Lame Baker
I’m usually a good Daring Baker. I may wait until the very last minute to do a challenge but I’ll get it done and, more importantly, get it done right—which means no cheating on the recipe rules.
But not this time. See, this go-round I got lazy and by Saturday night when we got back from food shopping and I realized I forgot to get lollipop sticks, I threw caution to the wind and decided to make “Cheesecake Balls” not “Cheesecake Pops.”
Maybe I should have planned better. Maybe I should’ve went to the craft store earlier in the day and bought the sticks. But life, as it tends to do, got in the way.
Our Saturday was spent at Shadfest, the annual festival in Lambertville, NJ honoring the shad that swims through the Delaware come springtime. Jim, Champ, and I lazily traipsed around the festival—not thinking about Daring Bakers for one moment—eating shad wraps and taking photos. By the time we got home, tired and happy, I almost threw the whole notion of cheesecake anythings in the trash.
But then I got a second wind and decided to make the balls. The cheesecake was surprisingly easy. I divided the recipe into fifths, because one can only take so much cheesecake. Everything was whipped up in cute little bowls since the ingredients were so fractioned off (.04 cup of flour can’t really mess up your kitchen). However, once the cheesecake came out of the oven, I was already tired, and didn’t want to bake anymore (but, of course, wanted dessert for the night). I rolled the balls up too soon—they were bumpy and quite ugly—and then froze them solid while I continued to finish dinner and get a bit zonked on some good wine. A little bit later, I tipsily dipped the balls in chocolate, threw on some sprinkles, and devoured some immediately, watching an episode of Entourage. I didn’t, silly me, even take a picture.
Luckily, there were some left over (still on the plate, which I threw in the fridge before bed, you know, for food safety) and I took some snaps this morning, trying not to get chocolate on my new MacBook.
The recipe for the real cheesecake pops is here and here, at the lovely sites of this month’s Daring hosts, Deborah from Taste and Tell, and Elle from Feeding My Enthusiasms. And of course, you can find all the links to the other (better) Daring Bakers here.
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Sweet Corn Soup
Zucchini Basil Soup
Simple Tomato Salad
Bacon-wrapped Yellowtail
Apricots Poached in Vanilla-Thyme Syrup
Summer Squash Carbonara
Steak with Parsleyed Butter
Casa Maya, Highbridge
The Fine Diner, Clinton
Elements, Princeton
April 27th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Cooking is always better with wine. It keeps the cook happy and who cares in the end?
April 27th, 2008 at 11:02 am
I love that it looks, in your last photo, like your balls had a wild party on that plate… knowing how great they taste – I am sure they had a rocking good time! :)
April 27th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Were so bad aren’t we? I did the bottle of wine thing and then went on line and found out the challenge date was today!!! I made the cheesecake and it was still warm when I went to bed. Got up around 4 and finally put it in the fridge!
Yours look great and I like the ball idea. I ended up using bamboo skewers!
April 27th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Dang irl … those look great! Honestly, sometimes throwing something together results in some of the best somethings around. Hey, that sounds like the makings of a t-shirt …
April 27th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Your cheesecake balls looked yummy. Looks like you had a fun day.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I love the balls! We actually ended up taking out the sticks and eating them as balls anyway, because they were easier to eat that way! I’m glad you were able to complete them – they look great!
April 27th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I used skewers instead of lollipop sticks. Whoops! But they sure are tasty!
April 27th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Aww they are still delightful even without sticks! I think you did a fantastic job. :)
xoxo
April 27th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I think the sticks made the dipping easier, but the eating harder. Either way, looks like you had a fine time with these!
April 27th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
The sticks fell out any way when you bite into them. I think they were meant to be bon bons
April 27th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
I really believe that procrastination is a true Daring Baker ability. :) I think I shall deem these cheesecake truffles, and they’d look great stacked with other round treats.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
You did more than I did…You actually did the challenge! they look great. Be careful around that Apple!
April 27th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
smart girl
screw those stupid ass stix
you did good
i want one
just one
now would be good
April 28th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Hey those pops didn’t need no stinkin’ sticks anyways! They look like they still turned out totally cute for you :)
April 28th, 2008 at 6:32 am
I think you still did a great job! I could not even find lollipop sticks but I decided to do it anyway!
April 28th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Please mail me some of those NOW woman! lol…
April 28th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Your balls look amazing.
Great work.
Iisha of
http://thefablifeofi2daj.blogspot.com/
April 28th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Those look great!!!! The stix are just a distraction anyway.
April 29th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Anything is better with wine, and I am certain there is a wine out there that pairs super well with chocolate covered cheesecake balls.
Now there is a line that makes me giggle!
Those look so yummy…..SO yummy!
April 29th, 2008 at 9:54 am
They look yummy! Of, course I’m always in for wine too! Great blog.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I don’t miss the Popsicle sticks and I’m betting your audience didn’t either. I thought rolling the pops in the melted chocolate was the most fun part of the challenge… and performing that step a little ‘zonked’ sounds like even more fun.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
hehe.. They look wonderful..and I love the post!!
April 29th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
So what if you forgot the sticks! All that means is you didn’t ruin the spherical rigidity of your cheesecake balls. They still look fantastic, I’d love one right now.
- The Peanut Butter Boy
May 4th, 2008 at 11:39 am
You take such great pictures!
May 7th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
I think little poppable balls is perfect. And, your excuse is even better. Sounds like you had a wonderful weekend of life :)