Today I attended a gathering of high school friends for lunch.  Following lunch, we continued our visiting at the home of a classmate.  During planning of this gathering, I was asked to make dessert.  I know, no pressure, right?! Anyway, what to fix...  I know most folks like banana pudding so I found this cheesecake recipe on https://cookiesandcups.com/banana-pudding-cheesecake/ and decided it would be perfect.

Long story short, we had a grand time and my what a "hen party" it was!  Everyone was very complimentary of this lovely cheesecake.  I followed the recipe pretty close, but I did use my homemade vanilla extract and added around 1/2 tsp. more.  I also used stabilized whipped cream since I knew we were having lunch before and it needed to "hold-up".  If you want to short-cut and use Cool Whip on top, that will work as well, no judgement!

I know all the steps look very involved and perhaps are intimidating, but don't let that scare you off.  I hope you make this and enjoy it as much as everyone did today! I know I'll be making it again when opportunity presents itself. It is a keeper!

Banana Cheesecake

Serves 16

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (around 60, plus 17 whole for the rim)

5 Tbs, butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Cheesecake:

4 (8 oz) packages full fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs, room temperature

12 coarsely chopped vanilla wafer cookies

1 large banana, thinly sliced

Whipped Cream Topping

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

1/4 cup powdered sugar

10 vanilla wafer cookies to decorate 

1/4 cup caramel sauce

Instructions:

Make the Crust:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl combined the crushed vanilla wafers, sugar, salt.  Mix to combine.  Pour in melted butter and stir well to combine.  
• Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.  
• Press the 17 whole vanilla wafer cookies around the side of the pan.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.  Set aside and make your filling.

Make the Cheesecake:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed.  Mix until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the sour cream and vanilla.  
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Do not overmix or beat hard. Overmixing causes cracks!  These only need to be mixed until combined.
• Pour 1/2 of cheesecake mixture into the crust and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the coarsely chopped wafers over the cheesecake mixture.
• Top with the thinly sliced bananas,
• Pour remaining cheesecake batter over the bananas and spread evenly.
• Double wrap the bottom of the springform pan with foil.  Ensure a tight seal to prevent water from getting into the pan.
• Place the springform pan into a larger pan and pour very hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 1".  Be sure to not add water above the edge of the foil.
• Carefully place the pan into the oven and bake 60-70 minutes.  The center should slightly jiggle while the edges will be set.  
• Remove the cheesecake pan from the larger pan of water.  Be careful so you don't get burned.  
• Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
• Cover and move to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6 hours.  Overnight is better.

Whip Topping:

• Just before serving , pour the chilled heavy cream into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and mix on medium high speed until the cream thickens and stiff peaks form.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe the whipped cream, or dollop it on with a spoon.
• Place the remaining 10 vanilla wafers randomly into the whipped cream.
• Randomly place some sliced bananas (about 1/2 banana) among the cookies and whipped cream.
• Drizzle with caramel sauce if desired.

....and that's What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

Peanut butter lovers, this one's for you!  This is my most requested cheesecake ever!  I took this to work once, was asked the recipe, then later requested to bring it to a meeting, which I did. The last time I made it I had to tag that friend for a copy of my recipe with notes because I couldn't find mine.  By putting it on my blog, I should not have that problem ever again....of course, unless I forget that I posted it! But we won't talk about how good our memory cells are or aren't right?

Today we had our monthly potluck at work and I decided to make this one rather than the chocolate one I posted recently.  This cheesecake continues to get rave reviews.  I didn't bring home a single crumb, which was significant because there were a lot of folks taking off today for their 4th of July holiday.  Others were working from home.  Given the number of folks in the office, I was fully expecting to be bringing half, if not more, of the cheesecake home with me. I'm thrilled that my prediction didn't come true.  

This cheesecake is a little extra work but worth every ounce of effort.  Your family, guests, friends or co-workers will love love love it!  I know a few of my followers who will almost lick the screen when they see these photos and read the recipe.  

I can only say it is a very rich, but amazingly yummy cheesecake. Try it, you'll like it!

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

In preparation for a potluck at work, I found a recipe on the web at epicurious.com for a dark chocolate cheesecake.  Since I'm a lover of dark chocolate, I was immediately interested.  After reviewing it, I decided I would make a few alterations and bake a trial cake to see if the alterations worked and determine if  it lived up to my high standards and was worthy to take to work to share with my team and other co-workers.

The original recipe called for only bittersweet chocolate.  While I am a huge dark chocolate fan, I felt that using a little semi-sweet chocolate to help smooth out the edge of the bittersweet chocolate would be best for those folks who aren't real dark chocolate fans.

The result was a very rich and decadent cheesecake that lived up to exceeded my expectations.
I am sad to say that I have opted to not make it for our potluck.  Why?  If it is that awesome why would I deprive others of the shear ecstasy of indulging?  Well, I fear a large amount of waste resulting from folks taking more than they can eat and a good portion of this lovely truffle like cheesecake ending up in the trash and that would be such a tragedy.

However, I am going to share my recipe with you.  Just be aware of how rich it is and exercise portion control!  

Note that this recipe is for a small size cheesecake, only 6 1/2 inches.  Even this small size was too much for me to envision consuming within a reasonable period of time, so my neighbor was gifted half of the cheesecake.  If you want to make this in a standard 9-inch spring form pan, just double the ingredients.

New York Style Cheesecake

Say Cheese.....Cake!

I can see a big smile spreading across your face right now.  Doesn't this look amazing?
Other adjectives that come to mind for this cheesecake are luscious, creamy, delectable, light, fattening, heavenly, lemony...you get the idea, feel free to add your own to the list!

I'm a big fan of cheesecake.  I have several different recipes and I'm here to tell you that this one is awesome.  This recipe also omits the crust, and while I'm lamenting the absence of the buttery sweet  baked graham cracker base, I'm not missing the calories it would add...and honestly, this cheesecake doesn't need it.  It can stand on its own merits.

Serve it plain or dress it up with some fresh berries, chocolate ganache or with a dollop of fresh whipped sweetened cream.  I added a little spoon full of lemon curd I had stashed in the fridge and it put it over the top!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Peanut Butter and Chocolate, does it get any better?  
This dessert is nothing short of spectacular and tasty!  This has been a requested treat by those who have sampled it's creamy lusciousness.  Recently, I needed something special to take to work for our Secret Santa lunch and this cheesecake popped to the top of the list.  There was only one small problem.....I hadn't made one for nearly 10 years.  So the search for the recipe was on.  I have folders of recipes and thankfully I had organized them earlier this year and after 10 minutes, I had the recipe in hand and was ready to bake. My current co-workers enjoyed it immensly.  I hope you will give it a try and that you enjoy it equally as well and it becomes your new favorite cheesecake!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 package of Nutter Butter cookies
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts
6 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar


Filling:
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 1/2 cups mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces (1 bag)


Topping:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy cream
15-20 mini Reese peanut butter cups


Directions:

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 9" x 2 x 3/4 spring form pan.
In a food processor place the Nutter Butter cookies, peanuts and brown sugar.
Pulse mixture until chopped very fine.
With the processor running, drizzle in the melted butter.

Press mixture evenly onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan.
Bake until the crust is set, about 8 minutes.
Cool on a rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.


Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the brown sugar and beat again. The mixture should be smooth.  
Add the peanut butter, vanilla and beat until blended.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.  Add the whipping cream and beat until smooth.
Stir in the chopped peanut butter cup pieces.

Pour the filling into the crust.  Bake until the sides of the cake are set but the center still moves slightly, about 55 minutes.
Shut off the oven and let the cake and oven cool. (I leave mine in overnight)  
The cake may crack, don't worry, the topping hides the imperfections!

Move the cooled cake to the refrigerator.   When completely cool and chilled, add the topping.






Topping:

Chop up the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler or in the microwave.  Cool slightly then add all but 1 Tablespoon of cream.  Stir to mix thoroughly.  Pour over the cool cheesecake (while still in the spring form pan).  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place the peanut butter and 1 Tablespoon of whipping cream in a bowl and microwave until it has a runny consistency.  Place the mixture in a sandwich bag, clip the corner and top the chocolate with a swirled or geometric pattern.  Before the peanut butter mixture sets, cut the mini peanut butter cups in half and surround the outside edge of the pan with the cup halves, lined up end to end.

Keep refrigerated until serving.  Slice it up, grab a fork and dig in!

and that is What's Cooking at Cathy's ~ Enjoy!