2013’s Most Popular Posts

Hubby and I prefer to stay home for a quiet and calm New Year’s Eve. We celebrate by cooking something special, usually lobster. However, two years ago I saved a recipe for Beef Wellington, and this year I’m finally going to try it. Hence, I’ve spent the entire day in the kitchen prepping. If all goes well tonight, I’ll share the recipe later this week.

Anyway, I decided to rest my weary feet a bit and catch up on some emails. Lo and behold, I received my annual report of the most popular posts for 2013 (all sweet treats, by the way), so I thought I’d quickly share them. A couple of the most-searched posts go back to 2011 and 2012!

Wishing each and every one of you a very healthy, happy, and peaceful 2014.

Most popular posts of 2013:

Kahlua Cheesecake

Kahlua Cheesecake: graham cracker crust, ganache layer, velvety Kahlua-flavored cheescake, sour-cream layer, and drizzled ganache topping. Can you say decadent?

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Oreo Cheesecake Bites (2012): Still popular a year later, and rightfully so. These little babies pack a ton of chocolate-y flavor amidst tangy cheesecake. And oh-so-easy to make, too.

Ho Ho Cake

Ho Ho Cake: This light and airy layered cake garners a lot of oohs and aahs from its recipients. Very yummilicious cake.

Magic Custard Cake

Magic Custard Cake: Magic indeed as three layers appear from one batter!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (2011): Still going strong two years later, this pull-apart bread is simply fun with layers of dough stacked so they pull apart easily after baking. Drizzle with lots of glaze for a glorious treat.

Kahlua Cheesecake

During our visit to Peru back in March (which I have yet to share with you all), we met a lovely duo of ladies, a mother and daughter from Seattle, Washington, who both love food as much as I do. Over lunch one day, a discussion of dessert ensued, to my delight.  In particular, the description of a Kahlua Cheesecake caught my attention and remained on my mind after our return. When my birthday rolled around in May, I decided to make this cheesecake in honor of the day (that’s just an excuse to pig out on dessert, to tell you the truth!). I didn’t have the recipe, so I culled together parts of some of my recipes as well as scoured the internet for ideas. Let me tell ya, this is one fun, fancy, and delicious cheesecake!

It is layered with a graham cracker crust, decadent ganache, a thick and dense cheesecake, a topping of sour cream, and finally a drizzle of more ganache. See why it had me dreaming of it for several weeks?

Yes, it takes some time to put this all together, but the result is well worth it! You can break the process down into several days to make it easier: crust and ganache layer one day; cheesecake and sour cream layers another day; and decorating a third day. Again, the final cheesecake more than makes up for all the effort.

Oh, this freezes well, too, and tastes surprisingly refreshing straight from the freezer!

 Kahlua Cheesecake

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Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers  (FYI: 9 graham crackers = 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Ganache Layer over Crust

• 4 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (I used Baker’s squares)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. Kahlua
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• pinch of salt

Cheesecake Filling with Kahlua Flavoring

• 2 lbs (four 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 4 extra large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 3-4 tbsp. Kahlua
• 4 tsp. (up to 3 tbsp for stronger cappuccino flavor) instant espresso powder
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sour Cream Topping

• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Ganache Drizzle for Top of Cheesecake

• 2 oz. bittersweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla
• tiny pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Graham Cracker Crust:

1. Either roast pecans in a pan on the stovetop or roast in 350 degree F oven for about 5-7 minutes.
2. If using whole graham crackers, break them into pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor along with toasted pecans; pulse until very fine crumbs are created. If using the box of graham cracker crumbs (found in baking section of grocery store), then pulse the pecans in a food processor until you have finely ground pecans, followed by adding graham crumbs.
3. Add cinnamon and pinch of salt; pulse a few times until combined.
4. With food processor in continuous pulse mode, drizzle melted butter over crumbs, pulsing until combined.
5. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of 9 or 10-inch nonstick springform pan. Use a tamper or flat-bottomed drinking glass or ramekin to flatten the crust, creating an even layer. Use the back of a spoon to press flat the edges.
6. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes; in the meantime, start making the ganache layer.

Ganache Layer:

1. Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a large saucepan.
2. Remove from heat; add chopped chocolate, Kahlua, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until chocolate melts and ganache is thick and smooth.
3. Pour over bottom of prepared crust. Chill until firm (use freezer for 30 minutes if you are in a hurry).

Cheesecake Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the Kahlua, espresso powder, and vanilla; stir until the powder has dissolved and then set aside.
3. Using mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.
4. Add sugar and flour, beating until blended.
5. Beat in eggs and yolks until smooth.
6. Stir in whipping cream and Kahlua mixture.
7. Pour batter over chilled ganache layer.
8. Place cheesecake pan on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills); bake for 15 minutes.
9. Reduce oven temperature to 225 degrees F and bake for 55-60 minutes more. If cheesecake browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.

Sour Cream Topping: 

1. While cheesecake is baking, blend sour cream, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
2. When the cheesecake has completed baking at 225 degrees for the 55-60 minute time period, spread the sour cream mixture over the cheesecake. Increase temperature to 350 degrees F; bake 7 minutes.
3. Transfer to a cooking rack until completely cooled, about 3 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, still in springform pan.
4. When ready to drizzle with ganache, carefully release cheesecake from springform pan.

Ganache Drizzle for Top of Cheesecake:

1. Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a large saucepan.
2. Remove from heat; add chopped chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until chocolate melts and ganache is thick and smooth.
3. Drizzle ganache over top of cheesecake for a final decorative touch. Do this by using a fork dipped in ganache and drizzle over top of cheesecake; or place ganache in piping bag or ziploc bag and snip off a pointed end, then drizzle.
4. Refrigerate completed cheesecake and allow ganache to cool before serving.
5. Cheesecake will keep in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cheesecake also freezes well (whole or in slices); just wrap in plastic wrap then in foil.

SOURCES: cheesecake recipe & ganache from a high school buddy; some ideas adapted from Handle the Heat; and thanks to the inspiration in the first place from Melanie and Sarah

Oreo Cheesecake Bites (and Oreo Truffles)

Happy Birthday Oreos!!

Apparently, this month marks the 100th anniversary of Oreo cookies. I discovered that tidbit while browsing food blogs this morning.

And isn’t it just perfect that I’ve been working on a couple of Oreo desserts the past few days for a party this weekend? What better time to share them than for Oreo’s big bash.

I guess I must like Oreos a lot because I’ve bookmarked this same recipe three times from different bloggers, not noticing that it is the same recipe. I love that rather than bake an entire cheesecake, you can make this in a rectangular or square pan and cut it into bars or bites. The addition of chocolate decorating on top makes these even more festive and fun to share.

Share? Yes. Do share. If you don’t, you’ll end up eating all of these. Yep, they are that lusciously delicious. Trust me, I made a test batch last weekend and they all ended up tasting darn yummy! I’m ashamed to admit that. At least I spread the joy throughout the week, though. Does that count for anything?

On my test batch, I attempted to make baby cheesecakes using my mini muffin tin. However, they just didn’t look as cute as I had imagined (browned edges and sinkholes in the middle), so I opted for the square mini bite style instead. I did discover, though, that these tasted better after a day or two in the fridge. Don’t know why. They just did.

Since I had bought the 3-pound box of Oreos as well as a 3-pound container of cheesecake at Costco to make this, I had plenty of leftovers (and still do). So, I made a batch of Oreo Truffles. Yum. I forgot how darn delectable those little babies taste.

Back to those Oreo bites: Before cutting them into squares, I cut off the browned edges to make them all look uniform and pretty. I made my squares a bit over 1 inch. I ran the knife under hot water after each cut and wiped it dry; this kept my cuts clean. I also discovered that if I just sliced the knife downward and lifted upwards very gently, my cuts remained clean. If I slid the knife out toward me, it pulled the cheesecake and chocolate from the Oreo and made a smudgy-looking stripe along the squares–not very attractive.

After all this, I still have leftover Oreos. I’m craving vanilla ice cream with Oreo bits, so I think that will be my next sweet treat project.

Oreo Cheesecake Bites

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INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 23 Oreos
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 6 tbsp. sugar
• 6 tbsp. sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Chocolate Drizzle Decoration

• 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 4 ounces white chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8X8-inch baking pan with foil. Let two sides of the foil overhang on the baking dish so it will be easier to pull out the finished cheesecake.
2. To make the crust, pulse the cookies in a food processor unto they are finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse until the cookies are moistened.
3. Transfer the ground Oreos to the prepared baking pan, and press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high until light and smooth, about 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the sugar until well combined.
6. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt.
7. Beat in the egg and egg yolk until well incorporated.
8. Gently stir in the chopped Oreos (note: make sure the chopped cookies are roughly chopped. If you chop them too fine, they will turn the white filling into a mucky dark color).
9. Pour the cheesecake batter over the prepared crust; smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 minutes or until cheesecake is set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center.
10. Let cheesecake cool to room temperature for about 1 hour; cover the pan and refrigerate until well chilled, about  hours or overnight.
11. To cut the bars, lift the overhand foil from the pan, and place the cheesecake on a cutting board. Peel away the foil and slice into bars. Clean the knife blade after each slice to keep the edges pretty. Also, pull knife upward rather than sliding it out after the cut to keep the edges cleaner looking.
12. To decorate, place the cheesecake bites on a wax, foil, or parchment-lined baking tray. Melt the chocolate in separate bowls in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, until completely melted. Pour the melted chocolate into ziploc baggies (I place the baggie in a small cup and fold the edges over the cup to make this process easier). Snip off a teensy tinsy corner and drizzle the chocolate over the cheesecake bites.
13. Chill the cheesecake until ready to serve. These can also be froze in an airtight container for up to a month. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

SOURCES: adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, Table for Two, Annie’s Eats

Pumpkin Cheesecake — Perfect Dessert for Thanksgiving

With the holidays fast approaching, I really want to share this Pumpkin Cheesecake I made last year for Thanksgiving. It was a surprisingly palatable alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie: same smooth texture as the pie but with a tangy cream cheese flavoring and pumpkin pie spices enhancing the overall flavor. Divinely delicious.

It does take some time and effort, but then again, this is one of those baking masterpieces worth every minute. And worth every bite, too. It received rave reviews from the holiday crew.

You can make the cheesecake up to three days in advance and refrigerate. Or you can wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze until ready to use, allowing you to make this even further in advance. The whipped cream can be made a day or two ahead of time as well as the candied pecans.

Disclaimer about the photos: These were the first-ever food pictures I shot. At the time, I was mulling over whether to begin a food blog and thought I should start taking pics of my creations for practice–with no idea how to take an effective image (slow growth in that area several months later). Although I’m far from pleased with the quality of the pics, they are the only ones I have of this divine delight, and I think this recipe needs to be shared.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

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INGREDIENTS

Graham Cracker Crust

• 9 graham crackers, broken (or 3 oz. which equaled about 3 cups of the prepackaged ground graham crackers)
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling

• 1 1/3 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin
• 1 1/2 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 5 eggs, separated into 3 eggs and 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream

Sweetened Whipped Cream

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Candied Pecans

• 1/2 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped (or left intact)
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. sugar

DIRECTIONS

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place oven rack in lower-middle position.
2. Mix graham crackers, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in food processor and give 15 two-second pulses to create very fine crumbs.
3. Add butter to food processor; pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened.
4. Transfer crust mixture into 9-inch nonstick springform pan that has been lightly sprayed with vegetable oil and softly pat it in, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Use a flat-bottomed drinking glass or ramekin to flatten the crust, and use the back of a spoon to press flat the edges.
5. Bake for 15 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling

1. Set oven to 325 degrees F and place oven rack in the lower-middle position.
2. Tightly wrap the outside of the 9-inch springform pan with two pieces of foil. Set springform pan inside a larger roasting pan in preparation for baking in a water bath, and bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil. (A water bath tempers the temperature, allowing the cheesecake to cook through at a slower rate.)
3. In small bowl, whisk together sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt to reduce lumps.
4. To reduce moisture content of pumpkin, place a triple layer of paper towels onto a sheet pan, and on top of that evenly spread pumpkin. Place another triple layer of paper towels on top of pumpkin and firmly press to absorb moisture. Pull off top layer of towels, then fold pumpkin mix & remaining towels in half in order to pull away the towels; flip and pull off rest of towels.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed for one minute to aerate and smooth it, then scrape down sides of bowl to prevent lumps.
6. Add 1/3 of the sugar-spice mixture; beat at medium-low speed for 1 minute, and repeat with two more batches of the sugar mixture. Remember to scrape down sides of bowl after each mixture…and beaters, too.
7. Add pumpkin, vanilla, and lemon juice; beat at medium speed for one minute until well incorporated, about 45 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl.
8. Add 3 eggs; mix at medium speed for 1 minute, until incorporated, then scrape sides of bowl. Add the other two eggs and mix again for 1 minute; scrape sides of bowl.
9. Add heavy cream, mixing at low speed until incorporated, about 45 seconds; scrape sides of bowl.
10. Pour cheesecake filling into springform pan over crust; smooth the top.
11. Once roasting pan with springform pan is placed in oven, fill roasting pan with boiled water to halfway mark of springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
12. Remove cheesecake from oven. It should have 145-150 degrees F internal temperature (insert thermometer into side of cheesecake).  Leave it in the pan with the water for 45 minutes to continue cooking until it reaches an even consistency.
13. When water cools to warm temp, remove cheesecake from roasting pan, discard foil, cool on cooling rack for 3 hours. (If you aren’t using a nonstick pan, while cheesecake is cooling in water bath, scrape sides with a paring knife to help release cheesecake from sides.)
14. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours but overnight is even better. You can even leave cheesecake in refrigerator for up to three days.
15. Release springform pan; carefully move cheesecake to platter. Allow it to come to room temp for 30 minutes before serving.
16. Decorate as desired with whipped cream and candied nuts.
17. When ready to serve, cut with knife dipped in hot water (and dried). Use a thin knife rather than a big clunky knife.
18. Serve with whipped cream and candied pecans, or decorate with both prior to cutting into cheesecake (I prefer this method for a more stunning presentation).

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1. Place the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. Whip on medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, then switch to high speed until the cream just forms still peaks.
3. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Decorate by piping the whipped cream around the edges of the cheesecake.

Candied Pecans

1. In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Add the pecans, sprinkle with granulated sugar and cook, stirring until the sugar melts and the nuts are toasted and caramel coated.
3. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

SOURCES:

cheesecake: America’s Test Kitchen e-newsletter

sweetened whip cream: Food Network (Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa)

candied pecans: Annie’s Eats via Williams Sonoma (whose recipe uses a gingersnap crust for the cheesecake)

Other pumpkin recipes on my site:

Pumpkin Scones

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Pumpkin Bars

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

Ecstasy-Inducing Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake with Peanut-Butter Crust

This food blog inspires me to try a ton of new recipes each week and opens me to worlds of inventive, decadent, and savory dishes. One I’ve been excited to share all week but haven’t had time to type up is an oh-so-decadent cheesecake filled with chunks of brownies (brownie recipe to be posted soon). Yep…double whammy with this one. Really, it’s a quadruple whammy, for it also includes a layer of chocolate ganache (mixture of chocolate and cream) on top. And I decided to try a peanut butter crust. Wait, I forgot that there’s the sour cream layer on top of the cheesecake beneath the ganache, so that’s five whammies. How’s that for flavor layering?

And to add one more flavor: garnish with fresh, sliced strawberries. This discovery was serendipitous. You see, I felt the slice I set up for the photo looked bland. I added some sliced strawberries to create a pop of color, and after the photo shoot, when I ate a forkful of creamy cheesecake + brownie chunks + crunchy peanut butter crust + a thick layer of chocolate + a thin layer of tangy sour cream, that strawberry added a fresh, sweet, tart element that melded with the creamy-crunchy-smooth-chocolatey textures to make the experience all that much more ecstasy-inducing.

Yes, ecstasy-inducing. Everyone who tasted this cheesecake moaned, groaned, and had the most rapturous expressions! My cousin (for I made this for a family gathering) even described it as “orgasmic.” Well…I’ll leave that one for you to decide if you ever make this.

I’ll admit this is a time-consuming dessert only because it has several steps with wait time between several of them: making the brownies, putting together the crust, mixing the cheesecake filling and the sour cream layer, and then preparing the ganache. You have to crumble, mix, press, cool, mix, bake, cool, mix some more, bake some more, melt, cool, spread…and then garnish for the final flourish. Whew, a lot of steps.

But I love to present a stunning, decadent dessert and this one fits the bill.

It’s not hard…just takes time for all the steps. You could certainly take a few shortcuts by using a boxed brownie mix (gasp!) or purchasing premade brownies or even already cut squares of brownies at Costco (double gasp!!).

And you could simplify the crust by just using precrumbled, boxed graham crackers instead of crumbling an entire package of cookies.

And you could skip the sour cream layer altogether.

But then you would be taking away some of the layers of flavors and the ecstasy-inducing aspect of this dessert. So I would recommend just going for it all and impressing the heck out of everyone!

Note: I had envisioned a swirly design on the top made of white chocolate to contrast against the chocolate ganache, but alas, that didn’t work out quite as I had hoped. White chocolate actually has a yellowish tint rather than pure, sparkling white. And my white chocolate ganache was too thin; maybe I’ll just use melted white chocolate next time…

Anyhow, to save the disaster, I just crumbled some leftover brownie and sprinkled that on top. It looked fine and added a fancy-ish element.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake with Peanut-Butter Crust

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INGREDIENTS

Brownies

• 2 cups brownies cut into 3/4 or 1-inch squares (I used the Chewy Brownies recipe from Cooks Illustrated)
  • Brownie Tips:
    • make brownies ahead of time and refrigerate for easier cutting
    • use large pizza cutter to also make cutting easier
    • use a recipe that calls for 8 or 9 inch square pan; otherwise, you will have leftover brownie (darn!)
    • P.S. I saved the outer crust/edges, pulsed them using food processor into fine crumbs and froze for later use in a recipe of some sort or as sprinkles on top of ice cream

Peanut Butter Crust

INGREDIENTS

• 16-oz. package of Nutter Butter cookies (or 32 sandwich cookies of your choice), pulsed in food processor into fine crumbs
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

DIRECTIONS

1. Spray 9-inch nonstick springform pan with vegetable oil (can use 10-inch pan as well).
2. Place cookies in food processor; pulse until very fine crumbs are created.
3. Place crumbs in medium bowl, drizzle melted butter over crumbs, then use spatula to gently fold in butter.
4. Press half the mixture into bottom of 9-inch nonstick springform pan. Use flat-bottomed drinking glass or ramekin to flatten crust, creating an even layer, and use the back of a spoon to press flat the bottom edges. Place rest of mixture in pan and pat up and around the edges of the springform pan, gently pressing into sides.
5. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Cheesecake Filling

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 4 extra large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. Beat cream cheese until smooth.
3. Add sugar and flour, beating until blended.
4. Beat in eggs and yolks until smooth.
5. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla.
6. Gently mix in the brownie cubes.
7. Pour batter into prepared crust.
8. Bake 15 minutes.  Reduce oven to 225º; bake 50-55 minutes, covering loosely with foil if browning too quickly. (FYI: Cheesecakes should register 145-150 degrees F when inserted with instant-read thermometer; when the internal temperature rises beyond 160 degrees, the tops will crack. For this particular recipe, though, the cracking won’t matter since the top is covered with a layer of ganache.)

Sour Cream Topping

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. In bowl, blend sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.  When 50-55 minutes of baking finish, spread sour cream mixture over cheesecake.  Increase temperature to 350 degrees F and bake 7 minutes.
2. Cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Ganache

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4  cup whipping cream
• 2 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (use more chocolate for thicker ganache)
• 1/4  tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Scald cream in heavy saucepan over high heat.
2. Add chocolate and vanilla; stir one minute.
3. Remove from heat and stir until all chocolate is melted.
4. Refrigerate glaze 20+ minutes (although this time when I made it the ganache was thick enough to pour on top without the cooling time whereas other times I’ve had to refrigerate it to thicken it).
5. Pour ganache over top of cheesecake before removing it from springform pan. Decorate with swirls of melted white chocolate and/or crumbles of brownie. (Next time I’ll garnish with sliced strawberries, too.) Refrigerate and allow ganache to cool before removing springform pan.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SOURCES: Brownie Mosaic idea adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker; cheesecake and ganache recipes from a high-school friend; brownie recipe from Cooks Illustrated