Individual No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Last week I came across a recipe for a 3 ingredient cake in Food and Wine magazine. It had been developed for them by Grace Parisi. The recipe was for an icebox cheesecake and as soon as I saw it, I knew I'd have to give it a try. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. In order to make it less one-note, I added a bit of almond extract, and, because I'm involved in an on-going war with molded desserts, I decided to use some gelatin to insure the cake would leave the comfort of its pan and my refrigerator when the time came. I must also admit to using a few upscale ingredients as well. I replaced one brick of cream cheese with an equal weight of mascarpone and decided this would be the perfect place to use the last of the Ghiradelli chocolate syrup that had been sitting in my pantry for several months. Did, did and done! A whim caused me to change the form of the cake. I've had an individual cheesecake pan for several years now, but never used it, and I thought this would be a perfect time to give it a try. While the cake comes together in minutes, it sits for hours, so plan to make this the day before you serve it. Even with gelatin, it needs a lot of time to set. I had fun with this recipe. I hope you'll give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Individual No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Grace Parisi

Ingredients:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup chocolate syrup (i.e. Hershey or Ghiradelli)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
35 (1 package) Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature


Directions:
1) Place gelatin in a 2-cup bowl or measuring cup. Cover with 1/4 cup boiling water and stir constantly until gelatin is completely dissolved. Gradually add chocolate syrup, whisking until perfectly smooth. Sir in almond extract. Set aside.
2) Lightly grease interiors of 6 large muffin cups or 6 individual cheesecake molds. Line each cup with enough plastic wrap to extend over all sides by about 2 inches.
3) Set aside 18 wafer cookies. Place remainder in a plastic zip-lock bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into coarse crumbs.
4) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese at high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Pour in chocolate syrup mixture and beat the chocolate cream for 2 minutes longer.
5) Place 1 cookie in bottom of each cup or mold. Spoon about 1/3 cup of chocolate cream mixture over each. Top with another cookie and another 1/3 cup chocolate cream. Place a final wafer on top of each cheesecake. Fold plastic wrap over top of each cake. Lightly tap pan once or twice on a work surface. Refrigerate cakes for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight.
6) Peel back plastic wrap and invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Press cookie crumbs onto sides of cakes, brushing away excess from plate. Yield: 6 servings.

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The Last Best Egg Cream in New Jersey

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...He was an old man. He survived two wars, one left him with a gimpy leg, the other with a numeric tattoo. He rarely spoke of either. He came, without family, to the United States in the late 40's. He opened a small shop, called Jack's, where he sold convenience items and made breakfast and lunch for the neighborhood. The store was positioned on a street that served as an artificial barrier between neighbors in Montclair. While it was one of the first integrated communities in the country, there were areas of the town that seemed to be separated by color. In truth, the barriers were economic, rather than racial. Flanked by palaces on his right and bungalows and apartments on his left, Jack served coffee to all and was incredibly good with the neighborhood children. No child within his reach went to school hungry and it was not unusual to see a child spinning on a stool next to a Senator or ball player who was trying to read the morning paper. The shop was also a mecca for editors and writers who commuted to their jobs at The New York Times. There were so many of them that locals, had if fact, named a stretch of the town the Times Ghetto. Jack rarely smiled but there came a Monday when he beamed for most of the day. The Sunday New York Times Magazine had, in an article, named his egg cream the best in New Jersey. I learned today that Jack had passed. I will, of course, say my prayers for the dead, but he was not a religious man and would smile at my foolishness. I wanted to mark his passing in a way that would please him. I remembered the article and his smile that day. Now, my egg cream will never be a match for his, but wherever he is, he'll know I'm thinking of him. L'chaim, Jack. Shalom.

The Last Best Egg Cream in New Jersey...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Fox U-Bet or Hershey's chocolate syrup
Whole milk
Seltzer or club soda

Directions:
1) Pour 1 inch of U-Bet syrup into a soda or cola glass.
2) Gently pour 1-1/2 inches of milk on top of syrup.
3) Fill glass with seltzer or club soda and leave some room at top so it doesn't overflow.
4) Stir vigorously to get most of the chocolate from the bottom and sides of glass. Egg cream should have 1 to 2 inches of foam at top. Serve immediately.

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Egg Creams and Candy Stores - Hub Pages
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