Johnsenclan

Yesterday was Britnie’s birthday. My Grandpa Roberts also passed away, so neither one of us was really in the mood to celebrate. My mom said everything was very peaceful, and that my grandma is doing well. I’m glad he wasn’t in much pain when he finally died. We’ll go see the rest of the family and celebrate his life this week at the funeral. I know this is kind of a strange post combining a birthday and a death, but cooking and photography are two of my escapes, so Britnie was kind enough to let me escape a little after we found out about his passing.

My Grandpa and Grandma Roberts

Britnie loves cheesecake, but it’s something I’ve never tried to make. Mostly because I’m not really a fan, and wouldn’t have a clue if it tastes right. I took a recipe I found and modified it a little to get a chocolate crust and a marbled look that I thought would look nicer in pictures. The recipe, modified with my changes, is below.

Modified from Martha Stewarts New York Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups chocolate graham crumbs
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped from inside of pod and reserved
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces melted semisweet chocolate, cooled slightly
Fresh strawberries, for garnish, Whipped cream, for garnish
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if using a silver springform pan, or 325 degrees F if using a dark nonstick springform pan).
Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the butter and mix well. Press onto the bottom of springform pan and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, remaining cup of sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and mix well. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended. Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Set aside 1/4 of the batter in a bowl, and fold in the melted chocolate. Add the chocolate mixture, with the remaining batter on top and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the center is almost set. Run a sharp knife around the rim of the pan and allow cake to cool on a wire rack before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Cheesecake may be made up to 2 days in advance before serving and will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

Serve the cheesecake garnished with fresh strawberries, whipped cream and mint sprigs.

Tags: birthday, Britnie, cake, roberts