Thank you very much for your time and help
"Chef R. W. Miller" > wrote in message
om...
> Chocolate Cheesecake
>
> Ingredients
> 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
> 2 tablespoons white sugar
> 1/3 cup melted butter
> 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
> 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
> 1 cup white sugar
> 3 eggs
> 1/2 cup sour cream
> 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
> 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
> 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
>
>
> Directions
> Prepare crumb crust by combining cracker or wafer crumbs, butter or
> margarine, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Press mixture into bottom and 2 inches
> up sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Refrigerate.
>
> Melt chocolate chips in top of a double boiler over hot water. Set aside.
>
> Beat cream cheese and 1 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth and
> creamy. Blend in eggs. Gradually pour in chocolate mixture beating on low
> speed until well-blended. Add 1/2 cup sour cream, flour, vanilla. Blend
> until smooth. Pour into prepared crust.
>
> Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 - 60
> minutes or until filling is firm. Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake 1 hour
> without opening door. Cool completely. Chill several hours or overnight.
> Garnish just before serving with sweetened sour cream made by combining 1
> tablespoon sugar with 1/2 cup sour cream.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> Strawberries must be dry when dipping.
> The California Strawberry Commission recommends buying berries no more
> than
> a day ahead of when you want to dip them. Store the berries refrigerator,
> but allow them to warm to room temperature before dipping. After dipping,
> let chocolate set in refrigerator, but do not store the strawberries
> there.
> Eat within 48 hours.
> Since strawberries grow on the ground, they should be washed before they
> are
> eaten or dipped. Leave the green caps on and wash the berries gently with
> cool water flowing from the tap so as not to bruise the fruit.
> If you are going to dip berries in chocolate or vanilla, they need to be
> completely dry. Just a tiny drop of water in the melted chocolate can
> cause
> the whole batch to seize (curdle) and it will be impossible to melt the
> chocolate and use it again. After washing the berries, pat them dry with a
> paper towel and place them on a dry paper towel until needed.
>
> You can use other dry-surfaced fruit such as orange-sections (leave
> membrane
> on), dried fruit, citrus peel, apples (sliced or small whole), raspberries
> (do not wash and thread 3 to 4 on skewers) or bananas sliced in long
> pieces.
> White chocolate is great to use for a black and white effect. Let the
> first
> chocolate harden before dipping or drizzling with the other.
>
> Chocolate dipped strawberries are particularly delicious if injected with
> Grand Marnier or other liquor after the chocolate hardens. Use a
> hypodermic
> needle and syringe to inject the strawberries. If using apples, dip in
> chopped toasted nuts right after dipping.
>
> RECIPE #1
> Classic Chocolate Dipped Strawberries -
> Tempered chocolate works the best for covering strawberries with, but is
> not
> necessary.
> Tempered chocolate dries with a glossy surface and will harden properly;
> sometimes chocolate that isn't tempered will not. Do not overheat any
> chocolate while melting -- if chocolate gets too hot, it will burn or
> become
> too thin and will drip off of the strawberries rather than adhere to them.
> If the chocolate becomes too thick to work with, add drops of vegetable
> oil,
> small amounts of vegetable shortening or cocoa butter (not butter or
> margarine as it contains water) and stir until it becomes the right
> consistency; do not turn up the heat thinking it isn't melting otherwise
> you'll burn it. Once chocolate has been used for dipping fresh fruit in or
> has added oil, it cannot be used to temper again. Instead, it can be
> melted
> and used in baking recipes or for dipping.
> 18 large fresh strawberries (washed and pat dry) with stems and green caps
> on.
>
> 1 pound semi sweet (or any type) chocolate pieces, coarsely chopped
>
> toothpicks
>
> Styrofoam
>
>
> 1. Cover jell-roll or any rimmed pan with parchment paper or foil.
> Optionally place Styrofoam block in the center.
>
> 2. Insert a toothpick into the stem end of each strawberry or hold the
> stem.
>
> 3. Dip the strawberry into the chocolate, coating 3/4 of the lower part of
> the berry, being careful not to cover the stem. Scrape the side of the
> bowl
> on the way out. (Leave the green cap and some of the red berry showing for
> a
> more decorative finished product). You may have to dip the strawberries
> twice for a thicker chocolate coating - wait until the first coating has
> hardened, then dip again.
>
> 4. Place fruit on paper-lined pan. You can spear the free end of the
> toothpick into a piece of Styrofoam to allow the strawberry to dry upside
> down. Allow coating to set. If desired, after the chocolate hardens, dip
> the
> tip in a contrasting chocolate or white chocolate may be drizzled over the
> dark chocolate for a fancier look.
>
> 5. After the chocolate hardens, remove the strawberries from the
> toothpicks.
> You can also refrigerate until chocolate is set, but remove as soon as
> chocolate is hardened, unless the weather or room is extremely hot.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
> RECIPE #2
> Chocolate Covered Strawberries
> Makes 10 chocolate-covered strawberries
>
> HAVE ALL INGREDIENTS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
>
>
> 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
> 1 tablespoon butter
> 3 tablespoons heavy cream
> 10 large strawberries with long stems
>
> 1. Line a baking sheet with foil or waxed paper.
>
> 2. In the top of a double boiler set over hot water, melt the chocolate
> and
> butter, stirring constantly until the chocolate melts. Add the cream and
> stir until mixture is smooth. Let the mixture cool to tepid (100 degrees
> F -
> body temperature).
>
> 3. Holding each strawberry by the stem, dip into the chocolate mixture
> allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the pan. If necessary, add
> additional cream to the chocolate to achieve desired coating consistency.
> Transfer the coated strawberry to the lined sheet and repeat process.
> Allow
> the chocolate to cool and then chill the strawberries until chocolate is
> set, about 20 to 30 minutes.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~
> RECIPE #3
> White and Chocolate Covered Strawberries
> Makes about 2 to 3 dozen berries.
>
> 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips
> 2 tablespoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)
> 1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
> 4 cups (2 pt.) fresh strawberries, rinsed, patted dry and room temperature
>
> 1. Cover tray with wax paper.
>
> 2. Place white chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in medium microwave-safe
> bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 1 minute; stir until chips are melted and
> mixture is smooth. If necessary, microwave at HIGH and additional 30
> seconds
> at a time, just until smooth when stirred.
>
> 3. Holding by top, dip 2/3 of each strawberry into white chip mixture;
> shake
> gently to remove excess. Place on prepared tray; refrigerate until coating
> is firm, at least 30 minutes.
>
> 4. Repeat microwave procedure with chocolate chips in clean microwave-safe
> bowl. Dip lower 1/3 of each berry into chocolate mixture. Refrigerate
> until
> firm. Refrigerate leftover strawberries.
>
> VARIATIONS:
> For double- and triple-dipped strawberries: After first coating of
> chocolate
> is set, dip into contrasting chocolate, leaving part of the first
> chocolate
> exposed. Repeat with third chocolate, if you wish, allowing each layer to
> set between dips.
> To drizzle strawberries with chocolate: Microwave chocolate in small
> plastic
> bag until melted; squeeze into one corner of bag. Lay strawberries close
> together on baking sheet. With scissors, cut a small hole in corner of
> bag,
> and move back and forth over strawberries, squeezing bag gently.
> Notes:
> Microwave melting times vary with amount of chocolate and wattage of your
> oven;
> Chocolate chips may still hold their shape during microwaving, so stir
> them
> half way through the melting time to check if they've liquefied; and,
> Chocolate amounts are approximate; amount needed depends on size of
> strawberries, and whether or not they are single-, double-, triple-dipped
> or
> drizzled.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
> Enjoy
> Chef R. W. Miller
> Marriott Resorts & Hotels
> "TINY" > wrote in message
> news
>> I want to make a chocolate cheese cake and make chocolate cover
> strawberries
>> for Valentine's day what would be a good chocolate to use that I could
>> get
>> at a local grocery store
>>
>>
>
>