Happy Double Chocolate Cheesecake Day!
So I don’t know how, but both my children have their birthdays within two weeks of each other. Maybe it was the bad English summers that sent us indoors in search of better things to do? Whatever. First up on the birthday honours is #2 who finally hits double digits (‘Finally, I’ve got double Ds!’ He told me innocently in a somewhat Jordanesque manner). And in true English Towers fashion, he picked his birthday cake wisely: ‘I’ll have a chocolate cheesecake… no, I’ll have a white chocolate cheesecake… no, I’ll have a dark AND white chocolate cheesecake… with a chocolate biscuit base and… er… more chocolate on top’. A fine choice. So here we are, then. I know I’ve already given you a recipe, but I’ve tweaked it a bit and it’s even more coronary inducing than the last one:
100g butter
300g pack of dark chocolate digestives
500g cream cheese
100g icing sugar
200ml whipping cream
175g bar of good quality dark chocolate
100g good quality white chocolate (I used Tesco White Belgian Chocolate)
Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan and in the meantime smash up your digestives, either by whacking them with a rolling pin or whizzing them in the processor (remember to put the little lid bit on, I got an eyeful of oatmeal) until they’re just crumbs. Stir the butter into the biscuits then press into the bottom of a springform tin (you’ll never get the bugger out otherwise) and leave to cool.
Now, get two pans of hot water going, and melt the white chocolate in a bowl over one and the dark chocolate over another (reserve a couple of squares of each for the decoration), turning the pans off once the water boils. Put the cream cheese in a bowl, beat it until smooth then beat in the icing sugar.
Now, while you’re waiting for the chocolate to cool, draw out your birthday person’s age in big fat letters on a piece of greaseproof paper (or just do circles or stars or something… pah, you can write ‘bum’ on it for all I care) and carefully fill it in with the melted white chocolate. Make sure they’re thick enough to stand up on their own.
Now add your cooled chocolate to the cream cheese and icing sugar (bunging in the leftover white chocolate too), stir it in, then whip your cream and fold that in too. Smooth it over the biscuit base and chill in the fridge for a good few hours until set. There’s probably a way to swirl the white and dark chocolate in, but the cream needs to be last really as it’s full of air. I’ll come back to you on that point.
Anyhoo, to serve: remove from tin, finely grate over some white and dark chocolate and add your white chocolate numbers. Present, with a flourish, to goggle eyed birthday child and smile smugly to oneself as it disappears.
Happy birthday big man xx
Thrifty: Ah death by chocolate. What could be better? Blimey, that’s really impressive. Do you think she held on to the baby on purpose? He was probably something like 13 months old by the time he was born!
Also,just to ‘out-do’ the other stories.. I used to work with a girl who shared her birthday with her husband… and yes, you guessed it… the first born was also born on the same day …. Now thats a P-A-R-T-Y !!!!
(My brother has a September birthday and we all know what that means my parents were up to around the Christmas beforehand. Ew.)
Moon: I can’t work out what relation you are to him: Great Uncle? Nah, sounds far too boring (‘oh Mum, do we HAVE to go and see Great Uncle Moon? He smells funny’). And stop out-doing. It’s vulgar.
Wee One: Thanks! And yes, ew. Too much information!!
MMMMMMMMMMMMWAH!!
XXX
But our little lads have iron for insides – they’ll be all right.
Happy Double-Digit-Day for the young one. And congrats to Mum for hanging on…
Happy Birthday Number 2
I don’t even like cheesecake, but I have a craving for that one. I might actually have to make it … one day, when I’m feeling masochistic. I just know I’d eat half of it at one sitting and feel REALLY ill. LOL!
Foreigner: Thanks, they’re his Daddy’s. Well, they’re not ACTUALLY his Daddy’s, but very similar xx
Moon: True. And I don’t know if you smell – you’re too far away.
J: OH MY GOD, your present sent him into a mad excited fit. Tickets to Linkin Park – you are just the COOLEST Auntie (ish) alive!!! Thanks xxx
Cam: Aw thanks. He’s a happy chappy generally (especially when liberally doused in chocolate) x
Isit: Why thank you! Makes a change from choccy sponge eh?
Jay: Apologies – we’re kind of a calorie laden family! Actually, one benefit is that it’s so bloody rich you can’t manage that much.
Bugs: And he bloody deserves it too no doubt. Best place for him. Oh, and LOVING the lamb recipe. It looks divine.
Nats: Y’see? That’s what I love about that girl – thoughtful through and through! x
I think they secretly desire having their bums bitten which, when babies was not a problem but they are getting a bit older now!
Our #1 wafts out the door to school smelling, well, not much like chocolate at all – of course, I think he is yummy without the spray, but don’t tell him it will ruin his street cred!
x