Decadent Sweets

Different viewpoints 

There must be millions of people all over the world who never get any love letters . . . I could be their leader. Charlie Brown

But this is Lucy's thought... All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

This week's splurge: Chocolate and Cheesecake

Decadent Chocolate Cake with White Chocolate Cream

Cake
Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiling water or 1 cup boiling coffee
• 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 tsp.vanilla
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs separated
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups less 2 TB. flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 TB. Kahula-optional

Directions:

• Preheat oven 350
• Grease and flour a tube pan-knock out extra flour
• Pour boiling water over chocolate  and butter and let stand until melted
• Stir in vanilla and sugar and whisk in egg yolks, one at a time blending well after each addition
• Mix baking soda and sour cream and whisk into chocolate mixture
• Sift flour and baking powder and add to batter mixing thoroughly
• Beat egg whites and stir a quarter of egg whites into chocolate batter
• And then fold rest of egg whites into mixture
• Pour into greased pan and bake 40 minutes-cool in pan 10 minutes than unmold  

White Chocolate Cream
Ingredients:

• 4 oz. white chocolate chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 TB. powdered sugar

Directions:

• Melt chocolate with cream and sugar over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly about 6 minutes
• Combine 1 tsp. cornstarch with 2 TB. amaretto or 2 TB.water with a dash of almond extract and add to cream/white chocolate mixture increase heat to medium and bring to a full boil for 1 minute  

Drizzle over cake and top with raspberries

Mixed Berries with Mascarpone-Limoncello Cream

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1/2 of a 8 oz. container mascarpone cheese
• 3 TB. plus 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 TB. limoncello ( a lemon liqueur)
• 8 cups assorted fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) 
• 3/4 cup raspberry preserves
• 2 TB. grated lemon peel

Directions:

• Combine whipping cream, mascarpone, 3 TB. sugar and limoncello
• Beat until soft peaks
• Combine all berries with preserves, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon peel 
• Toss gently
• Divide berries among 8 serving glasses and top with mascarpone topping

Amaretto Cheesecake

Cook's note: This is a very light tasting cheesecake

Need a 9 inch springform pan 

Crust

• 2 cups crushed graham crackers or gingersnap cookies or vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 4-5 TB. melted butter
• Press into bottom of pan and 2 inches up on sides

Batter
Beat together until smooth

• 3-8 oz. cream cheese softened
•  1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/3 cup amaretto
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Bake 375 40 minutes

Chill at least one day better after two days
Sprinkle with toasted almonds, strawberries

'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Abraham Lincoln February 12, 1809-April 15, 1865