Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

I have been waiting to bake this cheesecake for quite some time. Due to the high fat of cream cheese, I don't think we would like to eat a whole cheesecake just by two of us ( though how I wish :P ). So, I was waiting for some guests to pay me a visit so that I could bake cheesecake and share it together.

I was so pleased to have my friends with me weeks ago and shared this cheesecake together with them. I drizzled over some chocolate glaze before serving to make it much chocolaty.

This is a very strong and rich chocolate cheesecake. You would rather let it melt slowly in your mouth for few minutes and swallow it slowly before the next bite.
Chocoholic will not miss this!

Original recipe from Nigella Lawson (Nigella Feasts)

For the base:
125g digestive biscuits
60g butter
1 tablespoon cocoa

For the filling:
175g dark chocolate
500g Philadelphia cream cheese
150g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
150 ml sour cream
½ teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

For the glaze:
75g dark chocolate, finely chopped
125ml double cream
1 teaspoon golden syrup

To make the base, process the biscuits to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tips them into a 23cm springform tin. Press the biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the tin to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filing.
Preheat the oven to 180’C. Put a kettle on to boil. Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
Beat the cream cheese to soften it and then add the sugar and cornflour, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and the melted chocolate, and mix to a smooth batter. Take the springform tin out of the the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of clingfilm, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath. Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filing. Fill the roasting pan with just-boiled water to come about halfway up the cake tin, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Peel away the foil and clingfilm wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the fridge once it’s no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with clingfilm, overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve,
To make the chocolate glaze, very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and then Jackson Pollock it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate. Use the remaining glaze as an accompanying sauce.

Potato Paneer Cutlet

There is no hard and fast rules to make the stuffing for cutlet. Be creative and mix whatever veges you like.
This is how I made it-

Ingredients:

1. 2 potatoes -cooked and mashed
2. Slightly steamed cabbage and peas(microwave cabbage and peas with little water for 6 minutes and drain well so that there is no moisture) - 1 cup
3. Grated paneer - 1/2 cup
4. Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
5. Chopped garlic(optional) - 1 tsp
6. Salt
7. Chopped green chillies- 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
9. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
11. Chopped coriander leaves - a handful
12. Maida - 3 tbsp
13. Bread crumbs made with 4-5 bread pieces
14. Oil to deep fry
    

Method:
Mix ingredients 1 to 10 and roll into small balls and flatten them in the shape of cutlet. Heat oil in a pan. Make a thick paste of maida and water. Dry grind 4-5 bread pieces and keep it aside.
Dip each flattened ball in maida paste and roll it in bread crumbs.
Deep fry till golden brown on medium flame.
They are too tasty to resist!

Marble Bread 大理石面包

This bread has no different from "a basic bread" recipe I have made previously. In fact, the cocoa or matcha I added in didn't give much flavor. It was just the color that makes it looks a bit fancy. I divided the dough into three equal portions then continue kneading by adding in 1/4 teaspoon cocoa and 1/4 teaspoon matcha powder for two separate doughs and left another dough stayed plain. I got this idea from my idol chef "Happy Home Baking" from her recipe of "green tea and chocolate marble bread". This version is slightly different in terms of its folding method that would give a messy marble effect. I rolled out each dough in longish shape and stack them together. Then, rolled up the dough as shown in the following picture.

I divided it into three equal portions and rolled out the dough. Some marble effects would start to appear during this stage.

Rolled it up again then place in a grease baking tin and proof for 60 minutes.

Somehow, I found the color was not sharp enough. I might have put too little cocoa and matcha powder. But it's too late, therefore I left it to proof in the oven.

The dough rise very well and it was almost a square toast.

It wasn't too bad when I cut a slice out. Each slice had its own characteristic and it's as soft as the previous basic bread.

I could slightly smell the cocoa and tea flavor but just couldn't taste it.
After all, it could still be served with jam or peanut butter!