Something a little bit different on here today; One of my resolutions this year has been to do more baking (cooking in general) - and in an attempt to stick to this I thought it might be nice if each week I put up a post on here displaying my attempts at becoming a culinary genius!
What I thought might be even nicer, is if some of you joined me in my efforts every week and tried out the same recipe that I'll be attempting. This week I've chosen to make a "Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie" - taken from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook which is full of yummy looking cakes and sweet treats!
♥ Preheat the oven to 170° (375°F) Gas mark 3.
♥ For the brownie: Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water). Leave until melted and smooth. Mix the butter and sugar until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Gradually beat in the flour, mixing well after each addition, then beat again until the mixture is of smooth consistency. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour into a prepared baking tray and smooth over with a palette knife.
♥ For the cheesecake: Mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and thick. Add one egg at a time whilst still mixing. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with each addition (the mixture should be very smooth and creamy). Be careful not to over-mix or the cheese may split. Spoon on top of the brownie and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheesecake is firm to the touch and light golden around the edges (the center should still be pale). Leave to cool completely., then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours (overnight if possible).
♥ For the cream topping: Mix the cream, sugar and raspberries until the mixture is firm but not stiff. Turn the brownie out onto a board and turn the right way up. Spread the topping evenly over the brownie and decorate with more raspberries!
I shall post some pictures this time next week for you to see how I managed get on. Then if other people choose to "bake along" with me I'll include any pictures you'd like to send over to me, or if you decide you'd like to write a blog post about your own attempt, I'll include the link so that we can all compare! :)
I'd really love it if a few of us could team up together and try this, so if you decide you'd like to give it a go be sure to tweet me or let me know in the comments below!
