. . . with a Cherry on Top

Oops I went MIA for a bit. Then a certain someone, who probably felt he hadn't had gotten any train treats in a while, reminded me I hadn't posted any recipes . . . he knows who he is. He also received his treats this morning.

In my family we have a habit of celebrating birthdays a bit late. We're often lucky if we have the party in the same month as the actual birthday. This time we made it by a day and did Uncle's birthday on Feb 28. When it comes to desserts, Uncle has 2 simple requests: cherries and chocolate. This year he got to have both, making for a rather decadent after dinner surprise.

First there was the cherry cheesecake (adapted from Ina Garten's raspberry cheesecake recipe), which gave me an excellent excuse to scurry over to Bed Bath & Beyond and pick up a springform pan to add to my kitchen collection. Then the white chocolate truffles (also Ina) giving me the perfect opportunity to use my new set of glass bowls.

Not to brag or anything, but both came out looking just like the ones in Ina's photos! Before you feel badly about yourself thinking your food never comes out so picture perfect, you can take solace in the fact that my first batch of truffles ended up in the trash on account of bad taste AND appearance. The cheesecake came out rather close to perfect (it didn't even crack on top) and has a nice butter-graham cracker crust. And I love me some graham cracker crust!

Cherry Cheesecake
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style (Ina Garten)
Serves 12-15

For the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 whole extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Topping
1 large jar pitted dark cherries in light syrup (best found at Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
Note: if you use fresh cherries (about 2 cups worth) increase to 1/2 cup water and 1/2 sugar.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Crust
To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Filling
Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs and egg yolks, 2 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature to 225 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and open the door wide. The cake will not be completely set in the center. Allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door open for 30 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for another 2 to 3 hours, until completely cooled. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Topping
To make the topping, drain the majority of the syrup from the cherries. Add the water and cherries to a saucepan and heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Mix in sugar and corn starch and continue to cook until syrup is thickened. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

Arrange the cherries on top of the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving.

White Truffles
Ina Garten
Makes 15-20 truffles

2 tablespoons heavy cream
7 ounces good white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (recommended: Baileys)
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped (I used chips)

Place the cream in a heat-proof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cook until heated through. Using a wire whisk, slowly stir the white chocolate into the warm cream until completely melted. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

With 2 teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres.

Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.

Drizzle the melted bittersweet chocolate over the truffles. (I just used a spoon and let the melted chocolate drip from the bottom) Chill until ready to serve.