Sometimes, I love being given options and most of the time it overwhelms me. Right now, options overwhelm me. In Peru, options were for the most part limited. There were just not a plethora of things to choose from.
For example here in the US, there is a whole grocery aisle devoted to granola bars. Over the past year or two in Peru, one company has begun to market granola bars in order to complete with the one imported brand. Here in the US there is a section of pancake syrups; in Peru there is now two bottles that are named maple syrup. And the list goes on.
I know the idea in the daring bakers is to bake the same thing and see how everyone around the world fares with the same recipe. I was attracted to that idea. The growth of the daring bakers group has brought allergies, likes and dislikes as well as limited access in some places. So the recipes have grown as well to allow for more and more creative freedom. I am certain that most everyone is pleased to be able to create what they want, but it seems to leave me dazed and confused.
This month, we were to make cheesecake. I like a good cheesecake and have even admitted to eating it for breakfast. Again, the creative freedom was there to use any type of crust, any flavoring and any topping. Oh the choices! I thought about a standard triple citrus I love. I thought about making a nut and caramel one. What about a lemon cheesecake on top of a gingersnap crust, maybe topped with a bit of lemon curd and garnished with a fresh blackberry just for looks? I decided on a pretzel crust with a peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate ganache over the top. Until I started making it. Then I wanted to flavor the cream with coffee. Then I wanted to go back to the lemon. Ginger. Mexican chocolate. Are you getting the picture?
What did I end up with? A pretzel crust with a chocolate cheesecake. I thought it would make a great base for ganache, fresh fruit or caramel sauce. That decision is up to you now.
Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake
2 cups of pretzel crumbs
3/4 cup of butter, melted
1 cup of brown sugar
3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of melted chocolate
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath. Cover the bottom of the 9-inch springform pan with foil to prevent water leakage.
2. Mix together the pretzel crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar and press into the bottom and sides of the springform pan. Set crust aside. Place springform pan inside a larger pan.
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted chocolate and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.
5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until the edges of cheesecake are firm and the center still has a good jiggle. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. Then, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill overnight.
Chocolate Cheesecake is being served up for the April Daring Bakers Challenge. The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. Please visit the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see what other wonderful Flourless Chocolate Cakes are being served up!
Take a peek at the other Daring Baker challenges I have completed!!
Oh my… that chocolate drizzle is making my mouth water. This cheesecake is beautiful.
I love the idea of the pretzel crust. How clever! I also had a hard time trying to decide on the flavor. I agree, sometimes all the choices overwhelm me. Bravo on your cheesecake!
Ooo – like a chocolate covered pretzel! I love those, so this sounds fabulous. Then again, all your ideas did too
Gretchen, this looks amazing. I wish you were still here in Peru so we could all take a bite! I agree with the choice thing too, I get overwhelmed in the states!
[...] Here is the original post: {DB} Chocolate Cheesecake | Canela and Comino [...]
You overwhelm me Gretchen! All those choices and then pretzel crust with a peanut butter cheesecake with chocolate ganache over the top . . . and I have to pick fruit or caramel? Are you kidding? Let’s have both and a big pot of coffee to talk over some of these choices.
I like the idea of the pretzel crust, a little salty with the sweet. Lovely job!
Of all the choices you list, the cheesecake you finished up with is my favorite! Salty pretzel, chocolate and that gorgeous drizzle on top!
I was hoping on making something exotic, but my hubby is the cheesecake fiend and he asked for plain. I like your dillema better.
Oh my, what a great combination. I’m sure the saltiness from the pretzel crust was perfect with the creamy chocolate filling.
oh this looks so good! I love chocolate. yummy.
Oh this looks fabulous, great flavour combinations! Fabulous challenge job.
Pretzel crust? OH YUM!!!!
Pretzels!!! Original idea. And yummy cheese cake…
This cheesecake is absolutly fantastic ….i love it!
Seriously good stuff Gretchen. I’m glad you’re enjoying baking etyc again. I get the idea about the voices in the head…love what happened in the end. it’s GORGEOUS!!
I have never made a pretzel crust before – but I love pretzels and have always wanted to try it.
Your photos are beautiful!
Great job on your challenge, beautifully done and great pics.
j’aime beaucoup ton choix ! et tes photos sont magnifiques
BEAUTIFUL CHEESE CAKE!!! That thick zig-zag of ganache is perfect. Looks fantastic!!
i know what you mean–too many choices. i think you came up with a winning combo, though!
Stunning pictures, and your choice of flavors sounds like a very good one indeed.
You had me at chocolate! I must try this! Thank you for this great idea. It looks like I might be able to handle it. Thanks for this! Love it!
Kasha
http://grubandstuff.blogspot.com/
The idea of a pretzel crust is novel to me. What a beautiful job you did with this challenge:D
Gretchen, you did a great job. Wasn’t it a fun challenge? I love it!
Yummy! Next time I do a cheesecake I really need to try a pretzel crust!
I love the idea of a pretzel crust! I usually stick to my beloved shortbread and almond crust, but I think I’ll be trying the pretzel kind next time
Beautiful! (And I’ve been known to eat cheesecake for breakfast, too!)
Good call on the choices. That chocolate drizzle on top is just perfect. I love the idea of a pretzel crust for a cheesecake. A little salty and not too tough. Great job!
This looks amazing Gretchen! You chose well, despite the dizzying array of options.
I know what you mean… I had a really hard time making a decision too! In the end, I decided to make the cheesecake as written with a speculoos crust and make the creative part the toppings. After seeing some of these other creations, I sort of wish I’d put my thinking cap on for a bit longer and come up with something really creative.
I love the idea of pretzels with chocolate: salty and sweet are definitely partners for me. The pretzels made me think of a salted caramel cheesecake with a pretzel crust… I may have to whip out that recipe again.
pretzels for a crust-how unique! seems you did just fine, even if you were a little overwhelmed with all of the available options.
cheesecake for breakfast is great! y not!
This is one amazing looking cheesecake! The crust sounds so yummy. Sometimes, in my opinion, cheesecake can be too, too sweet but the saltiness in your pretzel crust would cut that “over the top” sweet taste! Brilliant! And you have plated it so beautifully! Superb job!
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it again and again and it never has to be the same. I like your end product, and your pictures are beautiful.
I have friends who live most of the time in Kenya, and they get completely overwhelmed every time they step foot back in one of the grocery stores here – the cereal aisle alone!
I know I’m infinitely late, but wanted to make sure I made it to every baking blog of the Daring Bakers making this recipe. Thanks for being a part of the challenge!
Jenny of JennyBakes
That looks amazing, I’m going to bake it tomorrow!
I just came across your website, very cool. This is an amazing looking cheesecake, I hope to have time later this week to bake it! Do you know of a healthier alternative to using regular cream cheese?
[...] cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and and dash of allspice. Mind you, because of the success I had with the Daring Baker cheesecake, I did hesitate with using this recipe and wondered how to adapt Abbey’s recipe to include a [...]