Sunday 29 August 2010

Walkies and Cheesecake

The reason I called my website Walkies and Cheesecake is because of two things.......
My dog Willow and my insatiable appetite for Mars bar cheesecake that I picked up in Rutland almost a year ago.

I`ve had Willow for nearly nine years now.
They say a dog chooses you and not the other way round, I can safely say she did choose me.
She`s the reason I`m walking and doing alot of things better, I`m not saying humans aren`t good, but they lack the loyalty and love your companion gives you.
She`s the reason I got out of bed in the morning and the reason why I can walk further now than before and she always has a wag and "smiles!"
I got Willow out of kennels with paws up against the bars and  with a bowed head her eyes looking at me, I knew she was choosing me, but I didn`t get her straight away, it was the next day and two days later she was off the lead and walking by my side and we have been together ever since.

On our Journey, and it was whilst we stopped in Rutland, I learnt how to make cheesecake and then the story unfolded and thus Walkies and Cheesecake was formed! 
With regular walks with Willow and loads of cheesecake making it was a recipe to heaven!

Mars Bar Cheesecake Recipe

3/4 pkt large chocolate digestive biscuits
150g of butter (lurpaks best!)
2 tablespoons brown sugar 
20g butter, extra
300ml thickened cream (tescos best)
50g chocolate (milk - dairy milk or equivalent - not plain as it is bitter with plain) chopped finely
3 teaspoons of gelatine (or if your camping, 1 gelatine leaf available in pkts)
2x250g pkts cream cheese (mascapone works well, not too harsh)
1/2 cup of caster sugar (not ovaltine mug size!)
3 mars bars finely chopped




I was surprised how easy the recipe was to follow:


Crush up the biscuits until they resemble breadcrumbs.
Melt butter and add to biscuits.
Line a cake tin (about 26 in) with greaseproof paper (or if your in a tent, you can add mixture to a dish and set aside) and add mixture, refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Next. with brown sugar, extra butter and 2 tbspoons cream put in saucepan and heat until it resembles a caramel texture and then turn off heat.
Then. With the chocolate and 2 more tbspoons of cream put in another saucepan and melt until smooth consistency and turn off heat.
Then. With gelatine put in bowl over hot water (me, I add a couple of drops of hot water to help it dissolve quicker!) until gelatine dissolves and set aside.
Then, Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth.
Beat remaining cream in separate bowl until stiff with forming peaks!
Then, Stir warm gelatine into cream cheese mixture add the mars bars and fold in the cream.
Finally. Pour half the mixture onto biscuit base, then add a little of the caramel mixture and chocolate mixture and give it a marble effect by running a fork (or knife) through it. 
Then. Add remaining mixture with caramel and chocolate and again run a fork or knife over it and eh voila! 
The perfect cheesecake, then put in fridge for an hour or two, or if your in a tent - devour at once! delicious!

2 comments:

  1. Nice to get this background information and great pictures of Willow that we've been waiting to see.

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  2. Hi Karen. Thanks for visiting my blog today! To think that I was SO close to Wales (Hay-on-Wye) but didn't have time to do any further Wales touring! I'd love to return. Also had to click on the pic of Willow because she is shaped just like our Misty, the most loyal of loyal dogs! I know just what you mean about dogs. I have a sign on my desk that reads, 'The more people I meet, the more I like my dog. :-) Thanks again for stopping in!

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