Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Jasmine Terry Hour 1

Ingredients

Crust
2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs3 tablespoons butter, meltedFilling
4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened3 eggs3/4 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon almond extract1/2 cup whipping cream1 can (21 oz) cherry pie fillingGlaze
1/2 cup whipping cream1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

Directions

• 1  Heat oven to 325°F. In medium bowl, combine crust ingredients; mix well. Press in bottom and 1 inch up sides of ungreased 10-inch spring-form pan.

• 2  In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sugar and almond extract until smooth. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream; blend well.

• 3  Spoon 3 1/2 cups cream cheese mixture into crust-lined pan, spreading evenly. Carefully spoon 1 cup pie filling evenly over cream cheese layer (reserve remaining pie filling for topping). Spoon remaining cream cheese mixture evenly over pie filling.

• 4  Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack 1 hour.

• 5  In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup whipping cream to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.

• 6  Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on paper-lined cookie sheet. Spread glaze over cooled cheesecake, allowing some to flow down side. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with remaining pie filling.

• Preparation Method:

For this recipe I mostly stayed with the original one but I did change it a little bit. Instead of the chocolate cookie crumbs for the crust I mashed up corn flakes and used that. Since I switched up the crust it wasn't as crunchy as I wanted it to be so it didn't have the right texture. Another thing I did was cut the recipe in half.  For this recipe the mixing methods I used were the custard because it depends on the protein of eggs for its structure (not flour) and creaming method because of its texture. I had to mix the fats alone add sugar and add the egg with the extracts later, kind of like the creaming method. Also it asks fo me to mix the batter until it was smooth like in the creaming method but you have to bake it like a custard. In the end I accidentally baked the cheesecake in the wrong pan so it was very hard to get out. I baked it in a cake pan so when I went to take it out it wouldn't come out. When I finally managed to get it out it fell apart. Even though the finished product ended up tasting delicious it looked not as appealing as it should have. 

Critique:

In my opinion my cheesecake ended up almost perfect if it wasn't for a few mess ups I had. It appeared very light and fluffy, the different layers provided a thickness to it and the drizzle of chocolate with the cherry topping gave it a pop of color. The smell made you want to melt into the delicious sweetness of the cheesecake. Its texture was even better, the smooth fluffy cheesecake was so hard not to resist another slice, but the crust was too chewy. Next time I will use cookies to see if I can make the crust more crunchy. Finally the taste mmmm... it was so sweet with a little kick of creaminess making your body ask for more. 

Assessment:

In my free time I will probably make it again. The next time I would make sure I am using the right pan and use cookies for the crust. I learned from this experienced that it is important you use the right equipment. If not then your end product can turn out looking less appealing. Also you should try and use the correct ingredients because it might not taste as good. Therefore, I would be happy to make this recipe again in my free time.