First Baking Attempt: Oreo Chocolate Cream Cheesecake

The result of my first baking attempt with Edmund and Alyssa. :D We followed the recipe from Kraft Foods. Well, not quite because Edmund and I can't find BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate in the grocery. We bought one 500g Dutche Chocolate Bar, which is the only available brand of chocolate for baking.


Alyssa was in charge of the crust. I can tell that she was well-suited for the job. She put all her strength into crushing the Oreo cookies - pounding it with the end of a butcher knife, and even pounding it with bare hands against the wall. :)) After ensuring that the Oreo biscuits were finely crushed, she baked it for 10 mins. Igniting the oven for the first time was very dangerous for us. :p A portion of Edmund's hair on his right hand got burned. -.- But the experience was still funny because of Alyssa's immediate reaction when the oven suddenly blew a large breath of fire as it sprang to life - she instantly backed-off and glued ala spider-woman against the wall behind her. :))


I was in charge of melting the big chocolate bar. I don't know but this is the same responsibility I got when I was still a freshman in high school and we were baking a chocolate cake during our Home Economics class. Haha! I laboriously melted the small-to-medium chunks of chocolate that Edmund chopped and occasionally put on the pan. The chocolate was melted through the steam produced from boiling water while constantly stirring the chunks of chocolate until it was completely in liquid form. From time to time, we can't resist dipping our fingers and tasting the melted chocolate. :9 It was very delicious. :9 Thumbs up for Dutche chocolate bars. :D


Lastly, Edmund was in charge of mixing the filling itself. :) He worked as a substitute to our future mixer. :)) He carefully measured the amount of sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese required for the filling. As mentioned above, he was also responsible in other slightly more demanding  tasks as well like igniting the oven, chopping blocks of chocolate, putting and lifting pans off the hot oven or stove, etc.


We were a bit messy. :)) Although we tried to immediately throw away trashes like egg shells, plastic wrappers, chocolate foil wrappers, etc., we still had a dirty kitchen that is literally dirty. :)) There were chocolate shavings there, drops of vanilla here, and cookie crumbs everywhere. :)) Alyssa had to clean, wash, and wipe everything we used for almost two hours [while Edmund and I were just playing Monopoly Deal. Hihi.]. Maybe because this was our first time, so we still didn't have any strategies or style yet. :p


But the experience was very satisfying, fulfilling and inspiring. :D When we put the cheesecake out of the refrigerator, every one in Alyssa's family suddenly arrived and provided comments. Some say it looked like it got burned into which Alyssa dutifully explained that it was the crust that they were actually seeing because we flipped the container when we transferred the cake on the plate. :)) The taste was perfect for us - not too sweet and not too bland. :9 I think that we were only lacking in presentation because the cake didn't look like very appealing. So Alyssa's cousins helped by garnishing it with some of their M&M's. :))


As a bonus, Alyssa gave me two of her old books! Yay! Alyssa can be sweet and generous when she wants to. =))

Also, her family took Edmund and I to eat dinner at King Bee, a Chinese restaurant in front of SM Masinag. They were very keen on getting us to eat every food on the table. I would love to if not for the fact that I was already full because of the merienda (squid balls, cassava cake, ube, espasol) we had while baking. :p


I am definitely baking again. :D Our first attempt wasn't so bad at all. My mother also loved it. :D My to-buy list now includes an oven and a mixer. Haha! :p Thanks to Alyssa for letting us for accommodating us. :D