Sunday Joy List

Happy Mother's Day!

Chocolicious Cheesecake

Happy Friday!  Mmm chocolate cheesecake...need I say more?  Here's my current favorite chocolate cheesecake recipe:

Chocolicious Cheesecake

Crust Ingredients:
3/4 package of oreos, crushed
3/4 stick of butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake Ingredients:
3 packages cream cheese, at room temperature
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons espresso powder
3 eggs

Mouse Ingredients:
1 containuer Cool Whip, at room temperature room
1 box devils food instant pudding mix
1 package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the Crust:

1. Mix oreos, butter and sugar
2. Press into bottom and up the sides of springform pan
3. Put pan in refrigerator until ready to pour in cheesecake filling

For Filling:

1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave, set aside to cool
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put in a shallow baking pan on the bottom rack to heat up
3. Cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth
4. Add in chocolate and beat until incorporated
5. Add in vanilla and espresso powder
6. Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated
7. Remove pan from refrigerator and fill with cheesecake
8. When oven is to temperature, pour two cups of hot water into the shallow pan on the bottom rack
9. Bake cheesecake for 1 hour or until center is slightly jiggly and sides are set
10. Allow cheesecake to cool in oven for two hours

For Mousse:

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth
2. Add in cool whip and pudding mix and beat until incorporated
3. Beat in heavy cream until mixture is thick, but spreadable
4. Top cooled cheesecake with mouse and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight

Enjoy!

Summer Decor Balls

Happy Thursday!  Has anyone seen this awesome closeline at the Dollar Store?  It was tucked away with the weird car/garage stuff at my store, but I sniffed it out. 

Ok, maybe sniff is not the right word...  It reminded me so much of that lovely bakers twine from Divine Twine.  So I bought up a bunch of it in all of these delicious colors and set to work hot gluing said clotheline to styrofoam balls. 

I love the end result - they're oh so fresh and summery.  The blue ones in particular feel very naughty nautical.


And if anyone is wondering (I'm sure all of you are on pins and needled...ha!) I'm totally procrastinating on my Mother's Day gifts.  I'm a bad, bad little monkey!