Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

We had dinner with a friend from school on Friday and James volunteered me to make a cheesecake (my favorite thing!). I knew that our friend's wife was pregnant so I wanted to make something chocolaty. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and it was a huge success -- perfectly rich and creamy. I followed the recipe almost exactly except that we had a lot more crust (we like crust).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used chocolate graham crackers)
  
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 30 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans (James chopped these up pretty small and they were perfect because they added flavor and texture but it wasn't chunks of nut)

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I mixed a little ghirardelli's baking semi-sweet chocolate with chocolate chips which actually turned out great. It wasn't too dark or too sweet)
  
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (I left them out all day since I was at school and they blended BEAUTIFULLY)
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs (best at room temperature)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix well and press into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Pour on melted caramel/pecan mixture and chill for 30 minutes.
2. To make the Caramel Filling: In a small saucepan, combine caramels and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
   
3. In the top of a double boiler, heat chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold 1/3 of the filling into the melted chocolate, then pour the chocolate mixture back into the filling and mix until no streaks remain. Pour into crust.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until center is almost set. Place a pan of water on rack underneath cheesecake as it bakes to help keep it from cracking. Cool in oven with door cracked open. Refrigerate at least 5 hours before serving.

Chicken Mole

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 lbs chicken parts (I like to use boneless and skinless thighs and then cut each one into three or four pieces)
1 small onion, peeled & chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled & finely chopped
3 cups salsa
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 to 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp cocoa

Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet. Add onion and garlic to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender.

Stir in salsa, broth, chili powder, peanut butter and cocoa. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place chicken in sauce; cook uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through.

Serve over cooked rice.

The longer you can let it simmer, the more the flavors marry and the better the dish tastes.