I have to say that I've never understood why this dessert is called a cheesecake. Yes, it does have cream cheese in it, but it doesn't have what I call a cheesecake-texture. It's just not heavy like a traditional cheesecake. What this recipe for Eggnog Cheesecake is, it is a sinfully-creamy extremely delightful dessert. Each and every time I've served this dessert, there's rarely anything leftover.


Photo © 2009 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc

Most sadly, this year there will be no Christmas Pudding being made next door this year. Marjorie (affectionately known as Granny to us) passed away this last Spring. She lived a full and active 91-years. Each Christmas she'd come from England to visit her daughter and grandchildren. I was lucky enough to be able to share in their family tradition of making the Christmas Pud. In Granny's memory, I'm sharing it with you.

Photo © 2009 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

I just love this time of year. I get to try all kinds of new products. Original Beans sent me one of each of the three chocolate bars they make: Esmeraldas Milk (from Ecuador with 49 percent cacao), Cru Virunga (from the Congo with 70 percent cacao) and Beni Wild Harvest (from Bolivia with 68 percent cacao.) I had a little chocolate tasting at my home. All three bars were heartily enjoyed. Of three, Esmeraldas Milk is my kind of "eating" chocolate. I have a friend who prefers a stronger chocolate less milk-type bar. She enjoyed the slight raisin-flavor found in the Beni Wild Harvest bar.

Of course, none of the chocolate bars from Original Beans are actually green in color. They are green environmentally. When the beans are harvested from endangered rain forests, Original Beans helps to reforest them. You can read all about their very interesting story on their website.

Believe it or not, but I had some chocolate leftover from the tasting. (Well, not from the Esmeraldas Milk bar, I had to finish that one myself.) The others went into this recipe for Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies.


2009 Photo by Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com

While at my daughter's church choir Christmas party, I was talking to the other mothers about homemade gifts. One mother said she always gives her neighbors Dark Chocolate Chess Pies. Of course, my initial thought was "I want to be her neighbor." My next thought, naturally, was to get her recipe. Many thanks again to Josie for sharing her recipe for this exquisitely delicious pie.



Photo © 2009 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.