pavane > wrote:

<my request for chocolate and liqueur recommendations snipped>

> 2. Use good quality bittersweet chocolate, not milk, as you are putting
> it into an intensely milk-rich mixture and the added milk solids do not
> help you in the least. Lindt 85%, Scharffenberger, whatever...

I picked up a bit of Callebaut milk chocolate and Callebaut semisweet last
night (before I read this post), but I think I will take your suggestion
on the Scharffen Berger, which is one of my favorite dark eating
chocolates. The Callebaut milk beat the pants off of both Valrhona and El
Rey milks but it'll be too weak to stand up to the cheese.

(Speaking of milk products--does anyone know the effects of sour cream or
heavy cream in cheesecakes? My standby Philadelphia recipe uses sour
cream. I've seen recipes using heavy cream. I've also seen recipes with
neither. I've only made the sour cream variety so I really don't know
what happens to taste, texture, or density if it's not there).


> 3. The liqueur will alter the flavor in a good manner, use Kahlua or
> Tia Maria or (surprisingly good) Irish Mist...taste the batter if you can
> overcome the "raw egg" syndrome, add enough to get the taste you
> want.

Tia Maria--now that's a good idea! I'm less concerned with raw eggs than
I should be so I'll taste the batter. Several times.


> 4. Another good crust comes from the Swedish Ginger Crackers,
> whatever their name...Ginger snaps. goes great with Chocolates.

OK, I think I know which ones to look for. I'll of course have to
taste several of those too, just to make sure..


Thanks for all of the good suggestions--I'm looking foward to trying them
out!

-Alison