Happy Happy New Year!!

My first blog entry of 2009! Wow...has a year really gone by?? It's hard for me to believe it yet here it is!!

Ok, ok....everyone had such very nice comments about my last TWD entry...remember the Tall and Creamy Eggnog Cheesecake? The one I didn't like...then let it sit overnight again...then liked it but not enough to eat it? Well...I transformed it! And I like it much better now that it is covered in dark chocolate! (Really, who wouldn't?)


I started out scooping with my 1/4 cup disher...because that is the only size I have...and I just scooped the cake...crust and all...into balls. They are a little bigger than I would have wanted but I wasn't being picky.


I didn't have any sticks so I put the balls into the fridge and went to get sticks from Michaels. On the way there my car blew a radiator hose! I pulled into the parking lot of Safeway with my 7 year old and steam pouring out from under the hood. You see, at this point I didn't know it was the hose...I just saw "smoke". I called the husband and he asked if it was smoke or steam coming out...uhhh, what would be the difference? Well, apparently, smoke is more opaque and steam just kind of mists out....whatever....after I hung up on him, he came to my rescue. After replacing the hose, picking up my 4 year old from preschool and finally getting home at 5pm, I was able to stick the sticks in the balls and put them in the freezer, for 15 minutes! I still had to dip and roll before heading to the New Year's Eve Party!!!


I melted a pound of dark chocolate (Trader Joe's) with 2 tablespoons of butter in a double boiler. Dipped the not yet frozen, too big cheesecake balls into the melted chocolate (ending up with some misshapen oblong balls). My boys helped me by sprinkling graham cracker crumbs and red and green sprinkles on top. I put them back in the freezer for 7 minutes, wrapped those suckers up and took off to the party where they were very much enjoyed by all! And best of all...THE CHEESECAKE IS NOT IN MY FRIDGE ANYMORE!!!

Tall and Creamy...not Tall and Dreamy....

...which is what Robert Pattinson is!

First of all I will start out saying I have become obsessed with two things. #1. Reading food blogs. I could seriously sit all day at the computer hopping from one food/baking blog to another...and before I know it, it is 5 pm and dinner is due and the kids have been sitting in front of the tv all day! I need to limit myself!! I am out of control! #2. Twilight! HELP ME! I just can't get enough. I am on my second reading through the books and I have seen the movie 3 times. I just need to stop! Between Twilight and the computer it's a wonder anything gets done at all around here!

On to another subject which I did find time to do...Tall and Creamy Cheesecake from this week's TWD. We have Anne Strawberry to thank for this week's pick. I
have to tell you...I guess I am not a cheesecake girl. I didn't really like it very much, though other people did. I can't believe there is a
dessert out there that I wouldn't eat in place of a meal! But I have found it...

After checking out some of the comments on the TWD site I decided to make an eggnog flavored cheesecake. I prepared the recipe just as the book says but in place of the cream/sour cream I used eggnog. Now, I know I should have added some rum...should have added some cinnamon..maybe some fresh nutmeg. Those things did not occur to me until AFTER I had the cake in the oven. Oh well.
Oh, and another thing...I don't have a roasting pan! What? You heard me right...I had to use my big 12" skillet for the water bath. It worked out fine just a little tight!
I double wrapped my springform pan, but the crust still got a little water logged. No cracks on the top, not too brown on the top and no sinkage. It sure looked pretty.


I left it in the pan for the hour and then cooled it on a rack. The outside rim came off no problem. I didn't even have to use a hair dryer as suggested by Dorie. Grated some fresh nutmeg on the top and there you have it....it is still in my fridge. See, maybe that's a good thing. I am forced to eat a healthy breakfast instead of my current baked goods. I think I will chop it up into little squares and dip them in chocolate. Chocolate eggnog cheesecake bites for New Years!!!

Check out the blogroll here to see what the other bakers came up with for their cheesecakes.

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!!