Cheesecake brownies (includes: from scratch and from the box methods)

I have always had a bit of a sweet tooth and nothing gets me like a really good chocolate cake or chewy delicious brownies! When my mom started making cheesecake brownies I thought I was in Heaven! They have all the delicious chewy-ness of regular brownies with the added bonus of a cheesecake-like layer. This fantastic dessert will leave your guests begging for the recipe.

That being said, there are a couple of methods to make this dessert. Method 1 involves my grandma's homemade Hershey's syrup brownies with the added cream cheese layer. Method 2 is the boxed brownies (still very tasty) and cream cheese layer. If you are a stickler for making things from scratch, I strongly recommend the Hershey's brownies. If you've already got a box of brownies or wanna whip something together quick, go for one of Betty Crocker's boxed brownies. In either case, always make the cream cheese layer first as it will need to be soft.

Cream Cheese Layer
Ingredients
2 packages (8oz) cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg


Directions
Beat all filling ingredients together until well mixed and set aside.

*Note: this recipe makes a lot of the cream cheese layer, like 50% of the brownie is actual brownie and 50% is cream cheese layer. If you want more like 1/3 to 2/3 cream cheese to brownie, I recommend cutting the cream cheese in half (1 package), reducing the sugar to 1/4 cup, and reducing vanilla to 1 tsp. One egg still works just fine for the half batch.


Hershey's Syrup Brownies
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 stick margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 can Hershey's syrup
1 cup flour



Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together the margarine and sugar. Mix in eggs two at a time. Add the flour and mix. Then, stir in the Hershey's syrup. Pour in a 9"x13" greased pan.


Betty Crocker Boxed Brownies (follow the directions for "cake-like brownies")
Ingredients
1 box of Betty Crocker Original Supreme (or style of your choice)
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
2 eggs *(makes the brownies cake-like and thus easier to marble)

Directions
Mix ingredients until well blended. Pour into a 9"x13" greased pan.

Adding the cream cheese layer: After you have poured the brownie batter into your greased pan, start adding spoonfuls of the cream cheese layer to about 6 points spread out on the brownie layer. Then use a knife or spoon and drag it length-wise across the pan at about four points. Next, go cross-wise in the pan about 6 times. You should start seeing the marbled pattern of brownie and cream cheese combining. Do this a few more times. If you still have cream cheese layer left, you may add more and marble again, or just save it for something else.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly dry (keeping in mind that the cream cheese layer may stick a little more to the toothpick than batter).

I really hope you enjoy these delicious brownies! They go great with whipped cream, ice cream, strawberries, or just by themselves.

Blueberry Muffins remind me of childhood... and that's a good thing!

I remember blueberry muffins with such a fondness that every time I make them I get nostalgic. Mom only made blueberry muffins on weekends and only a few times a year... and nothing was better than mom's homemade blueberry muffins, unless of course they were grandma's blueberry muffins!

Growing up, my family used to go visit my grandparents in their small town up north. In the summers, we would go out and pick the blueberries that grew in their "backyard" (if you can call owning acres and acres a "backyard"). I didn't understand growing up why the blueberries we picked at grandma's house were so much smaller than the ones we bought at the store. I know now it has something to do with marketing, genetically altering plants, and appealing to the general public... but I sure wish that the blueberries in the store were smaller! These giant blueberries have so little flavor and take up so much more room than is absolutely necessary in my muffins. Haha! Oh well... maybe someday I'll have a backyard full of blueberries just the right size.

In any event, I found myself having a sudden, inexplicable craving for these muffins. I called up my grandma to find out which recipe she used. She told me that my favorite blueberry muffins are none other than a classic Betty Crocker sweet muffin recipe with blueberries folded in. While I assume that anyone interested in food already owns their own copy of Betty Crocker (and if you don't, you really should!), I will share this family favorite with you!

Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries (the best kind are fresh picked; store-bought tend to be very large)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 cup muffin pan or use baking cups.
In a large bowl, combine milk, oil, and eggs with a whisk. Then stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until flour is just moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.
I like to use a large Pampered Chef scoop (like an ice cream scoop with a device to push the batter out) to make sure the batter is divided evenly amongst the 12 cups. It works great and is easy to use!
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy your muffin warm with a tab of butter!

Easy Peasy Semi-Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

As long as I have the time I thought I'd throw this quick lunch on here. One of my favorite quick meals to make. Typically everyone has all of the ingredients on hand so it can be quite handy!

Easy Peasy Semi-Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
1 box of your favorite easy Mac and Cheese (I use Annie's brand with shells)
1/3 cup milk
1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I mix a few to get this amount)
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Seasoning Blend -McCormick

In medium saucepan boil water then add pasta. While pasta is cooking place shredded cheese (I use what I have on hand usually a combo of reduced fat cheddar, parmesan, and or feta cheeses), pepper, and roasted garlic seasoning in a small bowl, combine. Once pasta is done, drain and place back in saucepan. Add milk and cheese packet from Mac and Cheese box. Mix well. Place half of macaroni and cheese in the bottom of a small (6 cups) oven safe container. I usually use the 6 cup glass pyrex pan. Sprinkle 2/3 of the cheese/spice mixture over the macaroni. Cover with remaining macaroni and cheese, cover with remaining cheese. From here I usually place the container in my wonderful toaster oven for about 10 mins on Toast. For more traditional cooking, place in an oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the top cheese is bubbly or brown depending on preference. Enjoy!

Of course, this is just a starting point. Feel free to use your favortie seasoning instead of the roasted garlic and pepper. With a good cheddar it's always tasty to add bacon pieces; and with a white sauce chicken is quite good. I've been known to add cut up carmalized onions also. An easy way to fix up boring macaroni!

Mmmmm Food!

Woo hoo finally a post by me! A little to introduce myself . . . I love food! I unlike Mrs. Amanda did not start cooking at such a young age, in fact I don't actually remember when I started. I remember being 5-6 and helping out with baking but other than that I don't remember truly cooking until I was into my teens. Since then I've been slowly (very slowly) adding to my cooking skills and even now I consider myself more of a baker than a cook. With that being said my guess is that I will be posting more sweets - they really are my love! However, I'm sure the occasional 'real meal' shall be posted by me. In fact, I am trying to promise myself to cook more often with the start of this blog!

And now . . . . the foods!

My mother's birthday was on Monday. Happy Birthday Mom! Anywho, she's not into the traditional cakes and brownies, etc. So . . . I let her choose what she wanted me to make. It just so happened that I had recieved a new magazine from the Cooking Club (vol. 14 #3 issue 76) and on the very last page was this wonderful tart! The following is the recipe for Black-Bottom Raspberry Tart from the Cooking Club with small changes that I made.

Black Bottom Raspberry Tart

Crust

1/3 C. Sliced Almonds

1 C. Graham Cracker Crumbs ( I used one sleeve out of a box)

2 Tbs. Sugar

1/4 C. Butter - melted1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Chocolate filling (Ganache)

8 0z Semi-Sweet Chocolate ( I used Lindt 74% Cocoa)

1/2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

1 1/2 Tbs. Raspberry liqueur ( I used Torani- Sugar Free)

Raspberry Filling

10 oz Frozen Raspberries- Sweetened

1 Tbs. Raspberry liqueur

1 1/2 tsp. Unflavored Gelatin

2 C. Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tbs. Sugar

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place almonds, graham crackers and sugar in food processor- pulse until finely ground. Add butter and extract- pulse to combine. Press in bottom and up sides of 10-in tart pan. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

**I baked for 8 then turned off the oven but left the crust while I finished the Ganache.

2. Heat all chocolate filling ingredients in small saucepan over very low heat until chocolate is melted. Be careful as it can easily burn! Stir until blended. Pour into crust. Tart can be made up to this point 1 day in advance.

2. Process thawed raspberries in food processor until pureed. Press through strainer into medium saucepan; discard seeds. Stir in raspberry liqueur. Sprinkle gelatin over raspberry mixture; let stand 2 minutes or until gelatin softens. Cook and stir over medium heat or until mixture is warm and gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool until mixture begins to jell slightly.

3. Beat 2 cups of cream and sugar in medium bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in cooled raspberry mixture until combined. Spread over chocolate and crust and refrigerate 2-12 hours. Store in refrigerator.

Notes for next time!

-Next time I would make about half of the ganache; it filled the ENTIRE crust- and being that

I'm a chocoholic and thought it was a bit much says something.

-I would also use a sweeter chocolate next time.

-And I'd add a little more sugar to the filling portion - But I will admit that I accidentally forgot

to buy sweetened frozen raspberries. GASP! So I found myself at Walgreens @ 12 am :)
They only had unsweetened Strawberries, so I bought them. I took them home, added about
3 Tbs of the raspberry liqueur and set them in the fridge overnight. So all in all they
probably weren't nearly as sweet as the pre-packaged frozen ones.

All in all, I would definitely make this again!

Spicy Dipping Oil for your Focaccia bread needs!

If you're a fan of dipping focaccia bread in olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar, then have I got a treat for you! My husband and I were out in California for our wedding and whilst hanging out in Napa Valley (gorgeous!) we stopped by a restaurant called Celadon. Before we had our meal, they served their own homemade focaccia bread and Spicy Dipping Oil. It was so incredibly flavorful, that I asked the server what was in it. He promptly brought me a recipe printed out on card stock. Yay for awesomeness!

Check them out at http://www.celadonnapa.com/! Now, the time has come for me to share this recipe with you.

Ingredients
2 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp dried basil
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence (I didn't use this and it turned out just fine!)
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups olive oil

Directions
Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to mix. Add balsamic vinegar and mix well. Let sit five minutes. Slowly whisk in olive oil.

Enjoy your spicy dipping oil with fresh focaccia bread!

Amanda's favorite paninis in the WORLD! (so far at least...)

As was mentioned in the "Focaccia versus Focaccia bread" entry, my favorite paninis used to come from the Blue Note Cafe. Unfortunately, as the cafe has closed, I am forced to look elsewhere for the tasty paninis. I requested the recipe from the owner and tried it out for myself. It was incredible! Now you can try it too!!!

Before we assemble our panini, we need to make the special tomato sauce.
Ingredients
1 medium tomato
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt

Directions
Take one medium tomato and blend it using either a Blending Stick or a food processor. Season with Italian Seasoning and salt to taste. Refrigerate until chilled. If necessary, add tomato paste to thicken it up.


Now to create our panini!
Ingredients
1 triangle of the homemade focaccia bread, cut in half (width-wise, as in make it skinnier)
2-3 slices of deli turkey (I like smoked turkey the best)
1-2 slices of provolone (if using one slice, cut it in half)
2 tbsp tomato sauce (see recipe above)

Directions
Take your sliced focaccia bread and lay it flat on a plate with the "insides" facing up. Spread the tomato sauce on each half of the bread. Then place provolone on each half. Finally, add the turkey and put the two halves together.
Cook on a Foreman Grill / Panini press for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and melted on the inside.
Allow to cool slightly before eating.
Enjoy with everything from fruit salad to potato chips and dip to soup or salad.


Note: the pictures show both kinds of focaccia bread (store bought and home-made), but the process is the same for either style.

Focaccia Bread versus Focaccia Bread! Who will win: my homemade version or the bakery's?

Lately, I have had a craving for these turkey paninis I used to get at a local cafe called "The Blue Note." I used to go there at least once a month either to enjoy a night of salsa dancing or eat their famous paninis. This past weekend, I was hanging out with the former owners of the cafe and finally got the recipe from them. They insisted that the Focaccia bread was key, so for my first quest I must find delicious focaccia bread for making tasty sandwiches.
Naturally, my first stop was the grocery store. I searched the bakery for some decent sandwich focaccia bread and found something that could work, but wasn't overly impressive. Being a very cautious person and wanting to ensure the success of these tasty paninis, I also bought the necessary ingredients to make my own focaccia bread...and tonight a comparison will ensue!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. In a large stoneware bowl, stir together the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Sprinkle the sugar and yeast into that well. Carefully pour the water into the well. Let stand until the yeast begins to act, about 5 minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the well. With a wooden spoon stir the mixture in the center of the bowl. Gradually widen the circle of stirring to take in all of the flour at the sides of the well.
2. Turn out on a floured surface, and knead just until smooth. Keep the dough soft. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the oil into a clean bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, turning once to oil the top. Cover. Let rise until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Punch the dough down. Use 1 teaspoon of the oil to coat a baking sheet, and place the dough on the baking sheet. Gently press the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over the top of the dough. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough at 1 1/2 inch intervals. Sprinkle with the rosemary and the cheese. Place in a cold oven on the center shelf. Place a flat pan of hot water on the shelf below the bread. Let rise until doubled, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Turn on the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the focaccia for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned on top. Remove from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

(I found this recipe at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/easy-focaccia)

The focaccia bread is somewhat time consuming (which is natural for any bread that has to rise), but relatively easy to make. For extra flavor, I added dried Basil and Thyme in addition to the recommended Rosemary and Parmesan cheeses. The taste test happened and the results are in: the homemade focaccia bread is better for making the paninis. It had a better texture and overall flavor than the bakery / grocery store kind. Plus, you have the benefit of adding whatever flavor you like. I can't wait to use my new bread with the spicy dipping oil!

Look for upcoming blogs about Turkey Paninis and a Spicy Dipping Oil, both of which will require this tasty focaccia bread. :)

Chicken Mediterranean Pizza

As I have gotten older, made more of my own food, and developed my tastes, I have discovered that I am very particular about my food. I wouldn't even call it "picky" as that implies that I don't like to eat food. Rather, I find that if I can make something myself better than the restaurant at which we are eating, I am disinclined to order the food item.
Now this "particularness" about food didn't happen all at once. I mean, once upon a time, I thought Pizza Hut was gourmet! (I was 5; what can I say?). Then I really liked Sammy's and Famous Dave's pizza (local food joints). Now, I like my pizza homemade with fresh ingredients.

One of my favorite pizzas is a Chicken Mediterranean Pizza. Start out with a refrigerated crust (flat bread style) and add some pesto to it. Then top it with spinach, cheeses, tomatoes, and chicken and you've got a pizza that can't be beat!

Ingredients
1 refrigerated crust (I used to use Boboli but my grocery store has recently stopped selling them)
2-3 tbsp pesto (I prefer Classico Pesto; it is not overwhelmed with pine nuts)
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan asiago blend
1 4oz container of tomato basil feta cheese crumbles
1 medium tomato; diced
1 tbsp Olive Oil
pepper and salt to taste
1 cup cooked, diced chicken

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the refrigerated crust on a pizza pan and spread the pesto evenly across the crust. Add the spinach and bake for about 3 minutes; this makes the spinach a little more on the "crunchy" side.
2) Now prepare your chicken. Dice up the raw chicken and put it in a non-stick cooking pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper to the chicken. Cook until the chicken is just cooked. Remember, it will go in the oven, so don't cook it too much now or it will burn.
3) Add the mozzarella, Parmesan asiago, and feta cheeses to the pizza. Top the cheeses with the diced tomatoes and cooked chicken.
4) Place the pizza in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheeses are melted.

I enjoy my slices of pizza with everything from fruit salad to Caesar salad, potato chips to a side of soup. It also makes for wonderful leftovers! Store it in a Pyrex container and reheat it in the microwave for a quick lunch. I hope you enjoy this tasty treat as much as we do in our house!

Do you like pina coladas? I do, I do!

The trick to making a killer pina colada... fresh pineapple. Who knew?


I usually stay away from the bars because they charge far too much for drinks, but I have one weakness: pina coladas. Despite much searching and agonizing, I hadn't found a good recipe or pre-mixed pina colada, so I was at the mercy of the bars... until now!




Pina Colada Recipe
1 cup coconut milk (or cream of coconut and skip the sugar)
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup fresh pineapple, cut
1/2 - 3/4 cup rum (I use spiced rum, but it's more conventional to use silver rum)
8 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until ice is crushed. Then serve with a slice of pineapple, Reddi wip, and a marischino cherry. Enjoy on a hot summer day!

Curried Shrimp with Vegetable Stir Fry is a tasty treat for a warm summer day!

There is nothing quite like fresh vegetables and shrimp on a warm summer's day. Since Minnesota has finally warmed up (I think we got to a whopping 80 degrees F today), I decided it was time for shrimp!

I learned the curried shrimp recipe from a friend of mine whose family owns a Thai restaurant. It quickly became my favorite way to marinate shrimp! I've tried other sauces and marinades, but nothing was as flavorful as the curry; and it was so easy!



Stir Fry Recipe (I use the term liberally. I prefer my veggies to be more on the cooked side)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped red and yellow peppers
1 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup green peas

Mix the garlic, chicken broth, and soy sauce in a wok (or large, non-stick pan). Add the carrots and broccoli. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Add peppers and green onion. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 2-5 minutes or until tender.

Curried Shrimp
1 tbsp red curry paste
1/2 cup of coconut milk (don't shake the can! use the thicker cream on the top for this project)
20-40 shrimp (or as much as you desire)*

Mix the curry paste and coconut milk cream together. It should be relatively thick. Coat each shrimp with the curry mixture. I usually fry mine up in a non-stick pan, but they are also wonderful grilled!
Note: when frying in a pan, the curry mixture will start to come off. IF the pan fills with too much liquid, the shrimp will not fry up. I pour off some of it when this happens. The excess curry can be poured over the veggies or saved for another time.

*Since seafood is not cheap in the Midwest, I usually just use frozen cocktail shrimp. However, if you have access to fresh shrimp, but all means go for it! :)

Strawberry Daiquiris go so well with Chocolate!

One day after making cheesecake...
I just had to follow my craving and make my homemade strawberry daiquiris to go with my next piece of deep dark chocolate cheesecake!

I love strawberry daiquiris and have found this to be the best recipe so far. I have messed around with the amounts and tried omitting some items (like the sugar), but they were never quite as tasty. For an extra bubbly sensation, Sprite makes a great addition to the drink.



Ingredients:
1 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)
6 cups ice (give or take depending on how big your blender is)
3/4 cup rum (I use Captain Morgan's spiced but others prefer silver rum)
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (or from concentrate)*
1/8 cup sugar

Throw it all in a blender and enjoy!

*Note: When I don't have any oranges or even orange juice around, I have been known to use Pineapple juice as a substitute. It is very tasty!

I enjoyed my smooth, thick daiquiri with another piece of the deep dark chocolate cheesecake. For an added bonus, add sugar to the rim like they do in the restaurants! Simply take a plate and put some water on it. Lightly dip the rim of your glass on that plate making sure to get water evenly around the edge. Put some sugar on another plate and dip the rim of the glass in the sugar, turning it so the sugar spreads evenly. Garnish with a strawberry and voila! A tasty treat.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Review with Tips!

With the help of my friend Marisha (who's oven is currently working, while mine, alas, is not), I was able to make this delightful treat in the course of an afternoon. Needless to say, it is a bit of a lengthy process with much time spent waiting for things to bake, cool, and bake some more! However, it is well worth the wait.
The crust was incredibly easy to make. We used a food processor to crush the cookies. Then we put the cookie crumbs into a bowl with the sugar and melted butter to mix. I personally prefer mixing by hand as opposed to trying to scrape things out of a food processor, but that may be just me! Once the crumbs starting sticking together in clumps, I dumped them into my greased spring-form pan and squished them down. They baked for five minutes and we moved on to the filling.
I was initially concerned that the amount of dark chocolate would be overwhelming. However, after melting the dark chocolate and mixing it in with the sugar, cream cheese, cocoa powder and eggs, I soon discovered it was perfect! It also filled the mixing bowl to the top with a heavy cream cheese filling. We poured it into the spring-form pan and spread it as evenly as possible with a rubber scraper.
Then the waiting began. After one hour, we checked the cheesecake and it appeared rather strange to us. It looked more like a regular cake with all the cracking on the top. We cooked it for another 10-15 minutes before pulling it out to cool.

I know, I know! More waiting, right? We were a little on the impatient side, so after it was just cool enough to pick up with our hands, we threw it into the fridge and watched a movie. Then, despite the directions recommending waiting overnight (can you imagine?!), after only two hours, we got the topping ready and poured it. When it was just barely set, we tried our first piece of deep dark chocolate cheesecake.
Brace yourselves: this chocolate-y delight is incredible! Although it took hours to prepare, it is an incredibly rich, chocolate satisfying dessert that is well worth the time.
I paired my piece of chocolate cheesecake with a touch of whipped cream (you may notice it on the plate in the photo) and strawberries. I think with my next piece I will have a strawberry daiquiri. Who's with me? :)

Getting Started

My first conquest for this magnificient food blog will be a Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (posted by Jeanne Thiel Kelley on epicurious). I have a strong love of all things chocolate and cannot imagine anything tastier than a deep dark chocolate cheesecake!

*Photo taken by Me!

Recipe:
Crust
24 chocolate wafer cookies (9oz package)
1 tbsp of sugar
1/4 cup of butter, melted

Filling
1 9.7oz bar of 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped (Lindt for my purposes)
4 8oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs

Topping
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 oz 70% Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp sugar

Bittersweet chocolate curls

Directions:
Crust - preheat the oven to 350F. Butter 9-inch spring form pan. Blend cookies in processor until finely ground; blend in sugar. Add melted butter and mix until well blended (either all in the food processor or transfer to a bowl and mix with a blender). Press crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the pan (not sides). Bake until just set, about 5 minutes. Cool while preparing the filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling - stir chopped chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl and cool chocolate until lukewarm but pourable. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa powder in processor (or mixing bowl) until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Mix in lukewarm chocolate. Pour filling over crust and smooth top. Bake until center is just set and appears dry, about one hour. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around sides of cake to loosen. Chill overnight.

For topping: stir cream, 6oz chocolate, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over center of cheesecake, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge and filling any cracks. Chill until topping is set, about 1 hour.

Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Top with chocolate curls. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.

*See second post on Deep Dark Chocolate Cheesecake for tips and comments.