You did the right thing.

It took me 2 days to make the 3 I have in my photos a couple of weeks ago between work, school and life.

They had a nice thought, but that it where it should have stayed, just a thought.

Ooohhh you could have said sure and then brought 30-mini cheesecakes - I did not see where they specified size. That would have been a very bad band mom moment. Way to stick to your guns - that was just a crazy request. We had our entire figure skating club making them in a restaurant kitchen and that was still a lot of work!

Can't wait for the showdown results.

I'd be happy to post my recipe if you guys want it. It's sort of evolved over the years and now it's my standard chocolate one. I have an excellent regular cheesecake recipe as well. It started life as a recipe that I got from a restaurant (now defunct) that I did the books for.

Yes LorrieG, we would love to have your recipe! You helped develop them for a restaraunt? That is great! Chocolate sounds yummy!

lorrieg, I would love a copy of your recipe!! Thanks for the offer!

And mrsw, I think that's a great idea (re: showing up with mini cheesecakes vs. the regular sized).

We only actually used the plain one for the restaurant. I've had to rescale it and it's in two measuring systems. Some of the ingredients are metric and some imperial. I'll have to see if I can convert them. I use both here and just look at the correct side of my measuring cup.

The chocolate one has evolved over the years since I first made it. They make BIG cheesecakes, but there are no complaints around here. I usually make two smaller ones and freeze one.

They look so yummy & rich !! Please post the recipes !! I would love to have them !!!

I'd love the Choc. one too!! You shouldn't have to convert the metric one, we have metric measures on all our stuff here.

As for the band. It's amazing what people demand. I was also a band parent, but only in middle school (4 years). Thankfully my kids didn't want to play in the marching band in high school, only jazz band. I was the treasurer, but it was only the officers that did all the work, the parents wouldn't lift a finger to help or even come to the meetings.

Bottomline, you're a great band mom and they were out of line.

wow..wow....wow!

I just got home from school and saw alllllllll these posts! What fun!

Let's see....I'm all for the Clooney/Pitt massage idea for the winner....woo hoo! *fanning myself*

I have received marriage proposals over my cheesecakes...even from a few gay men......and even though I'm married.....

That recipe is the one recipe I have that I won't share, but I have other favorite cheesecakes and they're on my recipe page. Help yourselves!

http://www.kahoks.org/kreitner/HTM/recipes.htm

I don't feel bad in any way, shape or form over giving a polite "I don't think so" to the cheesecake for the Fest. The timing made it impossible and there's no way I can afford to take a huge loss over the ingredients. I am flattered that they wanted them, but yikes!, they need to plan this a whole lot better and sooner (and maybe ASK me before they make arrangements!)

I must be a glutton for punishment. I was a PTA president for 8 years, a "chorus mom" for 6 years and a "band mom" for 6 years (less than 2 years left and counting!). My youngest is 16 now and I'm ready for a break until grandbabies come along!

Thanks for all your replies!

Jodie

Oh Lorrieg great to see a fellow Canadian here!! I would love to have your recipes for the cheesecakes. They look totally amazing!!

As for the people wanting 30 cheesecakes. Only in their dreams!!!! What were they thinking asking you to do that and assuming you would. Oh, that is right, they weren't thinking!!

I think that you were smart saying "NO"

I tried to submit the recipe but don't see it. Is there a waiting time for that? Anyway, here's one of the cakes.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Book: Gauthier Family Favourites
Chapter: Desserts

Makes 24 servings
Two 9 inch non-stick springform pans or eight small ones.

1 1/2 pounds Cadbury 43% dark chocolate candy bar chopped (about 7 100g bars)
32 ounces Philly cream cheese room temp (about 4 pkgs)
2 cups granulated sugar
8 larges eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup instant espresso (powder reconstituted)
4 teaspoons Watkins vanilla extract
2 1/2 cupss oreo cookie crumbs about a box
10 tablespoons butter melted

Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare bain-marie and pan. Wrap springform pans with foil to help prevent leaking. Melt butter, mix in cookie crumbs and press into the pans. Set aside.

Melt chocolate in microwave or in double boiler. Stir until smooth, let cool while you prepare the rest. Cream cream cheese in mixer set on low speed for about 6 minutes. Blend in sugar gradually. Beat each egg in singly. Add salt to the hot espresso. Add espresso, vanilla and chocolate slowly, one at a time.

Pour into pans, place in bain-marie and bake for about an hour or until firm but not cracking. Try to check by looking through the door and not opening it if you can. Shut oven off, leave cakes in oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Chill well, decorate with stabilized whipped cream and chocolate covered coffee beans and milk chocolate shavings. (also cadbury brand chocolate bars)

As an alternative, measure around cheesecake with adding machine roll, lay out acetate or parchment paper a bit longer and a bit taller than the height of the cakes. Melt white and milk chocolate candy melts or chocolate and drop puddles randomly on the paper within the area you want to cover. Let harden and spread dark chocolate over all smoothing out. Let harden slightly then wrap around cake placing where you want it. Chill the whole thing before you peel off the parchment. Stripes are also striking looking.

Actually, if you do all of the above there are more than 3 kinds of chocolate.

Thanks sooo much for the recipe ! That sounds so Yummy. I feel so fat just reading it .lol!!

Lorrie~ thank you so much!! Can I ask you, does it have a strong coffee flavor?
I love the one in your pictures! It is so cute!!! And looks delicious!

gabbenmom, it takes only like chocolate. I think the coffee just brings out the flavour better. it's the secret ingredient.

Thank you! I can't wait to try! I always avoid recipes with coffee in them because I do not like the flavor of coffee! Thanks for your answer! I know I am safe to try it!!!

Thanks for the recipe. It sounds so yummy!!!

Thanks for the recipe lorrieg !! I am a cheesecakeaholic

The choc.caramel cheesecake recipe posted in recipe section by Amy is also to die for !!! very rich,very yummy....

woole2 I don't think there is any substitute. But you don't taste coffee at all. I'm not sure what the specifics are but it brings out the chocolate flavour.

Someone else might be able to explain it. Pretty please? Anyone know why?

Thank you Lorrieg for the fantastic recipe.

I tried to find an answer to why coffee brings out the flavor in chocolate and went to my 2 favorite websites for such info:

www.ochef.com AND
www.cookingforengineers.com

CFE didn't help, they just had a brownie recipe that included coffee powder, but coincidentally on ochef, the question of the week was about just this topic.

From Ochef's website: "Many people, however, regard the addition of coffee as a way to augment or strengthen the chocolatey flavor, and see the two flavors as completely complementary rather than distinct and at odds."

It's not scientifically explained because there doesn't seem to be a scientific explanation other than that to most people's palates, chocolate and coffee are complimentary and similar enough that you only taste chocolate and more chocolate. Apparently it's different for those who don't like coffee. Who knew?

Anyway, if you don't like coffee, you can also just use hot water in recipes that call for hot coffee - these are usually recipes that call for cocoa, though, not melted chocolate, because the heat helps the cocoa blend in since it melts the little bit of cocoa butter that is still in there.

That said, I fully intend to give this chocolate cheesecake a try as written. I LOVE coffee and chocolate together.

Thanks Ali, I tried ask.com and just got lots of websites that said coffee enhanced the chocolate flavour and that most people couldn't tell there was coffee in it. I know that no-one but my youngest son could tell I had used it. He loved the cheesecake but his first comment was wow- chocolate AND coffee? Of course this kid can smell outdoor rain from an isolation ward in a hospital.

First of all, if you want Brad Pitt, maybe we better have it in SW Missouri, since that's where he's from and his parents still live. It would coincide nicely with a visit to the 'rents for him.

Oh and it's close to me too, so I volunteer to judge!!!!

I can usually never taste the coffee in chocolate recipes, and I don't like coffee. The few that I have been able to taste it in, I've reduced the amount of coffee/espresso and substituted more water if the recipe calls for it in liquid form, or if it's just the powder/etc. then I just decrease it. I always make the recipe once as written though, to see if I can taste it.

Was there a hidden camera around when that phone call came? Did someone say Smile, or You've Been Punked? Next time, tell them sorry, but the bottle broke, and the magic genie got away. How about cupcakes?

LOL!

Theresa

Was there a hidden camera around when that phone call came? Did someone say Smile, or You've Been Punked? Next time, tell them sorry, but the bottle broke, and the magic genie got away. How about cupcakes?

LOL!

Theresa

Thanks Sandi - a little like me!!

I suppose that would be better than telling them where they could stuff it.

I was a band parent, choir parent, etc. I know how they can be - P'sITA - my fault was that I worked a "normal" job too much and offended them because all I contributed to the cause was money, not time - go figure.

Thank heaven I don't have to put up with that anymore.

this is a fabulous topic for a woman in the throws of major time-o-the-month! i could switch off between chocolate and salt!

anywho, i've made mini cheesecakes in cupcake holders before with a nilla wafer for the crust. the church folk loved 'em!

i like to make cheesecakes too but my oven's a hunk of junk so the timings rough. i'd like to be a judge if you're looking for one! i'll wear some old maternity pants and dig in!

okay, here is the plain recipe. Enjoy!

Legends Cheesecake
Makes 16 servings


750 grams cream cheese softened
300 milliliters sweetened condensed milk (one can)
100 milliliters 18% cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
100 milliliters real lemon juice
1 teaspoon watkins vanilla extract
3 eggs
Equal quantities graham crackers
And butter melted

Cream cheese & sugar till smooth. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture slowly. Add condensed milk and gradually add cream. Add lemon and vanilla. Scrape down bowl. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down bowl and beaters often.

Line 8" or 9" springform pan with graham/butter mixture. You can already have wrapped bottom of the pan with HD aluminum if you wish. You can also make two smaller cheesecakes and freeze one.

Pour cheesecake mixture in pan. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Place in bain-marie in preheated oven at 300F. Bake 1 1/2 hours. ***Switch off oven and let sit for 1 1/2 hours. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR. Remove and chill in refrigerator.

Sounds like the executive chef at the restaurant I use to work at. Maybe he headed up the fund raising committee. Sounds like they asked for too much too and had no respect for you. Just do do do. I made all the ice cream all the sorbets all the danish and muffins 300 turn down cookies 50-100 tuxedo strawberries all the components for my 12 plated desserts plus 3-10 banquets 100-400 petit fours plus work the line for 3 hours and make stuff for his menu all by myself fresh never frozen every day. Then one day he said, can you make my son a cake they will be here in an hour and its his birthday and also a patron ordered one for tonight a carrot cake. OK needless to say working 16-20 hours a day 6-7 days resulted in a heart attack at age 45! I came back to 10 times more work and one day I just took a deep breath gathered my things and walked out! Well, what I want to say is some people sure have the nerve and no clue and take and take and take. If you gave in you would regret it and maybe what you enjoyed most would be ruined like it is for me I cant even go to the grocery store and I don't even enjoy eating anymore! Thanks for letting me tell my story