Banana Cheesecake Roll with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

One day I watched Food Network Channel. There was a restaurant that was interviewed by Guy in his Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show. One of their signature desserts is this Banana Cheesecake Roll. I don't exactly wrote down the recipe from the show. But I kinda remember how it made. And of course, this is not the exact recipe that they are using. I just use my own Cheesecake recipe and do that. But it really tastes good. It is a different kind of way to eat Cheesecake. The crispy spring roll wrap replaced the tradition cheesecake crust. And you just pick and eat. Serve individually. 2 bites size. Perfect!

Cheesecake Recipe: (8" round pan)

Ingredients:

• 3 medium bananas
• 1 lemon (juice of)
• 3 eggs
• 240 grams fromage frais (sieved, or quark or use all cream cheese)
• 300 grams cream cheese
• 100 grams caster sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.  Mush bananas with two tablespoons of lemon juice, then beat in the other ingredients until well combined.
3. Pour the filling onto the biscuit base and bake for an hour. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in for another hour.

Chocolate dipping sauce (Pic 8):

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate 
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 Tbsp Butter (optional)

Method:

1. Heat cream in saucepan.
2. Once it starts to boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until well combined.  Add butter and stir until butter is melted and chocolate sauce is smooth.

Banana Cheesecake Roll Recipe:

 Ingredients:

• Spring roll wrap
• Egg wash (Beaten Egg)
• Cinnamon Sugar
• Cheesecake (Pic 1)

Method

1. Defrost spring roll wrap. Place on plate (Pic 2)
2. Add a Tablespoonful of cheesecake on the centre of spring roll wrap. Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar. Then wrap it into a roll. (Pic 3)
3. Spread egg wash to seal the roll. Then apply a bit more on the outside of the roll. (Pic 4 & 5)
4. Take out a saucepan and heat oil. Prepare oil to 3 inch deep. Once it reached 365 °F. Deep fried the prepared Cheesecake roll. (Pic 6)

       5. Please on rack until it turns brown. (Pic 7)

      6. Serve Banana Cheesecake Roll with Chocolate Dipping sauce. (Serve hot)

Macaron Pops with Blueberry White Chocolate Ganache

August 31 is my friend Christine's birthday. I made her cake and birthday treats in last two years. And this year, I also made her something for her birthday. I made this Macaron Pops in brownie served in a small shot cup. I did that because we went to a beach BBQ picnic at Spanish Banks. This birthday treat do not need to refrigerate and it is easy to eat. No need to cut and to serve. 

              

I placed macaron pops into brownie cake base. Each cup provided with a mini spoon

                                              

 

Recipe: (can make around 80 shells. That is about 40 macarons)

Italian Meringue Macarons

200g almond meal or ground blanched almonds
200g confectioners’ sugar
200g sugar
50g water
150g egg whites, divided into two 75g portions

Directions:

1. Stack two baking trays on top of each other. Line with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Process almond meal with confectioners’ sugar in a food processor. Sieve out any large bits of almond.
3. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat on medium until all the sugar is dissolved.
4. Meanwhile, place 75g of egg whites in a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment.
5. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup reaches 118 C/245 F. While the sugar is cooking, begin whisking the egg whites. They should reach stiff peaks by the time the syrup is at 245 F. If it whips too fast, turn down or turn off the mixer.
6. Turn the mixer speed to low. Carefully pour the sugar syrup in a slow stream into the mixer.
7. Turn the mixer speed to high and let the meringue for several minutes until it has cooled and appears glossy and firm.
8. In a large bowl, combine the almond meal mixture with the remaining 75g of egg whites until partially combined.
9. Scoop the meringue on top of the almond meal mixture. Using a spatula or dough scraper, carefully fold the meringue in, trying not to deflate it.
10. The final batter should be thick and flow slowly like magma. Do not overmix.
11. Scoop the batter into a piping bag fitted with a ½” diameter plain tip.
12. Pipe 1 ½” rounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Let the sheets sit for about 20 minutes to let the shells harden.
13. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160 C/320 F.
14. Bake one set of macarons for 15 minutes, rotating once.
15. Let tray cool for a few minutes before removing from the silicone mat. Let finish cooling on wire racks.

Blueberry White Chocolate Ganache

1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cream
150g white chocolate

Directions:
1. Cook blueberries and sugar over medium heat and mix until juice reaches a syrup like consistency
2. Strain the blueberry juice through a fine mesh strainer (This mixture should yield 3 tbsp of liquid)
3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream at lo-medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat
4. Add white chocolate and stir frequently until smooth (Picture 2). If the mixture is too runny, add a bit more chocolate to thicken it a bit. (Picture 3)
5. Add 2 tbsp of the blueberry syrup to the white chocolate cream mixture and combine
6. Store in fridge until it is thicken.

To Assemble:

1. Take out a lollipop stick and dip a bit of ganache and place on one of the macaron shell. (Picture 1)
2. Spread or pipe ganache to the other macaron shell. Combine them and make a macaron pop.