ganache

Five Pieces of Wisdom

I don’t know how much actual wisdom I’ve shared with my children, but I have realized that there are five things I tell them regularly, and that’s probably as close to passing on wisdom as I get!

  • “It’s nice to be nice.”–This is probably my most-repeated phrase, and I think it’s also the most useful. I hope I’ve taught my children to be kind to others, even when others aren’t kind to them. And I hope they never decide to finish the saying à la Frank Burns in M*A*S*H…”to the nice.”
  • “Ganache covers a multitude of sins.”–I came up with this saying once when a bundt cake I baked (probably our favorite Guinness cake) stuck to the pan, resulting in a less than attractive-looking cake. Luckily for me, the recipe includes a ganache that is poured over the top, and I realized that once I did that, you couldn’t tell that there had been any problem with the cake at all!
  • “Measure garlic with your heart.”–If ganache covering a multitude of sins is my number piece of baking wisdom, then this is my best cooking advice. A recipe can call for a certain amount of garlic, but in my experience, it’s almost never enough, and even if it is, your cloves may be a different size than used by the recipe’s author. This is one of those things where you just have to trust your instincts and measure from the heart.
  • “Lake Michigan is an inland sea.”–I am very protective of my favorite Great Lake, and I really hate when people act like it’s “just” a lake. When you look at its size and the way it behaves, it is hardly a simple lake, but actually a large inland sea, and should be respected as such.
  • “Look up.”–My final piece of advice is usually given regarding architecture, although it applies to lots of other things as well. There are so many amazing details, especially on historic buildings, that are higher than eye level, and if you don’t look up and really pay attention, you won’t ever notice them. Looking down or even straight ahead can cause you to miss out on some really great things, so take the time to look up and really see the world!

What wisdom do you share with others?

Booze Soaked Cheesecake–Chocolate Irish Cream

This is a wonderful, rich, cheesecake, which can be made even more special with the addition of an Irish Cream and Chocolate Ganache, and Irish Whipped Cream!

Cheesecake

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 15 cookies)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, melted
  • 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups white sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup Irish cream liqueur

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs, powdered’ sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add melted butter and stir until well mixed. Pat into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, white sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa and flour. Beat at medium speed until well blended and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the sour cream and Irish cream liqueur; mixing on low speed. Pour filling over baked crust.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, and continue baking for 60 minutes.
With a knife, loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool, then remove the rim of pan. Top with chocolate ganache while cheesecake is at room temperature, if desired. Chill before serving.

Ganache

  • 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 Tbsp. heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. Irish Cream liqueur
  • 1 tsp. instant coffee granules
Melt chocolate over low heat with cream, liqueur, and coffee granules. Cool slightly, then smooth over the top of the room temperature cheesecake.

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2-3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp. Irish Cream liqueur
Beat cream until soft peaks just begin to form. Add sugar and liqueur; continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Dollop on cheesecake just before serving.