Elisha's It's-It Cheesecake

Two posts in a row regarding Elisha?  I must love her or something. 

Plain and simple:  I thought Elisha's cheesecake was genius.  If you're not from the Bay Area, the inspiration was the It's-It Ice Cream Treat, an oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich all dipped in chocolate.  They come in a variety of flavors, my favorite being mint.

Elisha's cheesecake follows this theme by having an oatmeal cookie crust and what would have been a hard chocolate shell (it was a very hot day and being brainiacs, we neglected to have the tasting in the shade).  The cheesecake itself is espresso flavored.

There was little wrong with the cheesecake.  Espresso cheesecake: Mmm....  Chocolate coating: Mmm....  Oatmeal cookie crust: MMM....

Elisha's Birthday Cake

So far, my cakes have been on the fun and whimsical side. I really wanted to show that I could do something that is classy and sophisticated.

This cake accomplished two things for me: I got to work more with flowers and also the chance to do a damask style cake, which I have been wanting to do for awhile.

I wanted the flower to look like a chrysanthemum, which I guess I sort of accomplished. I would have liked it more if it was more cupped than flat. I followed the steps on this guide that I found. I probably didn't get the result that I wanted because I didn't have the right tools. Or maybe I just wasn't doing it right.

Jasmine's Maple Chocolate Cheesecake with Graham Cracker Bacon Crust

Sorry for the delay in posting this. I've been busy but I can't really think or what I have been busy with.

After hearing that there was BACON in Jasmine's crust, it was a no brainer that she would win for "Most Original". From what I remember, it wasn't terribly obvious that bacon was an ingredient in the crust. In my opinion, the bacon added nuttiness and smokiness.

This is Jasmine's first time competing with us and if this is just a glimpse of what she has to offer, then I am really excited to see what else she has up her sleeve for future competitions.

Recipe after the jump.