themeletor | we don't want to, we don't have to be like that

i told my beloved

lordgroovius i'd post this before i went to bed.

chocolate guinness cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:
4 blocks (32 ounces by weight) cream cheese, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces by volume (o.b.v.) ) sugar
6 tablespoons (3 obv) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (3 obv) cocoa powder
4 large eggs
1 cup Guinness (or other Irish-style stout beer)

preheat oven to 450 F/230 C.

combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, and cocoa powder with a hand mixer on medium speed until well blended. add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. pour in Guinness and whisk gently until well combined.

pour over already-baked chocolate crumb crust (or Chocolate Hazelnut Graham Crust) in a 9-inch springform pan. bake in 450-degree (230 C) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees (120 C). continue baking for one hour.

[for a smooth top on your cheesecake, place a shallow pan of water on a lower rack in the oven, beneath the one with your cheesecake pan.]

carefully loosen cake from sides of pan with the blade of a sharp knife. cool completely before removing from pan. chill. slice and serve.

chocolate hazelnut graham crust

INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces roasted (unsalted) hazelnuts
4 graham crackers, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons (unsweetened) cocoa powder

put hazelnuts, graham crackers, and sugar together in a food processor and grind until the texture is that of uniform, fine crumbs. pour in melted butter and pulse (or mix with a fork or fingers) until evenly combined. press onto bottom of pan and bake 10 minutes at 350 F (175 C).

i plan to try remaking this with some tweaks -- simmering the stout with the cocoa powder until the volume is reduced significantly, then cutting some or all of the flour (cutting all will probably make the batter too loose, but omg i hate flour in cheesecake; i can ALWAYS tell it's there and it's awful); baking it in a home oven instead of OP's crazy old convection mofo; possibly diddling with some other proportions -- to see if i can get this cake to the height and texture it needs to be so i will not make faces when i eat it (i am super ridiculously picky about cheesecake. clearly). i will let you know how that goes.

even so, i've heard it's pretty tasty. give it a try for yourself.

♥
mel

[ugh. I can't make this stupid bold go away. sleeping pills -- too tired. bed now. forgive me.]