagram and Twitter.

B x

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