Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

Sometimes only a fancy smancy dessert will do. Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze is the dessert for ……sometimes!

Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

Cheesecakes are always a labor of love. They require time, and a bit of patience, but the results are totally worth it!

My first experience baking cheesecakes was also my first fake and bake……don’t judge! You would be surprised at how many desserts are made that way.

The batter came in a bucket and it truly was delicious. Playing around with the crust, the filling, the topping, and the items to mix in was a mission for me……a labor of love… so to speak.

Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

 

Tim and I have  friends that we play cards with (who we love dearly), not as frequently as we would like, but we enjoy the evenings filled with food, fun, cards, and this time….. cheesecake!

Dessert was my contribution to our latest get-together and I made Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze. It was a hit!

Before I pretend that everything was easy peasy, just let me say that there is an art to making a perfect cheesecake……..an art I’m not sure I possess…..lol

Taste….spot on….beauty???? Not so much, if not for the glaze. Happiness is bringing your cheesecake out of the oven and it’s perfect….not a crack in sight.

Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

Only to remove it from the refrigerator and find a crack the size of the Grand Canyon…….ok, slight exaggeration, but crushing all the same! Not all was lost, the glaze covered the imperfection and I learned some lessons.

Let the cheesecake cool before placing in the frig. Run a knife around the side of the pan before cooling, the cake not being adhered to the side of the pan helps it not to split. And finally do not over bake, a hard task with cheesecake, but for the perfect cheesecake you need too!

Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

Imperfections or not, Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze was a creamy, fluffy, chocolatey, and espressoey dessert that begs to be shared with family and friends……a true labor of love!
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Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

Espresso Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

  • Author: Marty
  • Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

CRUST

110 ounce package Oreo Thins, crushed

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

CHEESECAKE

¼ cup heavy cream

 tablespoons instant espresso powder

3 pounds cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1¾ cups sugar

5 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

GLAZE

 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons corn syrup

½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate cover espresso beans for garnish if desired


Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease the base of a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.

MAKE THE CRUST: In a large bowl, mix the Oreo cookie crumbs with the sugar and melted butter to combine. Press the mixture evenly into the base of the prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

MAKE THE CHEESECAKE: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer remove from heat and add the espresso powder, stir to combine. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, cooled heavy cream espresso mixture and sugar until well combined. Scrape the side of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and salt.

Pour the batter over prepared crust. After placing  cheesecake is in the oven, reduce the temperature to 300°F. Bake until the cheesecake is set but slightly jiggly in the center, about 1 to 1½ hours.

Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and refrigerate until fully cooled, about 2 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cooled cheesecake, and release it from the springform pan.

MAKE THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat. Place the chocolate chips into a small heat-safe bowl. Once the cream comes to a boil, pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for 15 seconds, then stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over the cheesecake and allow to set.

Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans if desired.

Let set before slicing and serving.


Keywords: cheesecake, espresso, chocolate, bake, dessert

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins

Chocolate and coffee, coffee and chocolate …….. Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins !

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins

I love chocolate and coffee! Its one of those go great together combos. A nice piece of dark chocolate and a sip of hot coffee…….the chocolate melts just a bit and the chocolate gives the coffee a sweet boost.

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins

Besides, you read all the time how chocolate is good for you, cardiovascular benefits and all and that coffee……1-3 cups a day, may help prevent heart disease.

So, I guess that Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins are good for your heart health. Your waistline may be a different matter…..lol. These muffins are the perfect blend of of chocolate, coffee, with a hint of almond.

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins

I made these in standard muffin tins. If you want you can make them jumbo size, but be warned they are decadently rich and chocolatey. Regular size was perfect with a cup of Joe.

Speaking of a cup of joe, where in the world did that come from??? Well, its seems as with so many things these day there are may theories.

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins
One theory is secretary of the Navy Josephus “Joe” Daniels issued General Order 99 which prohibited alcohol aboard naval vessels. After that the strongest drink of any kind allowed on naval ships was coffee. The sober sailors were not happy, so they started to call coffee a “cup of Joe” out of spite.

Another theory is that is a combo of two slang words for coffee, java, and jamoke, now in my day a jamoke, was what would now be a dork, but I digress, anyway, the last theory is that the name Joe is a term for the common man and coffee is the common mans drink……..cup of Joe.

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins

I sometimes veer off……back to the muffins. The batter is just a basic batter with the addition of the espresso for the coffee flavor, almond extract to boost the slivered almonds taste, and dark chocolate chips to bump up the cocoa. I almost alway use buttermilk when baking….. its just the right things to do.

All muffins in my “expert” opinion need a crunchy topping, otherwise whats the point?? And we all know how I sing the praises of turbinado sugar. Mixing, the sugar with dark chocolate chips, and almond slivers give these muffins a crunchy, sugary, nutty, chocolatey ……..shall I go on??

Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins
If you are looking for a yummy chocolatey muffin for your cup a joe Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins are just the ticket!

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Chocolate Almond Espresso Muffins

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • Muffins:
  • 1½ cups flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup strong espresso, cooled, I used an instant espresso powder
  • ½ cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
  • Topping:
  • 4 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  • 4 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F Line a 12 muffin cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and cocoa powder. Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and sugars and mix to combine.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, milk, coffee, melted butter, and vanilla and almond extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and fold and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. The batter will be pretty thick. Gently fold in almonds and chocolate chips.
  4. Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups. I like to use a ice cream scoop to ensure even muffins.
  5. Make the topping by tossing together turbinado sugar, almonds, and chocolate chips in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly on top of the muffins. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool on wire rack until cool enough to handle. Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool.
  6. Serve.

 

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

This is gonna be a real quickie……Starbucks is the bomb for coffee……well, at least Tim and I think so. One of our favorites is the Caramel Frappuccino………but with a Grande coming in at about 380 calories……… yikes! Talk about drinking your calories.

 

So, when I saw the recipe for Skinny Caramel Frappuccino from Averie Cooks and it boasts only 50 calories…….we were in!!

We tried it yesterday, as a light dessert after our Grilled Spaghetti and Cheese Sandwich, which was not light, but totally awesome!

When things are said to be skinny, or light, or low cal, my mind says how good can it be?

Caramel Frapp

Well, this was great……..rich coffee flavor, cold and frosty, topped with light cool whip, and just a small drizzle of caramel sauce…….yummy yum yum!

I did change up the recipe a bit. I used instant espresso, instead of coffee, and I did not use sugar-free caramel……I went for the real deal. A few mini chocolate chips, and a sprinkle of Heath bits……..heavenly! I am probably over 50 calories, but I am under 100………for dessert that rocks!

Skinny Caramel Frapp

So, thank you Averie for the recipe and if you have a hanker’in for a Starbucks like Frappuccino, that won’t break the bank or your diet, whip up a Skinny Caramel Frappuccino!

 

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Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

Skinny Caramel Frappuccino

  • Author: Adapted from Averie Cooks
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: Drinks
  • Method: Blend
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • 1 cup cold espresso
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite milk)
  • 1 packet stevia powder or other sweetener
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons light cool whip whipped topping , for garnishing
  • 1 tablespoon regular or sugar free caramel sauce , for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon mini chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon Heath brickle chips

Instructions

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender and blend until well blended, smooth, and creamy.
  2. Garnish with whipped topping, caramel sauce, mini chips, and Heath

Notes

This makes one really large or two regular size drinks.

Keywords: almond milk, caramel, espresso, drinks, low cal, coffee drink, easy