Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

You know who your friends are when they bring you chocolate.

You know who your really good friends are when they bring you chocolate cheesecake!

I have a friend who did just that. 🙂

Back in December – during the craziest busy week in my month – she brought me this luscious chocolate cheesecake dessert.

She didn’t even make me share.

I asked for the recipe – but with the snowstorms and busyness of life – I am just now getting the recipe up for you all to enjoy as well.

This would be a perfect treat to share with your special Valentine’s!

This comes from a well-used church cookbook. Which are , by the way, one of my favorite kinds of cookbooks because they are written by women in the trenches (like me) who serve real food to real hungry families.

Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

1 package chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces Cool Whip

Set aside 1 cup of dry cake mix.

In a large bowl combine the remaining cake mix, 1 egg, and oil. The mixture will be crumbly. Press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl blend the cream cheese and sugar. Add 3 eggs and reserved cake mix. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. At low speed add milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour over crust.

Bake at 300 degrees for 55-60 minutes.

Cool. Spread with Cool Whip and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Truffle Lover’s Cupcakes

I will confess that the it was the name of these cupcakes that caught my attention. (We all know I have a truffle addiction!)

But it was the simple instructions that sold me on these little gems!

After a very busy day, we were able to whip these up in a few minutes.

The ganache frosting was fast and easy and made for delicious licking! (and yes I shared – a little bit!)

Truffle Lover’s Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 package chocolate cake mix with pudding
1 1/3 cup water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/3 cup toasted almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla

In large bowl beat together cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Stir in the almond and vanilla extracts.

Fold in the chocolate chips and almonds.

Pour into 24 regular sized muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Ganache

1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a heavy saucepan heat whipping cream over medium high heat until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

Let this sit for about 5 minutes. Then dip the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips or slivered almonds for garnish.

Store loosely covered in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Chocolate-Cherry Bars

My faithful readers know that I am a “make it homemade” kind of cook. But there are times when a boxed mix is a blessing. Since we are in the midst of moving and settling in, this was definitely one of those times!

I thought this recipe looked really fast since it only had 4 ingredients. But I discovered that it took a really long time to mix the eggs into the cake mix by hand.

Sure tasted good though!

Chocolate-Cherry Bars

1 2-layer pkg. chocolate cake mix
2 eggs. beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 20-oz. can cherry pie filling
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 c. milk
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, eggs and flavoring in bowl; mix well by hand.

Stir in pie filling. Spoon into greased and floured 9X13-inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until layers tests done. Cool.

Bring mixture of confectioners’ sugar, butter and milk to a boil in saucepan.

Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly; remove from heat.

Stir in Chocolate chips until melted. Spread over baked layer.

Let stand until set. Cut into bars.

Yield: 3 dozen