Chocolate and cheesecake - decadence, calories and lip smacking

To help you with temptation.....yeah right, actually the chocolate torte got eaten before a photo could be taken. But for those who asked for the recipes, I eventually keep my promises.:) And Grandma's teacup and plate look so pretty!





          The Ultimate Cheesecake
(Arrogant title!!) (I await comment)
Crust:
1 Packet digestive biscuits, crushed
90g melted butter
Optional: 50 g pecan nuts
Mix together and press into base and sides of a 22cm loose bottomed cake tin. I press mines just past half way up. By the way, if you have added too much butter and have no more biscuits, a few cream crackers work wonders!
Filling:
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
160g castor sugar
Pinch of salt
Finely grated rind of one lemon
1/2 t vanilla powder (if leaving lemon out, up to 1t)
750g smooth cottage cheese
30g flour
200ml cream OR sour cream OR marscapone

Mix all above together very well, pour into crust and bake at 100C (YES!) for 1 and 1/2 hours. Turn heat off and leave in oven at least 15 min. Cool and refrigerate at least 4 hours before removing from pans. I find it helpful to bake the cheesecake on a baking tray on top of a layer of kitchen paper, to soak up any butter that may escape the crumb crust.
Can top with fresh fruit or fruit sauce or whatever appeals. Good just as is.

                                              Wheat free chocolate Torte
300g nuts - you can use a combination or just 1 type. I generally use 150g almonds and 150 either hazelnuts, walnut or pecans. I think hazelnuts are the nicest. Buy peeled ones.
300g Bournville dark chocolate (Lindt is good if your budget allows!)
1 heaped teaspoon cocoa powder
255g butter
100g castor sugar
6 large free range eggs, separated (if Xlarge, use 5)

Preheat oven to 190C. Grease and line 22cm round tin or square tin. Place nuts in food processor and blitz till finely ground. Add chocolate and cocoa and blitz 30 seconds till chocolate broken up. Place into separate bowl. Add butter and sugar to processor, beat till pale and fluffy, add yolks one at a time, then mix together with chocolate mix in bowl. Beat egg whites till soft peaks form and fold in. Pour into tin and bake for 40 mins then start checking. A tester inserted should come out reasonably clean as you don't want it over baked. If it stays in longer, turn temp down to 170C. Cool in tin before turning out.
Serve as is with some cream or top with chocolate ganache -150ml cream and 200g chocolate melted together.

Oh my goodness, these are both SOOOOOO good. Yes, I am the humble sort ha ha