New York Cheesecake

I´ve never been much of a sports perosn. Sure, I enjoy going to live games now and then but watching a football game on tv like it´s the latest vampire diaries episode? No thank you. Until now. I think I´m a convert. Watching every move the soccer players of Spain makes on TV as they kick their way to victory is as addicting to me as... cheesecake.
The games are just the begining of excitement. After, the streets are bursting with a sea of red and yellow and the car horns can be heard until 1 in the morning. The whole city of Salamanca- heck probably the whole ocuntry of spain- is out partying after another victory in the world cup. And now. The final match! If Spain brings home the world cup this year (I´m pretty sure part of this obsession for me stems from the fact it has the same name as the Quiditch world championships in Harry Potter) I doubt one person in Spain will get a second of sleep.
Partying is completely acceptable when there´s something to celebrate. Staying out all night is a given. If you happen to do something completely stupid? At least you won´t remember it in the morning. Just kidding. Kind of.
Obviously I had to bake something with all my excitement. And since cheesecake is the perfect dessert and Spain has the perfect soccer team... well, it´s obvious where I´m going with this.
Plus, in Salamanca, the cheesecakes are drastically different than the American classic dessert. I figured I´d give my Spanish family a taste of America. Now and after the championships.


cheesecake heaven? I think yes.


Anddd last one for luck. GO ESPAÑA!

Classic and Delicious New York Cheesecake
adapted from: Joy of Baking

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups of vanilla cookie crubs (grahm crackers work as well)
1/8 cup sugar (1/4 cup if using grahms cracker crumbs)
1/4 cup Butter
1 egg white
Filling
32 Ounces of cream Cheese (1 KG!!!)
1 Cup Granulated White Sugar
4 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
4 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (or 1 Tbs. lemon zest)
1 teaspoon almond extract
Garnish
Pretty much anything you crave at that particular moment.
I used:
1 Jar of apricot jam
caramel is also delicious as is white chocolate or dark chocolate ganache
the possibilities are endless!

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C) and butter a 9-inch Springform Pan or pie dish.
2. In a food processor, crush cookies/ grahm crackers into fine crumbs then dump them into a meduim sized bowl.
3. Place the sugar in with the cookie crumbs, and stir together. Next, melt the butter in a microwave, then throw it in the medium sized bowl as well. Add the egg white. Mix everything together very well, so the cookie crumbs are all coated with liquid. Honestly mixing with your hands works best in this regard.
4. Cover the bottom of the pan very evenly with a thin layer of crust, then push it up the sides of the pan, evenly distributing all the way around until all crust has been used. Put in the refrigerator until the filling has been made.
5. Place the cream cheese, sugar and flour inside a larger bowl and cream until smooth, about two minutes.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl!
7. Add the whipping cream, and extracts and beat well to make sure everything is incoorporated.
8. Take the crust out of the refrigerator and pour into it the filling. Make sure the layer is even, it will be almost overflowing so be careful!
9. Place cheesecake in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 C) and continue to bake until only the middle is still wobbly and wet.(VERY important!) This should take around an hour, it only took mine 45 minutes though so keep a close eye on your cake!
10. Remove from over and run a knife along the edge of the crust to loosen it up. Then, let the cheesecake completely cool before putting the desired topping on it. Afterwards, place in the refrigerator for at least an hour, overnight would be best, covered in seran wrap or aluminum foil. Serve and enjoy!

Galletes de Lacasitos

We could talk about Spain. How enthusiastic the streets are or how it´s totally frowned upon if you eat dinner before 10:00- worse if you are in bed before 1:30. But talking about Spain will only make me wonder why I don´t have all my possesions shipped over for a permenant residence.
So let´s talk Cookies. Well, being in Spain, I was getting all pumped up to make an exotic spanish dessert, or even a fancy, beautiful cake. Of course my Spanish family wanted something ¨authentically American¨. Bore. Of course Teresa skipped at the idea of chocolate chip cookies. Snooze. Unfortunately... I went down without a fight. Because, as quoted from Madagascar, ¨Don´t fight the hand that feeds you¨. If it was American Cookies my family wanted, that´s what they´d get. I was able to make them a little more exciting by adding Lacasitos (Spanish M&Ms.) to satisfy my Spanish baking craving. And I also made them in bar form becuase that creates a gooey, chewy inside and a slighty crisp outside, the best of both worlds!
So, I now present: Galletes de Lacasitos! Which are really just really delicious M&M Bar Cookies.



M&M Bar Cookies
Adapted from: Lizzy goes Dutch
Ingredients:
2 Cups All purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
14 Tbs Butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)
1 Cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 heaping cup of Lacasitos (Okay, fine, M&Ms will probably work just fine)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
1. melt the butter and let it cool to room temp.
2. Combine the sugars in the bowl and whisk together. Pour the butter in the bowl and mix until combined. Next crack in the egg and egg5 yolk. whisk it goood.
3. In a seperate bowl add Flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the M&Ms! Take a taste, it´s a sin that´s so good.
5. Butter a 9 X 13 inch pan and press the dough evenly into the pan. Place in preheated oven for around 20 minutes, until the dough is golden brown and the outsides start to pull away from the pan. center will be soft.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. Transfer to mouth.